Mark A. Copeland
The Book Of Job
Introduction To The Book


The Book of Job has long been praised as a masterpiece of literature. Consider these quotes:

“Tomorrow, if all literature was to be destroyed and it was left to me to retain one work
only, I should save Job.” (Victor Hugo)

“…the greatest poem, whether of ancient or modern literature.” (Tennyson)

“The Book of Job taken as a mere work of literary genius, is one of the most wonderful
productions of any age or of any language.” (Daniel Webster)

What is it about the book that prompts such praise? Most Christians I know don’t feel that way about the
Book of Job. Perhaps it is because many tend to neglect the Old Testament altogether. Yet Paul wrote of
the value of the Old Testament scriptures:

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through
the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Ro 15:4)

Note that the Old Testament was written for our learning, that it provides patience and comfort, and as
such can be a source of hope. This is especially true with the story of Job, to whom James referred
when seeking to instill patience (cf. Ja 5:10-11). Because the Book of Job is so often neglected, yet
presents a valuable lesson and is so highly praised by even people of the world, Christians should
certainly take the time to study this portion of God’s Word!

THE PLACE OF JOB IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Job is the first of five books commonly referred to as “The Books Of Poetry”. These include Job,
Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. Called such because they are written in poetic
style in contrast to the narrative style of most other books, they are also often referred to as “Wisdom
Literature” (especially Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes). Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) offered this
concise summary of the five books:

w Job - How to suffer
w Psalms - How to pray
w Proverbs - How to act
w Ecclesiastes - How to enjoy
w Song of Solomon - How to love
Now let’s take a look at the Book of Job in particular…


The Book Of Job 3
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