Drama in the Bible

GOLDEN TEXT: “He knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”—Job 23:10

JOB 1:1—“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job”—the explicit manner with which this statement identifies the principal character of the Book of Job would seem to do away with the theory advanced by higher critics that the story of the book is merely an allegory rather than being historical. Job probably lived about the time of Abraham, or in the patriarchal age of the divine plan. The text declares that he was “perfect and upright.” We are not to understand from this that he did not share the inherited imperfections of the human race. The thought is, rather, that the intentions of his heart were always to do right and to please God, whom he worshiped. He reverenced God, and in his endeavor to do his will “eschewed,” or avoided evil in so far as it was possible for him to do so.

JOB 2:1-6—Perhaps one reason higher critics of the Bible would like to have us believe that the story of Job is merely an allegory is to help do away with the necessity of admitting that there is a personal devil, one of whose names is Satan. It is quite impossible for our finite minds to understand the movements of spirit beings in the spiritual world, and we can quite well understand that even the language which we use to describe the activities of human beings is wholly inadequate to give us any clear conception of just what is implied in this description of a conference held by the “sons of God,” a meeting at which Satan appeared.

Certain facts which are stated concerning this conference, however, would make it seem that it should be considered to be more literal than the term allegory implies. It presents Satan in a role of opposition to God and to the people of God. The entire testimony of the Bible indicates that this is literally true of the fallen Lucifer. When questioned as to where he came from Satan replied that he came from “walking up and down in the earth.” This agrees with Peter’s statement that our Adversary, “the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (I Pet. 5:8) This indicates not only that he is active, “walking up and down in the earth,” but also that he is concerned with opposing the people of God, and it was for this purpose that he appeared at that conference of the sons of God.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “It is God that justifieth,” and then asked, “Who is he that condemneth?” (Rom. 8:33,34) The implied answer to this question might reasonably be that Satan is the master mind which inspires many of the accusations against God’s people. This should help us to be careful in our judgment of the brethren lest unwittingly we may be used of Satan in his campaign of “contradiction.” The accusation he made against Job was that he was serving the Lord simply because it was to his best material interests to do so. God, in his wisdom, permitted Satan to inflict hardship upon Job in order that it might be demonstrated that his devotion to his Creator was genuine, and not dependent upon the material blessings which he enjoyed.

JOB 42:1-6, 10—When Satan had been permitted to bring calamity upon Job to the fullest extent possible, short of taking his life, Job’s burden was increased still more by the three “friends” who visited him. The discouraging aspect of their endeavor to comfort Job was their insistence that his calamities were punishment for some great sin which he had committed—a sin which the Lord knew about but which Job was hiding from others.

Job knew that this was not the case, and while he was unable to explain satisfactorily just why he was permitted to suffer, his trust in God did not waver, and in answering his accusers he said of God, “He knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) Even as in the case of Job, we too are not always able to understand just why certain experiences are permitted to come upon us; but like him, we know that God is too wise to err, and too good to be unkind, so we can trust his wisdom, knowing that if we are properly exercised by the trials which he permits, we too “shall come forth as gold.”

Job knew something about God, and in his heart was loyal to his Maker, even before he was tested, but it took the great trial which was permitted to come upon him to give him a better understanding of God. “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear,” he states, “but now mine eye seeth thee.” After he passed the test victoriously, restitution was made to him of all that he lost, and even more. We read, “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, … also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” It is this fact in God’s dealings with Job which gives us the thought that probably his experience is intended by God to illustrate the experience with evil permitted to come upon the human race, and the ultimate “times of restitution of all things.”—Acts 3:19-21

QUESTIONS:

Was Job a real being, or merely an allegorical character?

In what sense was it possible for Job to “see” God?

Of what may the experiences of Job be an illustration?

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