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JOB: LESSON THREE

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 3 begins the poetry section of Job. Through Job’s word-pictures we are able to feel his suffering. After Job lamenting his condition, Eliphaz apologetically speaks to the reason for Job’s suffering (chapters 4-5). Job answers Eliphaz with confidence in his righteousness and complaint (chapters 6-7).

III. FIRST DISCOURSE BETWEEN JOB AND ELIPHAZ (chapters 3-7)

A. Job laments afflictions

1. Job laments the day of his birth (3:1-9)

2. Job’s complaint in his affliction (3:10-26)

B. Eliphaz’s first response to Job: You suffer because you are a sinner  (chapters 4-5).

1. Rebuke: Job complaining when he had exhorted others to courage (4:1-6)  

2. Eliphaz’s experience: wicked reap what they sow (4:7-11)

3. Eliphaz’s vision - mortal man more just than God his Maker? (4:12-21)

4. Eliphaz’s experience: wicked prosper only for a brief time (5:1-7).

5. Eliphaz’s appeal to Job to be reconciled to God who does great things (5:8-27).

C. Job’s response of conviction in the righteousness of his complaint     (chapters 6-7)

1. Bitter complaint is justified due to severe affliction (6:1-13)

2. Sufferings aggravated by the lack of sympathy from so-called friends (6:14-23)

3. Job asks friends for more consideration to his affliction (6:24-30).

4. Justifies feelings by summarizing his sufferings (7:1-11)

5. Job’s strong complaint to God – Why does not God leave Him alone? (7:12-21)

QUESTIONS:

1. What did Job lament?  Why?

2. What “why” questions did Job ask in his lamenting?

 3. In Job’s mind, what did kings, princes, the wicked, prisoners, and untimely births have in common that Job desired for himself?

4. What complaint did Job have before God?

5. Why was Eliphaz not sympathetic to Job’s complaint?

6. What experience did Eliphaz rely on that answered the problem of Job’s sufferings?

7. Eliphaz’s experience was (a) true (b) false or (c) too rigid?

8. What solution to Job’s sufferings did Eliphaz receive by a “vision”?

9. According to Eliphaz, do the afflictions that suddenly come on the wicked come by chance?

10. According to Eliphaz, Job will again be blessed if he will not despise God’s ____________________.

11. Show from chapter 6 that Eliphaz’s answers were not sufficient to help Job in his suffering:

12. How did Job spend his nights in his affliction?

13. What is another way of expressing Job’s desire to be left alone…”till I swallow my spittle”?

14. Ultimately, how does Job express his exasperation with his condition before God ?