UESTION 1
Job’s Purpose in the Holy Scriptures
The Book of Job is a distinct privilege of the Bible as the exceptional theological and philosophical reflection on suffering and faith, God’s omnipotence, and human resignation (Vicchio, 2020). If Job were omitted, the understanding of certain important theological aspects would not be possible it relates to issues of evil, faith, and the compatibility of God and Satan. In the Bible, Job exists solely to answer the problem ‘Why do the righteous suffer?’ to show that faith in God surpasses riches or the lack of pain. The narrative centers on Job, a man described as “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1), who endures extreme suffering, nonetheless, not for the sin he committed, but as a test of faith. Job proves that affliction is not brought by wickedness (Zhang, 2020). It also underscores the mystery of God’s purposes, reminding believers that His ways are higher than human understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9). Job enrichens Biblical teaching about the necessity of faith endurance. Job’s declaration, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:Job 13:15, talks about the faith that is required, even when it requests understanding and comfort but none is given. This aligns with other biblical principles about faith being tested and refined (1 Peter 1:6-7).
The Relationship Between God and Satan in Job
The Book of Job is the most detailed account of God’s relationship with Satan in the Holy Bible. At the beginning of the book, Satan presents himself before God, and gets permission to test Job’s loyalty; the turning point is that God blesses Job generously (Atkinson, 2022)0. He challenges God, saying, “Stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face” (Job 1:11). Although God allows Satan to afflict Job, God moderates Satan showing the audience that Satan has power limited to God’s reign. Such change also indicates that Satan is not an independent enemy of God or equal in strength (Zhang, 2020). However, he is characterized as a creature whose movements are predetermined to be in submission to God’s plan. In this book, Satan is pictured as an accuser meaning he is an opponent of mankind rather than God.
There are other related verses in the bible in as much as this view of satan about God. For example:
a)Zechariah 3:1-2: Evil forces led by Satan challenge Joshua the high priest, but God dismisses them showing superiority.
b) Luke 22:31-32: Jesus answers Peter that it is written that Satan has demanded permission to test him like it is written that men must beseech for permission to pass the night in praying.
c) Revelation 12:10: The accuser is named Satan, but the believer has the assurance of judgment through Christ.
Why Job Presents the Relationship as It Does
Job presents the connection of God and Satan as part of its theme of divine sovereignty. The action emphasizes that suffering does not deprive people of the divinity’s presence and God’s guidance. Satan has a limited role that serves to enhance God’s magnificence (Atkinson, 2022). It also serves the purpose of reassuring believers that no hardship happens outside divinely willed and directed jurisdiction. Satan may also have a literary purpose of creating the conflict between the way man apprehends events and the way God orchestrates them. Satan’s accusations reflect a transactional view of faith: that people pray only to get something in return. This did not hold water as Job’s endurance proved that true faith endures at all times as evidenced by his suffering.
QUESTION 2
Dr. Howard’s Views
The major themes that Dr. Howard underscores in Job include deity and suffering. To him, Job is one of the ways divine justice and human justice are portrayed (Kalman, 2021). At times, Howard seems to focus on God’s speeches in (Job 40 and 41) to remain aware of human nature, and the godly wisdom. For Howard, Job is less about providing direct answers to suffering and more about fostering trust in God’s character despite unanswered questions (Job 42:1-6). Howard also recognizes the poetic nature of the book asserting that poetic conversations between Job and his friends are not designed to provide systematic theology (Kalman, 2021). He argues that the employment of poetry is employed to let society understand the pain people endure and the realities that human intellect cannot fathom divinity activities.
Dr. Constable’s Views
Dr. Constable also sees the main priority in the doctrine of the sovereign Lord but focuses more on the pedagogical aspect of the book of Job (Kelsall, 2020). Constable also uses Job as a way of proving that theology is in existence whereby God proved that He is just at the same time that humans are suffering. He frequently draws attention to the prologue (Job: 1–2) and the epilogue (Job 42:7–17), to give the story a divine providential plot to Job’s tests. Although Constable traces the poetic tone of the dialogues in Job, he seems to pay much attention to the substance of the debate between Job and his friends. He critiques their theological inaccuracies, particularly their assumption of retributive justice (Job 4:7-9), as well as how God’s speeches counter misconceptions.
Compatibility of Views
Although both Howard and Constable differ on many issues the main theological beliefs that underpin their theology are relatively similar and include God’s sovereignty and the limitation of knowledge (Kalman, 2021). However, they differ in their focus. Howard is more concerned with the passion and religion of the poetic genre, and Constable with the moral purpose of the frame story. Their compatibility lies in their shared conclusion: which Job encourages the readers to rely on GOD’s sovereignty and perfection in suffering (Kelsall, 2020). Nonetheless, this can also mean that the readers who value the perspective of the poetic genre proper would find Howard’s focus they are looking for, and vice versa regarding Constable’s analytical approach would be suitable for them.
Howard focuses on the genre more than Constable; he understands the poetry as part of the message of Job (Kalman, 2021). Constable recognizes the poetry when it comes to the structure of chapters and verses but tends to study it more for theological motifs (Kelsall, 2020). Neither overemphasizes the genre, but Howard surely accords it more importance in this context, which aids the reader in observing how a book works on many levels.
Effect on the Message
This focus of Howard makes the message more existential and emotional provoking the reader to think about the problems of suffering and faith (Vicchio, 2020). As with the didactic nature of the poem, the theological aspect gives Constable source material, through which a reader can understand pain and the justice of God. Consequently, we have at our disposal both the humanistic and the traditional approaches to Job.