With Friends Like These . . . A Study of the Book of Job (Conclusion)

We would love to have you join us for our last session of our study of Job! We will meet on October 18th at 8 pm. The Zoom URL will be given to any who email me for it: theoprof@bellsouth.net!

 

With Friends Like These . . . (A Study of the Book of Job) Week #7

“Miserable counselors are you all!”, says Job to his friends as he suffers from his trials — and their lectures! Those of you who have signed up for our online Bible study of this great Old Testament book are ready for your next set of study questions, right?

Study Questions for Class #7 (for Sept. 27th):

We will be going over these questions on Sunday night, September 27th. We will cover Round 2 of Zophar’s Zingers (Job 20 and Job’s response in chapter 21). If you wish to join us, please go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84055712719 at 8 pm (EST).

1. What conclusion has Zophar drawn about Job’s difficulties? (20:5). Compare what we learn about “the wicked” in Psalm 1.

2. If you wish, there is a fascinating, long article on “Divine Retribution: A Forgotten Doctrine?” found at https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/divine-retribution-a-forgotten-doctrine/

3. What are several points of Job’s defense in Chapter 21?

4. If you had a friend named “Zophar,” what would you say to him?

 

With Friends Like These . . . (A Study of the Book of Job) Week #6

“Miserable counselors are you all!”, says Job to his friends as he suffers from his trials — and their lectures! Those of you who have signed up for our online Bible study of this great Old Testament book are ready for your next set of study questions, right?

Study Questions for Class #6 (for Sept. 20th):

We will be going over these questions on Sunday night, September 20th. We will cover Round 1 of Zophar’s Zingers (Job 11; Job’s response: Job 12-14). If you wish to join us, please go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84055712719 at 8 pm (EST).

1. What startling statement does Zophar make to Job in 11:6?

2. What is guaranteed to Job, according to Zophar, if he repents? (see 11:13-19).

3. Please take a few notes on what is called “Prosperity Theology” to discuss with each other.

4. Regarding Job’s response (Chs. 12-14), how does Job defend himself? What is it he wants? What does he accuse God of doing in 14:19?

 

 

With Friends Like These . . . (A Study of the Book of Job) Week #5

“Miserable counselors are you all!”, says Job to his friends as he suffers from his trials — and their lectures! Those of you who have signed up for our online Bible study of this great Old Testament book are ready for your next set of study questions, right?

Study Questions for Class #5 (for Sept. 13th):

We will be going over these questions on Sunday night, September 13th. We will cover Rounds 2-3 of Bildad’s Badgering (Job 18 and 26; Job’s response: Job 19 and 26-31). If you wish to join us, please go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84055712719 at 8 pm (EST).

Round Two (Ch. 18)

1. What direct question does Bildad ask Job in 18:21?

Round Three (Chs. 25-31)

2. What’s meant by the expression Bildad’s “worm” theology in Ch. 25?

3. With Job’s response in Chapters 26-31 —
a. How does Job use sarcasm in 26:1-3?
b. What has God denied Job, according to 27:2?
c. How does Job define wisdom in 28:28?
d. List several things Job misses in Chapter 29.
e. What about Job’s sex life (Ch. 31)?
f. What is it that Job really wants (31:35)?

4. What do you find helpful in the following quote?
“Frankly, I do not know who started the idea that if men serve God and live their lives to please him then he will protect them by special intervention from pain, suffering, misfortune, and the persecution of evil men. We need look no further than the recorded life of Jesus Christ himself to see that even the most perfect human life does not secure such divine protection. It seems to me that a great deal of misunderstanding and mental suffering could be avoided if this erroneous idea were exposed and abandoned. . . . The idea that if a man pleases God then God will especially shield him, belongs to the dim twilight of religion and not to Christianity at all.” (J.B. Phillips, God Our Contemporary)

 

 

With Friends Like These . . . (A Study of the Book of Job) Week #4

“Miserable counselors are you all!”, says Job to his friends as he suffers from his trials — and their lectures! Those of you who have signed up for our online Bible study of this great Old Testament book are ready for your next set of study questions, right?

Study Questions for Class #4 (for Sept. 6th):

We will be going over these questions on Sunday night, September 6th. We will cover Round 1 of Bildad’s Badgering (Job 8 and Job’s Response in Chapter 9-10). If you wish to join us, please go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84055712719 at 8 pm (EST).

1. What two awful things does Bildad say to Job in Chapter 8?

2. How does Job respond to Bildad in Chapters 9-10?

a. What are several factors that Job says make it impossible for him to argue with God? (ch. 9)

b. Does Job doubt God’s reasons for bringing trouble on His servant? (ch. 9)

c. What does Job really want? (9:32-35)

d. Why does Job hate his own life? (10:1-7)

e. What is Job’s view of his own creation? (10:8-12)

f. How does God treat the guilty and the innocent, according to Job? (10:13-17)

g. Why does Job wish he had been carried from the womb to the tomb? (10:18-22)

 

With Friends Like These . . . (A Study of the Book of Job) Week #3

“Miserable counselors are you all!”, says Job to his friends as he suffers from his trials — and their lectures! Those of you who have signed up for our online Bible study of this great Old Testament book are ready for your next set of study questions, right?

Study Questions for Class #3 (for Aug. 30th):

We will be going over these questions on Sunday night, August 30th. We will cover Rounds 2 and 3 of Eliphaz’s Exhortations (Chapters Chs. 15-17, 22-24; and Job’s Response: Chs. 16-17 and 23-24).

1. What does Eliphaz say about senior citizens in Chapter 15?

2. What classic description of counselors does Job give in Chapter 16?

3. What sins of Job are listed by Eliphaz in chapter 22?

4. What is Eliphaz’s advice to Job in Chapter 22?

5. As Job defends himself, what does he say about the words of God (23:12)?

 

With Friends Like These . . . (A Study of the Book of Job) Week #2

“Miserable counselors are you all!”, says Job to his friends as he suffers from his trials — and their lectures! Those of you who have signed up for our online Bible study of this great Old Testament book are ready for your next set of study questions, right?

But first it might be helpful to get a birds-eye view of the entire book. Here is how I see the book laid out —

Study Questions for Class #2:

 

“With Friends Like These . . . Job’s Friends and Religious Foolishness” (Sermon #2)

Friends:
This is my second message in our series at our church.  I asked three of my friends to read a line or two from Job’s friends.  Here are the lines they read (which are rather hard to hear on the recording).  I asked my friends to say their lines when I said “you won’t believe what . . .”

[When you hear the words, “you won’t believe what Eliphaz says next!”], you jump in:

“HEY, JOB!  YOU KNOW I WALK PRETTY CLOSE TO THE LORD, RIGHT?  HE ACTUALLY SPOKE TO ME!  WELL, IT WAS IN A VISION — BUT IT WAS REAL!  YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE SAID?  DO YOU?”

[When you hear the words, “you just won’t believe what Bildad says!”], you jump in and say:

“JOB, MY FRIEND.  I’VE GOTTA BE HONEST WITH YOU!  I KNOW WHY YOUR CHILDREN ALL DIED.  THEY HAD SINNED AGAINST GOD — AND HE PUNISHED THEM.  THAT IS THE ONLY POSSIBLE EXPLANATION, MAN!  I’M REALLY SORRY!”

[When you hear the words, “you just won’t believe what Zophar says!”], you jump in and say:

“JOB, YOU KNOW I LOVE YA’, MAN!  BUT MY JOB, JOB, IS TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH — AND THE TRUTH IS — YOU’RE NOT REALLY GETTING HALF OF WHAT YOU REALLY DESERVE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?”

Here’s the audio of this message: