Our Day in Job
Session #1: Approaching the book of Job
Session #2: The Prologue: launching into Job
Session #3: Examining a theme: poverty in Job
Session #4: God’s speeches and conclusions
NIKOLAI: You made that up, didn’t you? I am talking to you like a normal person, and here you are giving me all this… Is that a fairy tale?’
PRIEST: No, it’s from the Bible.
Session #1
Approaching the Book of Job
Key background issues
The importance and relevance of the book
Approaching the Book of Job
Wonderful
Challenging
Approaching the Book of Job
Important
Relevant
Job ‘speaks to and for all humanity’ (Pope)
Job in the Ancient Near East
‘Retribution’
Similarities and Differences
Job speaks a true and distinctive word of hope: an encounter with Yahweh
Session #2
The Prologue (chs. 1-2): Launching into Job
A close reading of the Prologue
The artistry of the book
The centrality of Job for life and mission
The pastoral potential and pitfalls of Job
The Prologue: Launching into Job
Scene one – on earth (1:1-5): Who is Job?
Scene two – in heaven (1:6-12): The question is raised
Scene three – on earth (1:13-22): Tragedy strikes and Job responds
Scene four – in heaven (2:1-6): The question raised again
Scene five – on earth (2:7-13): More tragedy, a further response, and the views of others
The Prologue: Launching into Job
Question:
How does Job help us to process pain and what does this mean for life, mission and ministry?
… at home… at work… in church communities…?
Session #3
Exploring a theme: Poverty in Job
Three passages
Five challenges
Poverty in Job
Three passages focusing on the treatment of the poor
Job 24:1-17
Job 29:11-17
Job 31:13-23
Poverty in Job
Five challenges concerning poverty put on the agenda by the book of Job:
Challenging God
Challenging the friends
Challenging the wicked
Challenging the self
Challenging the world
Session #4
God’s speeches and conclusions
Speech one (38:1-40:2)
Job’s response (40:3-5)
Speech two (40:6-41:34)
Job’s response (42:1-6)
Conclusions (the Epilogue – 42:7-17)
God’s speeches and conclusions
Where does the conclusion of the book leave us?
How does the book of Job equip us for life and mission?
