Summary of "How Does God Love YOU? (thru a reading of the Book of Job)

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note: I will use the present tense to speak of concepts/themes and of "Job" as an ever-present book and of Job, as an ever-present character in the Bible.

I. God's Vision of Job/Image of MAN (vs. Satan's)- Reference
(to the reader: pls. substitute your name for Job/Man when you read)

1. Job/Man is upright (vs. because he is blessed)- Chapt.1

2. Job/Man still maintains being upright (vs. strike his flesh)- Chapts. 1 and 2

3. ... is faithful (vs. look for his weakest points) - Chapts. 1 and 2

4. a. ...is capable of surpassing/winning over sufferings/difficulties - why God allows Satan's tests ( vs. test Job/Man) - whole book- Chapt. 1 specifically

b.... is upright/ a man of integrity and even greatness ( vs. Check again -he is not truly good!)- whole book - Chapt. 2 specifically

God allows Satan's trials on Job/MAN not to test/check, but for Job/Man to know himself/herself what he/she is capable of - persevering under great stress..in short, capable of greatness/significance/nobility. God is convinced of Job/Man - even from the start.

5. ... is a beloved. God Loves, believes in Job/Man (vs. suspicious of Job/Man; doubts/does not believe that someone can be that loyal/faithful to God and keep his integrity despite odds)

God does not see Job as a slave/an inferior ( "look at my servant Job" - in this context, servant means friend) but as someone that God can have a relationship with ( you don't check on someone you love, you trust)

It is a relationship that God seeks with man- a friendship based on love (vs. a Master-Slave relationship- man is helpless/inferior before the Master)

6. Job/YOU are respected by God. God has given You a choice! ( vs. a slave with NO Choice but to helplessly give in /surrender to temptation/trial/difficulty/stress..) - Chapts. 1 and 2 and the whole book :)

Chunk VIII- How Does God Love YOU?

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continuation from Chunk VII. What had the writer been trying to say?

He wanted to :

3. expose Satan. All along Satan doubted Job - he could not believe that someone can be that faithful to God despite the odds. Satan's attitude right from the start - Job is faithful because he is blessed, strike him ..., look for his weakest point and he will surely curse you to your face
chapts. 1 and 2. In contrast, God believed, trusted and loved Job. Look at my servant Job, there is no one like him- 1:8

God foreknew Job's victory - this is the sovereignty of God. This is what man does not know - what job and his friends were too short-sighted to comprehend; this is what signified Satan's sure defeat. Satan underestimated God's sovereignty. Satan dared (!) challenged the authority of God. He was sure Job would desert/curse God when given the most difficult trials. SAtan failed. This failure is proof of God's sovereignty! Job's faithfulness, God foreknew - in all these, Job did not sin!

Why is the Book of Job saying what it has been saying? To prove these points- Satan is defeated. Man is limited. God is sovereign!

Chunk VII. How Does God Love YOU?

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Why did God allow Satan to buffet/ attack Job? This question is synonymous to asking
Why did the writer focus on this sub-issue? A means to an end. Why did God allow Satan to buffet Job? - refers to the means. God is sovereign; Man is limited; Satan is defeated; -these refer to the end.

What had the writer been trying to say? He wanted to :

1. share the truth revealed to him ( most probably by the Holy Spirit) about the nature/true essence of God: Someone as Job perceived - someone one can talk to, someone who listens, someone who can be intimate as a love-relationship ( "I desire to speak to the Almighty..." 13:3). This is in contrast to Job's friends' view of God* - some distant, unknown, fearful, cruel POWER , given to whims and tantrums, suggesting a Master-Slave relationship.

2. prod the reader**- you can do it, you can be Job/better! It is not impossible to survive the odds; not impossible to keep our integrity during extremely difficult times.

God was convinced of Job's loyalty"look at my servant Job, there is no one on earth like him..." 1:8. God was not testing Job, Satan was - "stretch out your hand ... strike his ... and see if he will not curse you ..." 1:11, 2:5. Why did God allow the testing then? Job was loyal to God BUT he did not know the extent of his faithfulness; nor did he know what he was truly capable of - persevering under great stress, courage under fire, faithfulness, true love and devotion to God. It was for Job to know what he was made of. This is why it is a love-relationship because it strengthens not tests because of doubt.

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Cultural notes ( from Ellen Bowler, World Masterpieces, Prentice-Hall...)
* Orthodox view of God is not only cultural BUT geography-based. Mesopotamia, the land between two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates. Situated on the two rivers, ancient Mesopotamia was both a region of plenty(frequent floods, rich soils, two major rivers suited to trade) and poverty ( summer droughts, withered crops), opportunity and danger (the flat alluvial plain, without forests or other natural obstacles, left the region open to invaders).

Ancient near-eastern religion reflected the insecurities of life in a region threatened by floods and invaders. Mesopotamians believed that humans were created only to serve gods.

View of God: like the ancient Greeks - given to anger, whims and exercised tremendous powers.

**Job is symbolical of Man (you can substitute your name for Job- Alex, Vera, Zarine, Lilybel...)

Chunk VI. How Does God Love You? (start from I)

God’s View/the Poet’s

In every literary piece, the writer always has a mouthpiece in a chosen character – here, it is God. What does he say? About Job’s friends’ view of Him: Job is right about me. “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 42:8 About Job’s complaints and questions, chapters 38-40 speak of God’s answers which can be summed up in

Were you there …?

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? …

Who marked off its dimensions? …

On what were its footings set?…

Who shut up the sea behind doors?…

Have you ever given orders to the morning?…

Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea?

Have the gates of death been shown to you?

Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?

Do you know the laws of the heavens?…

God is sovereign. Man is limited – especially in the concept of suffering. Job’s friends viewed their friend’s suffering as a consequence of sin (the only possible factor) - You must have done something terribly sinful to invite the wrath of God. While job was credited by God as closely correct – “Job is right about me” 42:7,8.

Still, He rebukes the latter – “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?” … Were you there …? 38”:42 God’s unfair dealings with Job/his suffering, the latter did not comprehend.. What both Job and his friends did not know was God’s high purpose in allowing Satan to buffet Job?

Chunk V. How Does God Love YOU?

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Different worldviews -Friends' Views vs. Job's View of God
The friends' condemnation of Job reveals their limited concept of God. To Job's friends, God is to be feared - man is helpless before Him. God is a distant, almighty, powerful creator . Man trembles with fear -

If God places no trust in his servants,
If He charges his angels with error,
How much more those who live in houses of clay,
Whose foundations are in the dust,
Who are crushed more readily than the moth!
Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;
Unnoticed, they perish forever. 4:18-21

On the other hand, Job’s insistence on his blamelessness is an indication of looking at God in a BIG way. While his friends put God in a box and have a traditional view of Him (not allowing any room for knowing Him), Job looks at God differently. Chapter 13: 3 – “ I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God” such request is unusual vs. the mindset of the traditional religion/view during his time (as exemplified by Job’s friends). The fact that Job was adamantly asking for an audience with God reveals a different outlook. God can be talked to, God listens, it is possible to have a relationship as intimate as this with the Almighty God!

More Than a Romantic Proposal!

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Filipinos who watch the popular sitcom in the Philippines, entitled "I Love Betty La Fea" may recall this scene when the leading man, Armando asked Betty, "Are we?" to which the latter, responded, "We are!"(meaning, they are "on"/ it's them!) Such scene thrilled the fans - but no more than it thrilled Armando who danced to the tune"we are!" A similar but indirect proposal is made in Proverbs ( A Book from the Old Testament, any version of the Christian Bible); a direct one is again made later on in the New Testament.

Proverbs is about a wise man's advice to a young man/ men, to pursue wisdom. Wisdom in this book, is personified* as a woman.** At the same time folly(reckless behavior) is personified as a woman too.

According to the persona*** other men distract a young man's pursuit of wisdom and is led astray. How does a young man identify these kinds of men? Proverbs refers to them as "men who try to get ahead in the world by exploiting others "(Chapt. 1:10-19)**** and "women who seek sexual pleasure outside the bond of marriage" (Chapts 5; 6:20-25; 7).

On the other hand, genuine wisdom can be recognized by looking at the characteristics of "the wife of noble Character" (Chapt. 31:10 - Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character): ...
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT though is - who is this woman of noble character? Who is the "she" being referred to in "she is worth far more than rubies" ( 31:10). "She" refers to wisdom.

Wisdom here has a two-fold meaning:

1. the quality of being wise, referring to character
(chapts.1-9; chapts. !:7 - "the fear of the Lord"

2. a person**** -wisdom is subtly personified in the person of Jesus Christ (1 Col1: 30 and Col 2:3.Matt 13:44-46 - Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl)

If one can recognize folly by "men who try to get ahead ...and by women who seek sexual pleasure ... what is the face of wisdom? How can one recognize it? the face of wisdom is a "wife of noble character" ( a metaphor). Chapter 31: 10 however, tells us that "a wife of noble character who can find?"

If there is no perfect person of such noble character, the "young man"*** in the poem/Proverbs is advised by the persona to "marry wisdom"***** (Chapt. 31:1-9) - a prophetic view of what is to come, when Jesus in the New Testament invites us for marriage ( holy communion - last supper). take this bread and this cup - another way of saying, "Will you be mine?"

When we do choose to marry Jesus/wisdom, Jesus in us makes us the perfect woman of noble character!
________________________________________________________________________ * personified as a woman - this is a poem and an allegory. A poem uses figurative language, in this case, personification - wisdom is characterized as a woman.

** Books in the Old Testament are an allegory - meaning, they are not to be taken literally, but mean something else.

***persona refers to the point of view/perspective or the speaker of the poem who is the wise man; while, "young man" figuratively speaking is any man/woman/reader of Proverbs.

****these men and women represent folly/recklessness/unwise behavior.

*****or "lady wisdom" ( Chapts 1-9).

****Old Testament - Cross References
1. The way and what wisdom speaks in Proverbs 1:23-33 find similar voices/perspectives in: Isaiah 1: 4; 5:21; Isaiah 65; Job 28 - to name a few

2. wisdom is more precious than rubies and nothing you desire compare to her - proverbs 3: 15; 8:11; 31:10

3. Proverbs' reference to the Tree of Life has parallels with the same mention of the tree in other books ( Prov. 3:18;m*:18-19; 11:30; Gen 2:9)

The Old Testament leads us to the coming of the Savior/bridegroom.

New Testament
1Col !:30 - Christ, the wisdom and power of God - it is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God.

Chunk IV. How Does God Love YOU?

What is the persona ( in this case, the writer) in the Book of Job trying to say? The persona presents God's perspective of Job and contrasting this with how Satan views the latter. Let me summarize this in an outline

God's Vision"s of Job vs. Satan's
1. Job is "upright ... no one on earth like him" 1:8
( Satan's view: because he is blessed 1:9)

2. Job is still upright ( after great suffering- livestock, servants, sons and daughters were killed 1:13-16) (Satan's: strike his flesh 2:5)
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3. Job is consistently faithful (even after being afflicted with painful sores from his feet to his head and suffering contempt from his wife 2:7) (Satan's: look for his weakest points) Chapts. 1-2

What follows are the friends' perception of Job. Job's friends' advices (Chapts. 3-41) are unsought-for, all-knowing, self-righteous accusations to this tune - you must have sinned terribly, you are being punished, the righteous is rewarded and the wicked is punished (paraphrase of Chapts. 4,5,11,14,15,18,20,22,25

What about Job's perception of himself? "I am innocent. I am an upright man." His reactions can be summed up in the following: confused, complained (god is unfair), questioned (why did God allow these to happen to me?), doubted God's love for him, cursed the day he was born BUT NEVER CURSED GOD - chapts. 3,6,7,10,12,13,16,17,21,23,24,26,27.