UNDERSTANDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD
PART FOUR - JOB - SECTION A 

1 July 2001
The name Job means "hated, persecuted" in Hebrew. He lived in the land of Uz, named after one of the grandsons of Shem. The name of the father of Uz was Aram. The Bible does not tell us the full linage of Job, but conservative Bible believing scholars say that he lived around the time of Abraham. The land of Uz was located east of Edom and Moab, in the northern part of what is now known as the Arabian desert.

We must understand that the book of Job was written down in its entirety after Job had been restored back to health by God. I personally believe that when his friends spoke, someone wrote the words down, including the response of Job. Just like the apostle John recorded his experience and the words spoken to him, so Job must have written down his account with God. The insight that Satan had come before the throne and requested to afflict Job was given to Job AFTER HIS RESTORATION BY GOD! The story of Job must have been compiled and written by one of his children, including the epilog. The story of Job must have been told far and wide at that time, and a written copy must have been given to either Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. The story of Job was preserved together with the record of what is today known as the book of Genesis, and preserved again when Moses compiled the records in what is today known as The Five Books of Moses. The prophet Ezekiel, who lived around 600 B.C. quoted the story of Job - Ezekiel 14:12-23 and so did the apostle James 5:10-11

JOB WAS NOT ATTACKED BY THE DEVIL BECAUSE HE WAS A SINFUL MAN, BUT BECAUSE HE WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN! Job 1:1-19

That this is not an isolated case should be clear when we read Luke 22:28-34;Ephesians 6:10-13; 1 Peter 5:6-10; Revelation 12:7-17

When the Devil could not break him in the first attack (Job 1:20-22), he went back to God and demanded further destruction. Job 2:1-10

Satan would even have his best friends to attack his integrity, in order to break him. Verses 11-13

Job was filled with grief (the loss of his children) and beside himself over the tremendous suffering he experienced in his body. But the worst suffering was THE MENTAL STRESS, NOT KNOWING WHY HIS LOVING GOD TREATED HIM LIKE THIS? Job 3:1-26

Job had been a preacher to people in his own nation and around (Job 4:1-4), but now the wages of sin had come home to Job himself, and his friends could not understand the situation. At this time in history, all people knew was the first few chapters in Genesis up to the flood, and what they had read in the books of Enoch. Job 4:5-21; 5:1-14

Now his friend Eliphaz suggested that it was time for Job to repent- Job 5:15-27

Job was devastated, because he could not understand why his God, whom he loved so much, suddenly had turned on him and brought so much death and devastation. Job 6:1-30

The worst torment is to suffer and not know why! John 10:10