INTRODUCTION TO JOB

INTRODUCTION

Currently the Book of Job is understood by most as a study into why the righteous must suffer unjustly at the hand of God, while at the same time the wicked seem to go merrily along unnoticed and prospering. Without question, this view has given us a great deal to ponder over the years but there is another, deeper, far more important message in this little book. Many scholars have studied Job for thousands of years but they have not had "the eyes to see, or the ears to hear" the real story. They have failed to see that the Book of Job is an allegory (a long parable), the grandest ever written. They have overlooked that Job's suffering is analogous to what Jesus suffered after his arrest, during his trials and crucifixion. His mental suffering was most significant. It was primarily based upon his perception that he had been forsaken by both God and by his "kinsfolk" (Cf. 19:14). Then, adding to the great mental stress, came the physical suffering, the scourging followed by the crucifixion--actually hanging from nails driven through his body (riding in the wind, Job 30:22). Job's story teaches us that Jesus' suffering (primarily his mental suffering) was part of a great and final test to prove that he was truly perfect. This final test proved that God had not "hedged about him" (protected him) so much that his purity could be questioned. Satan argued that anyone could be perfect if they received as much help from God as Jesus did (Job 1:9-11). In effect Satan was accusing God of being partial, even of being a "respecter of persons." Satan, the "opposition in all things," had to be proven wrong.

The Book of Job has been difficult to see because there are so many obscure and contradictory lines in it; however, if you study the book with Jesus in mind, these same verses become clear and meaningful. The following are a few examples. "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 1:8, 2:3). If we read this line too casually, we see only that Job is a very good man, but THE LORD plainly said there is NO OTHER MAN LIKE JOB, not in the whole earth, that HE IS PERFECT. Think about that. The Lord declared him to be perfect in the first line while the rest of the poem seems to show that his problems are because of his sins. This perfect and upright man that had no equal in the earth was "stitched" up or "plastered" (stuck) up to a cross (Job 14:17, MJJ⁽¹⁾), nailed up by the "arrows . . . in array" (Job 6:4). Job's friends seem to say that his troubles have come upon him because of transgression or iniquity, and they really have (7:21; 8:4; 13:23; 14:17). But for whose transgression or iniquity have they come? Certainly not for his own; God himself declared him to be a "perfect and upright man" (Job 1:8; 2:3). Even though he was "perfect," his enemies "stitched" him up like a "mark" (Job 16:12, HB), which means he was nailed up like a target and made the object of their "arrows" of steel and ridicule. Then he said of them: "You would even cast lots over an orphan, or barter away a friend" (Job 6:27, HB). This refers to the time when the guards cast lots for his garments. Jesus could be considered an orphan since he was abandoned by all, and also since he had no earthly father (a Hebrew view). Judas, of course, was the one who "bartered away" "a friend"--for thirty pieces of silver. As he hung, stitched up to the cross, he thought: "Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it" (Job 30:22), which means he was riding the wind like a shirt on a clothes line (pinned up by the cuffs); or, maybe like a cherub with its "wings" spread wide, much like the cherubs decorated the Holy of Holies in Solomon's temple. He also thought, "thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet" (Job 13:27), which refers to the holes in his heels or the soles of his feet from the nails that were driven through them. He was forsaken by his "close friends" (Job 19:13,14,19), which primarily means the disciples who abandoned him, but also includes God, his closest "friend" (Job 23:3, 8-10; 29:2; 30:20). His words reveal how he was forsaken: "I cry unto thee but thou did not hear me (19:7; 30:20), which is to say, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And then, while still suffering, he "cried out" in behalf of his enemies: "Yet God layeth not folly to them" (Job 24:12). This refers to his pleading, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." And finally, "He is brought to the grave, while a watch [guard] is kept at his tomb" (Job 21:32, HB). Guards were placed at Jesus' tomb by Pilate.

The above lines are all from the Book of Job, not the New Testament, and they are only the very beginning of the verses that refer to Jesus in this "dark book" (meaning wise and obscure--cf. Num. 12:8; Psa. 49:4; Psa. 78:2; Prov. 1:6) . The Book of Job contains most of the details of Jesus' life even though it predates him by at least 600 years. It is true, as "strange"⁽²⁾ as it might seem. These details of Jesus' life are in figurative and metaphorical language "dark" enough to have remained hidden for all these years. Although Chapters one and two (the Prologue) set the stage for the story of Job and is used to misdirect our thinking, they still contain important parallels to Jesus. The following are the easiest to see.

(1) Job and Jesus lost everything in just one day, in two steps.
(2)Both were chosen in pre-mortality (Job1:6-12; cf. John 6:38; 17:5; and 1 Pet. 1:20).
(3) Both lived perfect, upright, God-fearing lives (Job 1:1; 2:3; cf. Heb. 5:9).
(4) Both felt they were forsaken by God (Job 30:20; cf. Matt. 27:46).
(5) Both claimed innocence, and questioned their "trials." (Job 33:9; Matt. 27:46).
(6) Both, at last, rose to greater positions (Job42:10; cf. Matt. 28:5-18; Rev. 1:18).

These eye-opening parallels between Job and Jesus suggest that Job might be at least a "type for Christ," but scholars have not considered even that, not like they have for the others in the Old Testament. Herbert Lockyer, in his book All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible, wrote about a few things he thought were Messianic in the Book of Job, but he hardly scratched the surface. He saw where the sacrifices made by Job in behalf of his children foreshadowed Christ' sacrifice, but little more. Other books that are solely devoted to typology and Hebrew symbolism, that thoroughly examine some of the well-known types of Christ, strangely, are completely silent about Job. In fact, research indicates that Job has been virtually overlooked as a type for Christ. For example, look at one of the most comprehensive studies there is on the death of the Messiah--Raymond E. Brown's book The Death of the Messiah. It is one of the most detailed studies on the subject ever made. In addition to his own insights, Brown reviews the works of all previous expositors on the subject--at least it seems like all, because his bibliographies go on forever. Even so, there are no comparisons made with the story of Job. Furthermore, Jesus is not found in Dummelow's One Volume Bible Commentary in his discussion of Job. These writers were very thorough in their reviews of earlier expositors and would have found any earlier commentaries if any existed.

The Ensign⁽³⁾ published a brief article by S. Brent Farley entitled, Job: Parallels with the Savior. It was only two pages but is the first evidence, so far as I know, where anyone has ever taken any real notice of these parallels. He mentions several comparisons between Job and Jesus, indicating that he was on the right tract, but didn't pursue it, or perhaps his article was only the briefest sketch of what he actually found. Later, Lenet Hadley Read also wrote about some of these parallels in her book Unveiling Biblical Prophecy. She referred to Farley's article and then went on to explain some additional insights but again fell short of the whole truth. Her introductory paragraph, which follows, is especially interesting because it indicates that she was close to discovering the complete allegory, that the entire Book of Job is really about Jesus. She recognized that many lines in the Book of Job make sense only when applied to Jesus, that they even contradict the story of Job. She said:

"Of all the Old Testament's books, few surpass the power of Job. Many still seek its pages for answers to why the righteous suffer. But perhaps we have missed another deep message of the book. For, while Job was apparently a very real person who experienced genuine suffering, (as shown by other scriptural references to him), when his story is read as a similitude of Christ with Job's suffering read as Christ's sufferings, the meaning and power of the story are remarkably increased. The grief Job expresses is a grief highly consistent with Christ's. In fact, some of Job's statements only make sense when read as relating to Christ. ". . .now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be." (Job 7:21); ". . .thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet." (Job 13:27); "They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; . . .God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked" (Job 16:10-11); "He hath made me also a byword of the people" (Job 17:6). (pg. 76). (Emphasis added).

The words of Job should be read in the same way most of the Psalms are read, that is, as if they were the words of Jesus. We know the Psalms are about Jesus; Jesus told us so himself (Luke 24:44). Martin Buber,⁽⁴⁾ a German scholar, knew this very well; he said: "We read Psalms that seems to be nothing but the cry for help lifted upwards by a man in torment: yet we need only listen carefully to see that the speaker is not just any man but a man standing in the presence of revelation, and witnessing revelation even in his cries and shouts." He is suggesting that David witnessed the crucifixion through revelation and his words reflect what he saw, especially during Jesus' final trials (e.g., Psa. 17; 22; 35). Reading Job is no different, which really should be expected since there are hundreds of lines in the Book of Psalms almost identical to lines in the Book of Job. If you approach the Book of Job with Jesus in mind, little by little, verse by verse, the pieces fall into place. And like any puzzle, it is only after one piece is in place that you can see where the next one fits--precept upon precept, if you will. One friend of mine confessed that she studied through this commentary six times before coming to a good, in-depth understanding. It takes real effort to see all of this allegory (similitude), at least I have found that to be the case for most people, those who have seriously looked at it.

An excellent beginning in your search of the truth about the Book of Job is to simply read an English translation of the Hebrew Bible--yes, of all places the Hebrew Bible. Many verses in it really stand out, clearly suggesting events in the life of Jesus Christ. And after comparing these verses to the KJV, you will probably surmise, as I did, that errors have been made in the KJV, possibly by copyists and translators. It is paradoxical, indeed, to use the Hebrew Bible to clear up points about Jesus, but why not? Their translation should be more accurate than one that has been "fooled with" for thousands of years. The following verses are a few of the more significant ones in the Hebrew version. It is surprising how some of these verses sound like the New Testament. The KJV is included for comparison.

Heb 6:27 You would even cast lots over an orphan,: or barter away a friend.

KJV 6:27 Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless,

and ye dig a pit for your friend.

The Roman guards customarily "cast lots" for the garments of those they crucified (John 19:23-24), and Judas had bartered away his friend, Jesus, for 30 pieces of silver (Matt. 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6). What could these verses mean to Job? To the Hebrews, a fatherless child is considered an orphan. Job 24 explains who this fatherless one is, and does so three times using synonymous parallelisms (Job 24:9-10): (1) "They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor (Jesus is the pledge of the poor--a pledge for the sins of the poor in spirit; (2) "They cause him to go naked without clothing," i.e., on the cross. (3) "and they take the sheaf from the hungry" (the "bread" from those who are hungry for God's truth, the "good news.". (Cf. 22:9 and 24:3).

Heb 20:11 His bones still full of vigor [of his youth]: Lie down in the dust with him.
"
KJV 20:11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth,: Which shall lie down with him in the dust.

"Full of vigor" means in a healthy condition, not broken. This describes the condition of Jesus' bones after the crucifixion, because Jesus went to his grave without any broken bones (John 19:33-36). Job didn't die for many years (Job 42: 16). How do these lines apply to him? The condition of Job's bones wouldn't be significant anyway, not like it was to Jesus. Jesus was the sacrificial "Lamb" that could not, according to the prophecy, have any broken bones. The Passover lamb, which could not have any bones broken in its preparation, was a type or shadow for Jesus' sacrifice. There are many prophecies about his bones not being broken: Ex 12:46; Num. 9:12; Psa. 34:20: "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken."

6:27 You would even cast lots over an orphan,: or barter away your friend. (Hebrew Bible)
12:17 They cause him to go naked without clothing.: (The victim of a crucifixion was customarily stripped naked.)
24:10 He (God) leads counselors away stripped: (Jesus has been their counselor.)
30:12 Upon my right hand rise the youth (young soldiers);: they entangle my feet, (With nails.) (Hebrew Bible).; and raise up against me the ways of their destruction; (The cross, their way of destruction, was against him when it was raised.)
3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me.: (i.e. His death or crucifixion.)
13:27 Thou puttest my feet also into stocks,: (He compared his nailed down feet to being confined in stocks.)
and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; (They leave him with no path, totally confined.)
thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.; (They put nails through his feet, making holes in his heels.)
6:4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,: . . .the terrors of God, do set themselves in array against me.
(The arrows, or the terrors of God, are the nails in his hands and feet.)
14:16 For thou numberest my steps: (Being nailed down, his steps are limited to zero.); (He likens himself to be caught in a trap, a snare or a gin.)
18:8 For he is cast into the net (caught) by his own feet,: . . .the Gin (trap) shall take him by the heel.
18:11 . . .and shall drive him to his feet: (This trap drives him to his feet to get a breath of air.
Breathing is nearly impossible when hanging by the hands.)
22:10 Therefore snares are all around thee;: (He is snared by his left hand, by his right hand, and even by his feet.)
30:22 Thou liftest me up to the wind;: thou causest me to ride upon it,; (He rode the wind like drying clothes.)
16:12 . . . he set me up as his target, (HB): (A target to put the iron "arrows" into.)
34:8 What man is like Job,: . . .and walketh with wicked men?
(He "walks" between two thieves)
30:9 Now I am the butt of their jibes:: yea I am their byword.; (He is mocked as the King of the Jews.)
30:10 They abhor me, . . . and spare not to spit in my face.
7:12 Am I [of] the sea, the monster of the deep,: that you put me under guard? (International Version)
(Roman guards insured that he would not be taken down before he died.)
16:20 My friends scorn me:: (He is abandoned by everyone.)
but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
19:19 All my inward friends abhorred me:>/dt>: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
31:22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder blade.: And let my arm be broken from my socket.; (The pain is so great that he would prefer to lose his arms.)
18:16 his roots shall be dried up beneath (meaning his legs): and above shall his branches wither. (arms)
6:12 Is my strength the strength of stone?: or is my flesh of brass?; (Is my flesh like that of a stone or brass statue that I can endure this?)
16:16 My face is foul with weeping,
17:7 My eye has grown dim from grief,: and all my members (limbs) are like a shadow.
5:14 They [the onlookers] meet with darkness in the daytime,: and grope in the noonday as in the night.; (There was 3 hours of darkness, from noon till 3:00 p.m.)
22:10 Therefore snares are round about thee: . . . or darkness, that thou canst not see;; and abundance of waters cover thee.; (Because he was unable to wipe his eyes, the tears hinder his sight)
33:21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen;: and his bones that were not seen (before) stick out.
16:8 And he has shriveled me up,: . . .and my leanness has risen up against me,; it testifies to my face.; (His head hangs down; he is unable to lift it,; so his emaciated body is before his eyes.)
24:12 . . .And the soul of the wounded crieth out:: ( . . .And the soul of the wounded said:)
yet God layeth not folly to them.; (Yet God, forgive them, for they know not what they do.)
24-11 . . . and suffer thirst,: (He is thirsty; "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth; to my jaws: and thou hast brought me into the dust of death." Psalm 22:15.)
6:7 The things that my soul refused to touch: are as my sorrowful meat. (HB) (drugs and vinegar.)
10:15 . . .I cannot lift up my head,: (With his head drooping, his view is of his own body.) (RV)
30:20 I cry unto thee, but thou dost not hear:: I stand, but thou regardest me not.; (He cries unto God, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.")
18:12 His strength is hungerbitten,: and destruction shall be ready at his side (a spear)
18:13 It shall devour the strength of his skin . . .: (It shall destroy what is left of the integrity of his skin.)
20:24 He shall flee from the iron weapon,: and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
20:25 It is drawn; and cometh out of his body;
19:10 He hath destroyed me on every side and I am gone:: (A play on words.)
31:35 O that I had someone to give me a hearing;: . . .or my accuser draw up a true bill.; (A true bill would be clean and pure with no crimes listed.)
31:36 I would carry it on my shoulder; (the true bill.): (He would wear it like a temple robe);
or tie it around me for a wreath. (like a temple sash)
31:37 . . .offer it as to a commander. (clean and white--to God).
31:40 The words of Job are at an end.: ("It is finished")
17:11 my days are done, (Hebrew Bible): my tendons severed, the strings of my heart.; (Most scholars are convinced that he died of a broken heart.)
21:32 Yet shall he be brought to the grave,: while a watch is kept at his tomb. (HB)
20:11 His bones, still full of vigor,: shall lie down with him in the dust. (HB); (Not one of his bones will be broken.)

With so many verses having a clear and significant relevance to Jesus, isn't it obvious that the Book of Job is much more than the story of an ordinary man, of his suffering and patience? If the Book of Job were only that--a straightforward test of a man by God, then why would there be so many simple contradictions in it such as Job being brought to his grave when he was not? Or, when the entire symposium is between him and his three friends, why does he say that he has been abandoned by all of his friends, and not just once but four times (6:15, 16:20, 19:13 & 19)? These obvious contradictions must have other meanings and are not to be taken literally. That is certainly the case with the following verses. Job's children were all killed in the prologue (1:18,19), but these speak of them as though they were still alive, long after their deaths. Again the King James translation follows the Hebrew translation, but notice how it has been changed to avoid the problem.

18:12 His progeny hunger. (HB)
19:15 My dependents . . .regard me as a stranger. (HB): They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger. (KJV)
20:10 His children seek to please the poor. (KJV & K&D)
20:20 He will not see his children tranquil. (HB): Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly. (KJV)

There is no way to explain these lines when Job's children were all killed in the very beginning. But if the Book of Job is an allegory for Jesus Christ, then the above verses about his children can make sense. In the allegory, Job's children are really Jesus' disciples. They were not killed literally but became dead to Jesus figuratively, when they abandoned him--at the time of his arrest and trial.

Without the knowledge that the Book of Job is allegorical, problems with this "literary masterpiece," like the one above, defy close examination and perplex the great scholars. Many of them have harshly criticized the Book of Job. One for example, Morris Jastrow Jr., PH.D., LL.D., at the University of Pennsylvania, said in his book:

". . . it is no exaggeration to say that barring the two introductory chapters, . . . in prose . . . and the prose epilogue at the end of the book, there are not ten consecutive verses in the Symposium . . . the text of which can be regarded as correct." He also said, "It is only because we have been so frequently told that the Book of Job is a literary masterpiece that we can read passage after passage which upon analysis can be shown to give no sense." (The Book of Job, pg. 9, 12).

Now, that is a very strong and negative view, but typical of most expositors. He said there is an error in every ten verses and passage after passage make no sense. Others, down through the years, have gone to great lengths to explain these problems away, most of the time insisting the original Hebrew is wrong. Their excuses and far-out explanations are much too numerous to mention here. Perhaps even you, like most of the scholars, have questioned the justice of killing Job's ten children, and then by giving him ten new ones everything is made right. Maybe you have even wondered how God could let Job, a man "perfect and removed from evil," to be singled out of all mankind and made to endure such extreme suffering for no apparent reason. That kind of justice would have been unfair for anyone except Jesus. But this problem and all the others evaporate away when you know the book is about Jesus. In terms of Jesus, lines that "give no sense," as Professor Jastrow claims, suddenly become very meaningful just as they stand. The longer you study the Book of Job the more plain it becomes, until finally you will not "see" the story on the surface about Job. Reading the Book of Job is like looking at the well-known illusion that portrays a young girl and an old woman. Once you see the girl, the old woman disappears. In that sense, we might call the Book of Job a literary illusion, an allegory for sure.

THE FIRST ORACLES (PRINCIPLES) OF THE GOSPEL (cf. Heb. 5:12)

The following two verses disguise the first principles of the Gospel. Eliphaz (Job's friend), in chapter 22, seems to accuse Job of having committed evil deeds to explain Job's suffering. He says to Job:

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought,
and stripped the naked of their clothing.
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,
and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

Consider Rev. Dummelow's commentary which is based on and includes the conclusions of many expositors.

"...the sins with which Eliphaz now definitely charges Job were the usual faults of eastern rulers, such as opposition and injustice. There is no reason to suppose that there was any justification for these accusations, which indeed Job repudiates in chapters 29, 31."

Rev. Dummelow, like many others, thinks that Eliphaz is unjustly accusing Job of some terrible faults. He completely fails to see the real "charges," that he is guilty of keeping the first principles of the Gospel. Why would Job be ashamed of living the Gospel? Let's look at Job 22:6a:

For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought,

A "pledge" is a promise, or in this case a better word would be "covenant." "For nought" means without substantiation, or to do it on faith. In other words, this line could read, "You exact covenants from your fellows based upon faith." Now 22:6b:

And stripped the naked of their clothing.

This is a metaphor that means they are humbled, exposed, stripped of their pride and haughtiness. This is the very first step of confession and repentance, which would be followed by figuratively putting on the covering of the Lord, through baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Anyway you look at it, taken literally it would be contradictory. Now 7a:

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,

How did Jesus say it? "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst." Jesus' primary interest is their spiritual thirst, not a drink of water for the weary. He gives them water from heaven (knowledge unto everlasting life). And finally 7b:

And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

Anyone seeking the Spirit of the Holy Ghost is instructed to hunger and fast. Jesus would deny worldly bread to the hungry, especially if their hunger came from fasting while seeking the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. You can be sure he did not withhold "bread" from the spiritually hungry.

So, these verses are not what they first appear to be; i.e., accusations of wrongdoing. The first principles of the Gospel are hidden in these two verses: (1) faith, (2) repentance, (3) baptism, and (4) the gift of the Holy Ghost. Just as these verses do not make any adverse charges against Job, as Dummelow claims, neither do any of the other "accusing" speeches of his friends. Their "accusations" carry completely different meanings when applied to Jesus, a perfect man.

Now, let's look closely at chapter three where the dialogue begins about his birth. Imagine that Jesus is "stitched" to the cross, and in this series of hyperbolic statements he makes it perfectly clear that he is miserable. Because of his extreme misery, which is primarily caused by lack of "light" (expressed in v20-v24), he wishes that he had not been born at all. Jesus is expressing himself in the same way so many of us have when we have been in big trouble (in straits). Have you ever said, "I wish I had never been born," or, "I wish I were dead," without really meaning it? Jesus is doing the same thing here, while he is indirectly telling us what happened the night of his birth.

In these verses he is most likely expressing no more than the same desire that he had in the garden, that the cup might pass from him; but he does so by wishing for the opposite of what actually happened. In this way, he reveals to us the unusual events of his birth, such as the "announcement" that night by angels (3:3), the "joy" of that night with a host of angels singing (3:7), the angels that "blessed that night" with peace on earth, goodwill to men (3:8), the twilight "stars" that illuminated that night, especially one (3:9). Think about it; Job's birth has all the elements of Luke's account of the birth of Jesus. Is it just a coincidence?

The following two verses reveal the reason for his unjust suffering, but they make sense only in terms of Jesus. In these verses, Elihu explains why Jesus had to suffer more than any other man even though he "was perfect." In Job 36:15, Elihu explains that God often uses affliction to turn His children back from wrongdoing and then explains why: "And he [God] openeth their ears in their oppression." In other words, the kind of adversity Jesus was experiencing could be happening in order to turn him away from wrongdoing. For anyone else this kind of suffering would be appropriate, but not for Jesus--he is "perfect and upright." And so, Elihu goes on to say (in essence), that ("even so") instead of oppression God would have removed him from his suffering to a broad, unrestrictive place and rewarded him for his goodness by giving him a metaphorical table filled with richness. A table filled with richness means a table filled with "bread," which means filled with truth and knowledge. His table should be full with fatness (truth) because of his goodness. (Cp. Isa..55:2; Jer. 31:14; 2 Nephi 9:51.)

Job 36:16 Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait,