Genesis & Job

An ancient African proverb imparts wisdom about tackling huge projects: “How does one person eat a whole elephant? One bite at a time.” The Genesis & Job Series is the first bite of Eyewitness Bible Series in tackling the Old Testament.

The most casual reader soon recognizes the majority of the writings of the Old Testament have to do with the history of the Israelites (also known as Hebrews or Jews). Embedded in the Old Testament is a wealth of knowledge about God and his character, books of poetry and proverbs, and a host of prophecies.

In Bibles used by most Protestant Christians, the Old Testament consists of 39 writings, called books. The Eyewitness Bible Series groups these books into three different series:

Genesis & Job: Genesis describes the creation of Earth, gives the history of all mankind, and describes a brief history of the Israelite nation from its beginning until it moves to Egypt. All of Genesis is saturated with knowledge about God, his power, and his relationship with mankind. Job is a story of an ancient man, his struggles, and his dealings with God. Although nothing is absolutely clear concerning the time period of his life, it seems as if Job lived in the time before the Israelite nation existed.
Promised Land: Covers the time period from the Israelites being slaves in Egypt, their exodus to Canaan, and the conquering of Canaan. This series includes the Old Testament books of Exodus to Judges.
Prophets and Kings: Covers the time period from the first prophet and king until the last prophet. It describes the initial occupation of Canaan, the destruction of the Northern Kingdom, the exile of the Southern kingdom, and the return to Judah. With the exception of Job, this includes the Old Testament books of Ruthto Malachi.

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Job: Part Four

Job 38 opens a rather one-sided discussion between God and Job. It appears that Job’s friends are not included in the discussion. Job has been wanting to talk with God, and this is his chance. However, once God starts speaking, Job realizes he wasn’t prepared to get what he wanted.

God does not justify or explain his actions to Job. God does not inform Job of Satan’s role in his misfortunes. God just gives Job the opportunity to see the difference between God’s majesty and Job’s insignificance, and he does that by asking Job some “simple” questions.

Where was Job when God laid the foundations of the earth? Who determined its dimensions? Where are its footings set? Who laid its cornerstone?

God goes on and on, asking questions about nature, weather, light, the stars, and a host of other things. It is not long before Job realizes he is incapable of understanding anything of importance, much less of advising or correcting God. Job 38-41 include some of the most valuable information about God in the Bible. Few things can humble you more than taking these chapters to heart.

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