God's Vindication in the Book of Job

The book of Job is one of the most puzzling books in the Bible. What is the book really about? Why does God cause so much suffering in Job’s life? What are we to make of Job’s “friends” Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar? Who is Elihu, and what exactly is he doing there? Is Job a righteous man, a sinful man, or both? How do God’s two speeches at the end answer Job’s accusations?

For one of my seminary classes, I wrote an essay about God’s vindication in the book of Job. It definitely has some gaps; it is particularly lacking an analysis of each of Job’s friends. However, I think I did a decent job of summarizing the main theme of the book of Job (#seewhatididthere). I hope it serves as a helpful introduction.

Because I haven’t figured out a good way to port over footnotes to this website, please download the essay to read. I hope it serves you well!

Photo by Max LaRochelle on Unsplash