Podcast 33, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Job, Ch 19”

Podcast 33, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Job, Ch 19”

We have learned in Job to examine the parallel structures. It is parallelism that reveals the order and emphasis of every chapter of Job.  

 As we analyze Chapter 19, you will be able to see all five forms of parallelism being used. Though parallelism forms the basic structure of the poem, I intend to focus on the important issues. I shall divide Chapter 19, because of the parallelism, into three major themes or sections. It is written in climatic order, another common rhetorical tool in the Old Testament. That means that Part III contains the most important, the most emphatic, and the primary purpose of the Poem. Parts I and II focus on the suffering of Job. Part III focuses primarily on the resurrection. 

In Part I Job answers Bildad’s criticism in the previous chapter as well as the criticisms of Eliphaz and Zophar in earlier chapters. They have been extremely cruel and harsh in their condemnation of Job. In fact, let’s begin by comparing Bildad’s introduction in Chapter 18 with Job’s introduction in Chapter 19. 

Job 18:1-6

“Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak. Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight? He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place? Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.”

Everything Bildad said against Job is untrue. They are based not on knowledge but on preconceived and false assumptions. Job verbally attacks his friends for their cruelty.

Job19:1-5

 “Then Job answered and said, How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words? These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me. And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself. If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:’

 Job knows he is innocent. He does not pretend to be perfect. In fact, they bring to his mind the foibles of his youth, but he is not guilty of great sins. Using clustered repetition, I shall divide Part II into five sub parts. Again, Job uses climatic order meaning he moves from the least to the greatest. The first section of Part II addresses the captivity Job feels.

Job 19:6-8

“Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net. Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard I cry aloud, but there is no judgment. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.”

The images of captivity are overthrown, net, no judgment, fenced, and darkness set in his path. Job sees no escape in this life. He acknowledges God’s hand in his overthrow. That is why Job’s patience and faith are so remarkable. He does not understand why God allows his suffering. By simple logic to Job his suffering does not equal his past sins. Something is missing, yet Job never waivers in his faith in God as Chapter 19 makes very clear in Part III.

The second section of Part II addresses his loss of hope of being released from his suffering in this life. 

Job 19:9-10

“He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.”

Job has lost everything: his glory, his crown, his security, and his hope for restoration in this life.