| The Mysterious Man Called Job |
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During my very first semester at Yale, I took a course at the Law School called "The Book of Job and Injustice". One of the things I was able to take from the class is that this book has less to do with Job than it does about this God to whom he prayed and had some dialogue. This book is the absolute oldest book in the Hebrew text. This is what we do know. What we do not know is from whence this story comes. It is not uniquely Jewish. It shows up in other Ancient Near East cultures. We'll just say the Jews borrowed it like they did many other things we read in the OT for the sake of this blog. Strange as Job was at times with what he said, this is one thing he hit head on. He got this one right. Though he is suffering, he says, "my redeemer liveth!" Generations later we would hear the same thing again having been written by the writer of Hebrews. In 11:6, the writer says that those who come to God must believe that he is (or that he exists) and that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek (inquire/require of) him. Was there another with such a faith as Job? If we don't learn anything else from Job know this, that God exists, that God lives. Take it a step further and know that he gives good gifts to men/women. 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last he will stand upon the earth; |
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