2. Comment on this blog about Job (see below).
3. Don't forget your "psalm," due Monday. See your email for a re-statement of that assignment.
4. Keep bringing your list of images from the Bible.
Prompts for comment on this blog:
A. What might God be saying indirectly about himself in chapters 40 and 41? Note that a "behemoth" (40.15) probably refers to an elephant, and "Leviathan" probably refers to a whale.
B. A rhetorical question is a question the asker doesn't really want an answer to--he asks the question just to make a point or have an effect. Comment on God's use of rhetorical questions. What point might be be trying to make, or what effect might he be trying to make?
C. In your own words, how does Job respond to God's speech?
D. Why do you suppose God rewards Job at the end? DO you think it is possible that Job originally ended at 42.6, and that 42.7-17 were added on by someone who wanted a happy ending?
E. Any other thought you have about the Book of Job is welcome.
In the beginning of the book, God and Satan are almost making wagers on whether evil can take over what has been good and pure for the entire time of its existance. I know we talked about it in class, but to add on to the points we brought up, there is a lot of challenging of power that happens in the first few chapters. Satan tells God that evil is everywhere and no one person can be all good. God disagrees, and challenges him back by saying of course if he has been loyal and good for this long he will continue to be. Each figure here seems very confident with their opinion, and in a way, when Job is still faithful, God has even more confidence and sort of is overpowering Satan. However when Satan says that he can stll be broken to the point of cursing God, it seems like a "you don't know what is coming God" tone in the text. When Job curses the day he was born and all of God's creation, in a way it is indirectly cursing God. His friends comforting him could be about them trying to please God, and assuming the position of their friend who now needs help because he is vulnerable, and they might be jealous enough to try to take the position so God will praise and give to them. However, they also could be true and honestly trying to care about Job when he needs it.
ReplyDeleteIn the end when Job is replying to God's word about how he did wrong, it is evident that he is scared, and once again restored in a way to realizing when he has sinned or not. God could have rewarded him in the end because it was unfair to Job in the first place, and God wants to forgive him because he really did not deserve to have so many things bring tragedy into his life. Maybe God rewarded Job for his restoration to healthy life. In any case, it is unlike any other story in the Bible and gives every figure multiple personalities that are far more evident than when the other books try to portray it.
-Maddie Adams
d) I think it is very possible that Job ended 42.6 and the rest was added on- To be honest it seems a little out of place then the rest, the writting style is just a little diffrent. The entrie book of Job seems a little out of place, like what we talked about in class about how it seems silly that the supposed 'all mighy' and 'all good' god is *betting* with the devil! And at stake is someones entire life! I think the happy ending at the end isnt entirely happy anyway, yes he gets more stuff back but... the events still happended. You can' take back actions.
ReplyDeleteWhen god rewards Job at the end of chapter 42, there is something very abrubt and off about it. I interpreted God's speeche in chapter 40 and 41 as basically saying that he is very busy, and because he is so busy he can not allways set everthing to be perfect. However, the ranting manner in which the speeche is written gives a sence of anger towards Job, which is somewhat ridicoulous when you consider that Jobs severe misfortune is du to a bet made between god and satan, thus his misfortune is gods fault, thus implying that even god is not all kind and reasonable. This idea that sometimes god may do hamful things to people even though he knows they do not deserve it, and that he maybe he doesn't even have complete power over everything, is very contradictory to the idea throuought the rest of the bible that god is allways caring for his people and is all powerful. Thus, when in chapter 42, suddenly god decides to reimburce Job for all of his loses, it feels unauthentic or unnatural to the rest of the story. Why does god so suddenly decide to be kind and reasonable, and suddenly has the power to set everything back after a whole speeche about how he is not allways capable of doing so?
ReplyDeleteI beleive that the second half of chapter 42 could be an attempt by the editors to smooth out the contradictory portrayal of god in this book, by having everything suddenly owrk out in the end.had they left that chapter without god reimburceing job, the contradictory portrayal of god would have been further emphasised, because you would finish the chapter with the question, "if it was gods fault that job suffered, why does god not apologies or make up for it in some way?" and would lead he reader to question other portrayals of good or other passages in the bible.
I have read. -Audrey E
ReplyDeleteIn Jonah, Chapter 1, a townsperson exclaims "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them" Why did the author choose the words "burned up the sheep" is this some kind of sacred reference. In a previous comment I wrote about the sacredness of sheep and lambs and now I return to the subject. If Satan "burned up the sheep" could this be interpreted as some kind of heresy? perhaps it signifies some kind of hatred for what is holy. Also, last week (or was it this week?) in history, we were talking about the Mesopotamian Gods repeating the same actions over again. This kind of thing reoccurs in Job when Satan comes to God. The first time Satan comes, the Bible reads: "The Lord said to Satan, "Whence have you come?" Satan answered the Lord, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" then the second time it reads the same, word for word. Though this is more specific, it is the same concept of Gods repeating their actions. In the Iliad and the Oddessy, whenever there was a sacrificing, the script would always read the same. Was this an ancient writing technique? Also in 1:20, Job "arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshiped". Why did he rent his robe and shave his head? After, he states, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return". Is he taking off his clothes and shaving his head so he can be like he was when he first came into the world? Then, why, after, does he say "and naked shall I return"? When will he return to the womb? Does this mean he wants to be reborn? - End rant and plethora of answerless questions.
ReplyDeleteoops not jonah, Job.
ReplyDeleteI thought this book was very interesting because it showed Job when he was very calm and scerene, then when God takes everything away from him, he starts cursing the day he was born. I still wonder why that happened because one moment he was nice and never did any thing wong, then the next second he starts yelling, screaming and cursing. This is a big chacter change for Job, and I wonder why he just burst out at that moment.
ReplyDeleteA. I chose this prompt because i found what Job said to God in response to his speach very interesting. After all that God has allowed to happen to him; to have everything taken and Job was even inflicted with a disease. In spite of all of this, Job still says, "Therefor i despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." I think it is an amazing amount of faith that he had and that is why God allowed all these horrible things to happen to him. He knew that Job would be strong and stand up for what he believed, even if his world was falling apart.
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D. I definitely noticed that the last part of Job seemed to be added as an afterthought. However I feel that this last part really completes the story. God almost seems frustrated with Job after all that God put him through I think it is only fair that Job would feel angry. By adding this last part it makes God a more likable figure. You feel as though God has given Job everything that he deserves after all the horrible things that God let satan do to Job.
ReplyDeleteThe God in this chapter does not seem like the God portrayed in the other chapters of the bible. The God of the christian bible is rightous and just; he punishes the evil and rewards the good. He is the light that guides by good example and the firm hand that scolds wrong-doing. Unless my memory decieves me the god commonly accepted acts like that troughout the other books of the bible. However the god in this book is completely different. First of all he makes a bet or GAMBLES with the devil. A: gambling is considered a sin in christianty and B: making any kind of "deal with the Devil" is also a no-no! Moreover, god is known to test individuals within the bible however he usually doesn't do so by taking innocents lives away; this god took all of job's children away by killing them. Kiling innocents usually is not his game. Also, I noticed that god and Satan have a very unusual dynamic in this book seeing as though the devil usually can't get into heaven.
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Job is more content than the others, and does not care for himself too much. He is one of those people who enjoys supplying for others, but doesn't like to provide for himself. The section that I enjoyed was the speech that God gives him. God wanted Job to know what it feels like to be loved and provided for. God gave Job what he earned and wanted to give him what he needed.
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ReplyDeleteJust like what Taylor said, I think that the ending of this reading must have been an add on, but it doesn't complete the story, because without it, it just leaves you there thinking, well whats going to happen, but with that last part being added on, it sums up the entire reading. I also think that it must have been added to the rest of The book of Job because with all that God has done to Job, all that he let Saten do to him, in the end god rewards him, and that part, to me, just didn't seem to have fit in with the rest, not like it was a completely new idea,it just wasn't something that I would have expected.
ReplyDeleteI think that God rewarded Job with double the amount he had previously owned because Job was very humble and appologized for his behavior. When Job says, "My ears and heard of you but now my eyes have seen you," I think he is admitting to his faults in not believing in him, and because of his honesty, God realizes that Job has "learned" his lesson and decides to reward him for it. Also, when Job cries out, "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes," he is completely letting go of he's ego, which is putting god before him.
ReplyDeleteI believe that God's actions throughout the whole book of Job were very human-like, and a bit childish. In the bible, it says that God is above temptation, but as it is demonstrated in the book, God is challenged by the Devil to put one of his most dutiful followers through torture by almost killing him and destroying his life. I didn't understand how God could have been so cruel to someone who payed him such respect and had never done anything wrong to him before. I would also like to add that the ending of the book was very abrupt and "cut and dry". I expected the ending to be more of a "learn from your mistakes" kind of moral, considering if Job had died or something, but at the same time, it did seem like Job deserved some kind of repayment for all that he had lost due to God's mistake of punishing Job.
ReplyDeleteI have read.
ReplyDeleteI actually think that the ending was there from the start, and nobody made it up for the sake of it. First of all, I believe that God was not betting with the satan. In fact, it was the satan who first suggested the idea of hurting Job. So satan took away Job's pride and wealth, and further exceeded to kill all his daughters and sons. But since God had so much trust in his faithful servant, He let satan to do whatever to Job, for He knew that Job would never betray Him. Unfortunately, in the end, Job could not bear all the overwhelming pains placed on him, thus in agony cursed his birth, which symbolizes his mourning to God, "Why did you have to create me so that I will live to endure this painful day?" At this complaint, God thorws rhetorical questions concerning His ability and knowledge, like "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? (Job 38:4-5)" In other words, God is asking Job, "Who are you complaining to whom can do so much things because He created you and the world?" At this realization, Job immediately asks for forgiveness, and seeing his humbleness, God restores the materials Job has lost, plus twice as much for Job giving himself up to God. So, the happily-ever-after ending seems natural, that , and also doubled because God rewarded Job for his good deed in repenting his sins.
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