Job - Part One

The book of Job is often considered to be a type of wisdom literature, much like Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. It is not known who wrote it or when, nor what time period it covers. Experts disagree whether it is to be taken literally or figuratively. Despite all these unknowns, it is still considered an invaluable resource for discovering the nature of God in light of the suffering of mankind. It also provides a unique look at direct interactions between God and Satan.

The book opens by describing Job, a resident of the land of Uz. There is no record where Uz is located, but many scholars believe it was in the modern Middle East. The whole plot of the story is underpinned by this opening description of Job: blameless and upright, a man who feared God and shunned evil.

Job had a wife, seven sons, and three daughters, and was the richest of all the people of the East. If anyone seemed to have it all, it would have been Job.

After confirming the amazing qualities of Job, the scene shifts to the presence of the Lord. The angels present themselves, as does Satan. The Lord asks Satan where he has been, and Satan rather flippantly replies that he has been roaming back and forth on the earth.

The Lord asks if Satan was aware of Job, the most righteous man on earth. Satan accuses God of making Job’s life so good that he cannot help being that way. Satan tells God that if Job lost his possessions, he would surely curse God. God allows Satan to find out by taking away all of Job’s possessions.