Prelude
I was asked to join a Zoom bible study on Job, which began last evening. It is not from our church, but a very good study from a friend and fellow scholar that presented.
Background
The authorship is reasoned to not be certain and was likely written after the exile. Browning (204). The presenter in our study, (paraphrased) agreed that the author, as far as name was concerned, was unknown. I can agree with the presenter that the author was however, significantly authoritative in the Hebrew Bible, historical, religious, context.
Clines states that the story of Job was present many centuries before the Old Testament book was completed. Clines (1986: 521). This would include oral form, I reason. The story goes back to the second millennium BC and the book written between the seventh and third centuries BC. Clines (1986: 521).
La Sor and company state Job is referenced in ancient texts circa 2000 BC (Egypt) and Amarna (Egypt) 1350 BC, meaning the story may very well be of an actual sufferer who was later documented in a setting by a poet. (p. 560). However, the academic text reasons the story still has Biblical value regardless of historical setting and that it was not seriously questioned in the Hebrew Bible canon. (pp. 560-561). Acceptance in Hebrew Bible canon strongly suggests historicity and relevant historical value.
My short term academic adviser (1999) at Manchester University, Professor David Pailin, informed me that because of these issues with Job, that the book was basically mythology, but I do not think that conclusion was or is warranted.
He was attempting to demerit the book in regard to its use with my theodicy and problem of evil research.
It is according to various sources an ancient historical story documented in the Hebrew Bible at a deduced significantly later date.
An authorship date of between (paraphrased) 1000-500 BC was estimated by my friend, the study presenter that has done significant scholarly work on the Book of Job, and wisdom literature, in general.
I have also come across statements, including pastoral, in my academic career from those that study scholarship that speculate Job may have been written much closer to the occurrence of events.
The Three Levels of Wisdom
This is paraphrased from the course notes and lecture.
Level 1: Human skill, including philosophy was noted
Level 2: Life wisdom
Level 3: God's wisdom, in particular from the Scripture, in this context it would be Hebrew Bible extant at the time of when a) Job occurred b) Job was written
In other words, God's purposes in the existence of human suffering are divinely revelatory, under Level 3.
Quoting Clines:
'Every reader of this magnificent and timeless book realizes that its purposes is to deal, in dramatic form, with the problem of suffering.' (520).
But it is God's purposes that are key here, not Job's understanding of why he has suffered. (Paraphrased in-part based on 520). Job's suffering remains a mystery. (520).
But, God's sovereignty and perfectly good purposes are made clear.
I would opine that God can use Scriptural revelation, along with life experience and human skill in philosophy to assist certain persons to better understand problems of suffering and problems of evil. In that sense, I reason the three types of wisdom listed do overlap at times.
BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
CLINES, DAVID J. A. (1986) Job, The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
CLINES, DAVID J. A. (1986) Proverbs, The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
HAMILTON, VICTOR P. (1988) Handbook on the Pentateuch, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
LA SOR, WILLIAM SANFORD, DAVID ALLAN HUBBARD, AND FREDERIC WILLIAM BUSH. (1987) Old Testament Survey, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
MCDONALD, H.D. (1996) ‘Bible, Authority of', in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.
MCRAY, J.R. (1996) ‘Bible, Canon of', in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.
PAILIN, DAVID A. (1999) ‘Deism’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), A New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.
PAILIN, DAVID A. (1999) ‘Enlightenment’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), A New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.
PAILIN, DAVID A. (1999) ‘Process Theology’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), A New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.
