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Job is the first of five books that are classed as poems. It is a superb poem in dialogue form, a part of the "Wisdom Literature" of Israel. It challenged the validity of a doctrine that prevailed in the ancient world that the righteous and the wicked received their "just dues" in this world. It was written because an unknown philosopher-poet could not reconcile this doctrine and the observable facts of life. It was written as a revolt against the belief that there is only one cause for suffering and that is sin.
From the beginning, the book has stood as a profound question concerning God's dealings with man. On first examination it would appear that the Authors purpose was to shed some light on the problem of universal suffering and to examine the belief of the time that mankind got it's "just dues" in this world, i.e., blessings for the good he does and sufferings for the evil he does. Further study reveals that he may have had an even greater purpose for the book, that of making a profound statement for the doctrine of the "Sovereignty of God".
Though Job was a "stranger" to the Commonwealth of Israel, he was, to the best of his ability, a Godly man. However, close examination might expose some "pride" and "self-righteousness". He needed to humble himself and acknowledge the sovereignty of God. We must try to understand man's understanding of God at the time of Job. For the most part, it was not a personal relationship but rather the faith and acknowledgement of a Supreme Being to whom they were accountable.
The author is unknown, even his nationally is questionable. Some say he was a Jew based on his knowledge of some Old Testament writings and the mention of the name of the God of Israel, Yahweh. Some say he was an Edomite because of the social and geographic background and because of a reference to an Edomite deity. If the author was a Jew there was obviously a strong Edomite influence in his background. The language of the Edomites was a dialect of the Hebrew.
The date of the book is even more controversial. Anywhere from 4,000 BC. to 200 BC. is suggested. Most believe it was probably around 2,000 BC.
Job is a legendary character, a hero of a "folk tale" and of great substance in Hebrew Tradition. For us, the lesson is not the justification of man's suffering but God's Sovereignty. It is the story of a "blameless" man, a godly man, who needed to come to the end of his own resources, humble himself and acknowledge the sovereignty of God. Job teaches us that God is sometimes incomprehensible to man, but He can always be trusted. As shown in the life of Christ, often the innocent suffer with the guilty.
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