Podcast 37, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Job, Ch 23”

Podcast 37, Stories of the Bible, “The Book of Job, Ch 23”

In Chapter 22, Eliphaz attributes Job’s suffering to his sins. He calls upon Job to repent. The beginning of Chapter 22 parallels the beginning of Chapter 23.’

 Chapter 22 begins,  “Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,” 

Chapter 23 begins, 

 JOB 23:1

 “Then Job answered and said,” 

 This is a debate between Job and his friends. Job is responding to Eliphaz’s false accusations. Each time Job responds, not only does he eloquently defend himself, but he also teaches his friendz important doctrine. 

 In Chapter 23, Job teaches one of the great doctrines of Christianity—trial by fire or the purpose of suffering. Let’s refer to a familiar scripture.

1 Peter 1:6–7 

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

Perhaps Peter was influenced by Job, for as we analyze Chapter 23, we discover that everything in Chapter 23 is directed toward the above theme. The poem is written in Chiastic Parallelism. It is divided into four parts: A1, B1, C1, D1,--D2, C2, B2, A2. When a poem is written in climatic order, the most emphatic position is always the end of the chapter. The arrow points from the least to the most important. When a poem is written in Chiastic Order, the most emphatic position is always the middle of the chapter, the climax being the last level. In Chapter 23, it is D2. The movement of the poem flows from the beginning to the middle and then back from the middle to the end. The end repeats the beginning. The poem ends where it begins. In a four part chiasm, the key phrase, or most emphatic position will be D2, and, as we shall see, that is exactly where Job placed his most important theme. His theme, written so eloquently by Peter nearly 2000 years later, echoes the idea that the trial of our faith is more precious than gold.

A1 Job 23:2-5

 “Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning. Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.

Job is testifying of the mercy of Christ. Job’s pain is even greater than his language can express. He asks, “Where is God?” Job believes that because his case is just he could present the argument to the Lord. He even knows what God would say. That is confidence. It is just the opposite of what Eliphaz accused him of.  Now let’s go to the end of the poem.

A2 Job 23:15-17

“Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him. For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:  Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.”

Job completes his thought. Let me make a note here about the difference between a composition, such as Job, in the Bible, and a composition in modern English. We use parallelism in English, of course, and for dramatic emphasis we often use climatic order or, if you will, climatic parallelism. In addition, in what is sometimes referred to as the neoclassic style used by Johnson and Gibbons, we also use synonymous parallelism, synthetic parallelism, step parallelism, and antithetical parallelism, but we never use chiasm, though I have seen it in English poetry. Chiasm is peculiar to Hebrew poetry. It is oddly also  in the Popol Vue, the oldest Mayan document, and I have seen it in Mayan poetry.