What do you think of the Book of Job?

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The book is not helpful to me at all. It honestly makes me a lot more upset and angry. šŸ’€
 
sorry to hear that. I read a book/commentary guide by Kevin Perrotta (A Good Man asks Why) which helped me a lot.
You need help from the experts when reading any part of the Bible, in my opinion.
 
If you want a real anti climax, try the book of Jonah
 
Thatā€™s okay, too.
Thereā€™s other books to delve into
 
Mike_from_NJ said:
It actually kind of does say that the new children made up for the old children.
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Again, Iā€™m going to ask you to approach the text in the context of the time and place in which it was set, and not from a 21st-century Western perspective.

Women, in that time and place, were essentially chattel. In fact, their financial ā€œvalueā€ to their fathers was in their dowry. So, God has made Job whole. Sad reflection on that era, but an accurate one.

In addition, since there was no notion of eternal life, the way people conceived of their eternal existence was through the memories of them by their children and descendants. Therefore, whereas in the beginning of the book, Jobā€™s ā€œeternal remembranceā€ is wiped out, it is nevertheless fully restored at the end. In fact, the mention of seeing his grandchildren and great-grandchildren is a nod to the fact that he was given even more than he had prior to the beginning of the story.

Soā€¦ the epilogue tells of God making Job whole in terms of his holdings, by doubling the amount of his earthly possessions. In addition, while we wouldnā€™t say that his dead children are ā€œreplacedā€, their financial and spiritual value to him is restored.

If you look at this from a 21st-century perspective, it looks horrifying. Look at it in the context of the original, intended audience. šŸ˜‰
 
TheOldColonel said:
We apparently have divergent perspectives on the work in a number of places.
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Fair enough. Thereā€™s no doctrine to be found in that book, so the ā€œhereā€™s how it strikes meā€ approach is just fine.

However, Iā€™m just giving you the interpretation that is common among Scripture scholars. šŸ˜‰
 
I rather thought your interpretation, appearing so eisegetical, arose from your personal view of God.
 
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No offense intended. I was just sorry to hear your studies have ended. A continuing education program is an option for many who are no longer able to be full-time students or bear the burden and demands of full-time course work. Good luck with your endeavors, whatever you decide.
 
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What bothered me most when I read it a while ago (2 years ago I think) was basically Godā€™s response. Since it was an accurate portrayal of Godā€™s nature, it would mean that the God in Job would be the same as pretty much in all other books and now. Which is why I tend to stick to the Gospels or actual self help content if Iā€™m feeling down šŸ˜‚
 
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