Eliaphaz And Job

646 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Good and evil in the history of literature

The fault of Job and his friends lies in the attempt to explain the nature of God, with limited information available to human knowledge. The three comforters embody an abundance of substantial ideas, as the voices of mankind trying to deduce the root of suffering or perhaps even as part of the test themselves. Faced with the choice of condemning Job, or God, they hardened their hearts against their friend. God declines to adduce a rational explanation for the inequitable distribution of blessings among men and suggests that people should not discuss Divine Justice as God's power is so great that humans cannot possibly justify his ways. (fit this in somewhere in here “ However, they proved to play a larger part in the story, almost functioning …show more content…

Eliphaz and Job concur God gives and God takes, but Eliphaz believes the system corresponds to good versus evil. Bildad, however, believes that there is a possibility that Job is suffering for the sins of his ancestors, or kids. Zophar, in agreement with Eliphaz, concludes that Job's predicament is his own fault, God is just and his power is absolute. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are all arrogant of the truly unwarranted suffering that Job is going through, and therefore, they do not know how to lament with him, rather they turn their backs on him, and blame him for his predicament. The speeches become repetitive hostile and shorter as the conversation comes to a close finally only Job’s left …show more content…

But it doesn't have to be just friends we are all so readily ready to accuse ourselves of wrongdoings to justify our suffering. God's ways are a mystery beyond our understanding making us guilty of ignorant judgments against our friends. The interaction also shows the Folly of trying to understand God's ways. Job had defended himself the entire time by stating that contrary to his three friends opinion, there is a plethora of evidence that wicked often prosper and the righteous often suffer. In Job’s case, he was not a particular enemy of God and had not committed any sin that would set him up for suffering above

Show More
Related

  • J.B. and Job

    591 Words  | 2 Pages

    Second, the story line. Although Archibald MacLeish wrote the play based on the story of Job in The Bible, there are many differences in the story line. In The Bible, Job’s misfortune was spawned by Satan trying to show God that Job was not as holy as God had thought. God gave Satan the power to destroy everything Job had, including his health. Job’s children all died together when the roof of the house collapsed on them while they were all dining at the house of the oldest brother. His wife died also, and all of his possessions was taken from him. Furthermore, he contracted painful sores all over his body. As for J.B., his children died separately, one after the other. The oldest had died in the army. Two were involved in a car accident. One daughter was killed by an explosion that also took out J.B.’s millions. And the youngest was raped. However, J.B.’s wife, Sarah, was not killed, but instead she left him. In The Bible, Job is confronted by his three friends. His friends encourages him to turn against God and to curse him, but he refused to do so. On the other hand, J.B. was confronted with four friends, the first three encouraging him to turn against God but the fourth telling him to pray to God and to praise Him.

    Read More

  • Sullivan Ballou: A War Hero

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ade to choose him for the spiritual task. Job realized he had to experience loss and suffering in the name of God to pass the test God bestowed upon him. God stated “Who is that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me... Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth” (p.667) God notified Job he was in no position to question the loss he must undertake in order to complete his mission. Job realized the meaning of his life, when he realized the magnitude God went to convince him of his calling. Job forgave himself for his sacrifices, because he realized it was instructed by God.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Job And Odysseus

    1567 Words  | 4 Pages

    Job has no agency, no participation in God’s decision to make him the object of a wager. God does not give him the option to decline and he is presented with no opportunity in which he might refuse God outright. He has no control over the duration or intensity of his suffering. He is completely at the mercy of God.

    Read More

  • Perspectives on the Book of Job

    3550 Words  | 8 Pages

    The first commentator under consideration is Martin Buber in an excerpt from his Darko shel miqra'4.  Buber draws an apt parallel between the Book of Job and the proceedings in a court of law, casting God as judge and Job as prosecution.  In Buber's legal parallel, Job demands what in an earthly court of law would amount to due process, or a fair trial.  And yet, even as Buber confers the legitimacy of a court of law on Job's complaints, Buber suggests that Job knew his appeal was "suppressed from the start."5  Buber cites Job: "Though I am right, my mouth will condemn me!"6  By highlighting the justness of Job's claims and the non-existent chance of a divine finding in Job's favour, Buber stresses how human justice and divine justice diverge.  This difference is highlighted further by discussion of how Job is made to suffer hinnam, or gratuitously, from both God and Job's perspective.7

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Job By Eric T Whitfield

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Job is a short book by Eric T. Whitfield about self-discovery through coping of the death of a loved one. The purpose of the book is to stress the importance of grief and acceptance of life and death after somebody has died, in whatever way that may be. This is achieved by the author through self-discovery while reminiscing and time at work spent with a character called James. After the death of his grandfather, the author stopped feeling close to family and like he belonged, he felt hopeless, and blue. However, with the help from James and a sudden recognition of life in the form of post traumatic growth, the author decides to turn his life around. He gains a new, positive perspective of life and reaches out to family, finding he never

    Read More

  • Employment Law

    1376 Words  | 3 Pages

    The purpose of this paper is to analyze a specific, hypothetical employment situation encountered and to include the information regarding employment conflicts, questions, grievances, lawsuits, etc., in terms of how the situation was handled or resolved.  Employment conflicts are a constant issue everyday in any organization; it is how you handle them both legally and professionally that counts.

    Read More

  • The Moral Development of Job and Arjuna

    420 Words  | 1 Pages

    Throughout the course of Job's trials, he begins to experience internal conflict. "My thoughts are resentful, for God's hand is heavy on me in my trouble. If only I knew how to find him, how to enter his court, I would state my case before him and set out my arguments in full; then I should learn what answer he would give and find out what he had to say." (Job 23:2-5) As a result of this internal conflict, Job begins to question the actions of God, and whether or not he deserved his `punishments.' At this point in the Book of Job, Job's friends and kin are led to believe that Job has sinned and must repent. The reader is left to debate whether Job is being naïve or whether he is actually making conscious to endure God's `punishments' in an attempt to get to heaven.

    Read More

  • Image Of God In The Bible

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the Bible God can be represented in a number of different ways. In some chapters of the Bible God can be found to be a compassionate, loving God, who would do anything for his people. To contradict this, in other chapters of the Bible God can be found trying to instill fear into people so that they believe in him, or do what he wants of them. In both instances it shows how different God can be seen and why believers can have doubts about how God really is.

    Read More

  • Christianity In John Steinbeck's Grapes Of Wrath

    778 Words  | 2 Pages

    Landowners and banks, however, aren’t so much in the same position as the poor families throughout the story. Although religion is helpful, the families don’t need it as much, because they still find ways to continue on in life with or without religion. The rich landowners and banks aren’t affected as much by the things that happen to these poor families but, they are still affected by it in ways. The banks and landowners are tied to the religious theme of the novel. This can be seen in hiring or not hiring of the poor folks. When farmers and owners of the lands that are worked choose to hire workers, they advertise a larger paying price than there really is, so when a worker arrives for work they are paid a lot less than what they were originally promised. This applies to religion because not only can it be argued that the landowners and farmers are sinning, but it can be argued that the farmers and landowners still have faith that the worker hired is still going to take the job simply because he is so in need of food and other things he desperately

    Read More

  • Comparing The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Book of Job

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...n the world. Job questions what god is really doing for him. Then god talks to job in question form about the creation of the earth. This shows that jobs is very small compared to god, so small that he cannot even being to understand some of the the things god is telling him. Chapter 38 proves to job that humans are far below the power of god then in chapter 42 job quickly shames himself for the previous things he said.

    Read More

  • Religion and Moby Dick

    3608 Words  | 8 Pages

    Job was a man of the purest faith. When the world shunned God, Job's faith never declined. Job was a wealthy, handsome man with a beautiful wife and a vast amount of property. At some point in time, Satan made a bet with God that if Job situation was changed, his faith would quickly falter. On this note, God took Job's wealth, his property, his family, and his wife. When times were at their worst, God gave Job pus welts on Job's face, taking his looks. Job's faith, however, did not falter, instead it becamestronger. Job passed the test. God then healed Job, gave him more land, greater wealth , and a better wife. Job was baffled, he wondered the purpose behind his fall and rise. When he asked God this, God replied: "...Because I'm God." That was answer enough.

    Read More

  • Justice in the Book of Job

    502 Words  | 2 Pages

    Why does God allow Satan to cause such tragedy in Job’s life, a man whom God has already acknowledged as “my servant Job, that there is none like on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”(1.8) From the beginning, it is known that Job is in no way deserving of his injustices, so a reason must be given. God gives Job an opportunity to prove that under any circumstances Job will still have faith. This simply a test for Job. The whole Book is a “double” journey for Job -- he shows God his faith and realizes the faith God has that Job will not stray from his path. Job knows deep down that God has not forsaken him.

    Read More

  • Comparing Genesis, Job, And Antigone

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    He wants to find a way to justify God’s actions, but he cannot understand why there are evil people who “harm the childless woman, / and do no good to the widow,” only to be rewarded with long, successful lives (Job 24:21). Job’s friends, say that God distributes outcomes to each person as his or her actions deserve. As a result of this belief, they insist that Job has committed some wrongdoing to merit his punishment. God himself declines to present a rational explanation for the unfair distribution of blessings and curses. He still suggests that people should not discuss divine justice since God’s power is so great that humans cannot possibly justify his

    Read More

  • Essay 3: Wisdom

    615 Words  | 2 Pages

    After studying the Old Testament chapters assigned this week, wisdom was clearly displayed through the life of Job. The Lord proclaimed to Satan in Job 1:8 what a “perfect” and “upright man” Job was, “one that fears the Lord.” Satan answered the Lord saying that Job was only good because he had been blessed with so much. The Lord told Satan that he could test Job to prove the love that Job had for the Lord. Job was tested many times, but through it all Job continued to pursue wisdom by fearing God and straying from evil. In Job 28:28, Job communicated his understanding of just how important it was to be diligent and faithful to the Lord when he said to the human race, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Job understood what it meant to be wise, and God was pleased with the way Job reacted to the tests. God ended up blessing Job with twice as much property as he had before, returned his good health, gave him new children, and an exceptionally long life. Job’s life is a testament to just how important it is to be diligent and faithf...

    Read More

  • Consequences of Desire

    940 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Book of Job, one of the main themes is desire, more specifically the desire to know the actuality. Job is a wealthy man living in a land of Uz with his family minding his own business. He is a very religious man and usually strives to do what he believes is morally right. Satan one day challenges God that Job will lose his faith in him if he allows Satan to torture Job. God accepts the challenge and Job greatly suffers. Job at the beginning of the story had no desires or intentions at all, but as his condition gets worse and worse. Job mindset about God and his belief begins to shift. At this point in the story desire starts to play a key role in Job’s life. Desire is shown in Job when he demands answers from God and why God is putting him through all of this. The idea of questioning God terrifies Job but his desire for an answer ultimately overshadows his fear of questioning God, “Here is my desire...

    Read More

More about Eliaphaz And Job

Open Document