Job - part 1

A friend drew my attention to the book of Job recently. As I read, I thought to make note of some of my thoughts and perspectives. I do not know if I will complete the book, nor the thoughts, but this is a start.

A perspective on the book of Job – part 1 – Intro

[Note: this is just my reading and perspective, nothing more and nothing less.]

Job 1:1 starts with the land of Uz.  So, where is the land of Uz? A variety of sources seem to agree that the land of Uz is on the east coast of what is now Saudi Arabia, the west coast of the Gulf of Aqaba (a northern inlet of the Red Sea). That, in itself, is significant. Why? Because that area is rife with riches and desolation. The Gulf of Aqaba stretches north from the Red Sea from a junction of the Gulf of Suez which leads west to the Suez Canal – a point which has been a transit of merchants for millennia. So, Uz, is just on the northwest of where the Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aqaba – a rich area for merchants.

“This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and sunned evil” (NIV, Job 1:2). This establishes the goodness of this man. The element of the goodness of this man is particularly important because Job follows Esther in the Old Testament. Remember that in Esther, a few good people (particularly Esther and Mordecai) were able to rescue the Jews from the evil of Haman and the enemies of the Jews – but that is another study. The point is that there are evil people and good people in the world. The book of Job does not tell us why or how people are evil or good, but certainly guides us in our own steps.

Job 1:3 details the wealth and riches of the man both familial and financial. Further, it specifically states that, “He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.  WOW! The Bible seldom uses superlatives. More often, things are referred to as good, or even very good. This time, however, Job is the greatest!

Job’s religiosity is confirmed in verses 4-5 where the wealth and health of his children are celebrated with feasting and followed it with purification. Each day, he offered sacrifices, just in case one of them had sinned “and cursed God in their hearts.” Again, WOW! While I cannot speak for anyone else, I know I have made utterances that use the Lord’s name. I know that in my past, I have been angry with and cursed God. To think, that in these first five verses, we have been presented with someone this good, this pure sets us up to believing he deserves only the best.