Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Exploring the Word of God Books of Poetry: Job Through Song of Songs
    Exploring the Word of God Books of Poetry: Job Through Song of Songs
    Exploring the Word of God Books of Poetry: Job Through Song of Songs
    Ebook140 pages1 hour

    Exploring the Word of God Books of Poetry: Job Through Song of Songs

    By Tim Finlay and Jim Herst

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    This is a lay-level introduction to some of the writings of the Hebrew Bible - the book of Job, with its wisdom about human suffering - the book of Psalms, filled with praise and questions and even complaints - the book of Proverbs, with general principles of life - the book of Ecclesiastes, a somewhat cynical look at life without God in the picture - and the Song of Songs, a celebration of love.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGrace Communion International
    Release dateJan 28, 2013
    ISBN9781301746903
    Exploring the Word of God Books of Poetry: Job Through Song of Songs

    Related to Exploring the Word of God Books of Poetry

    Titles in the series (27)

    View More
    View More

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Actively Seek the Lord

      Jan 16, 2021

      Actively Seek the Lord
      1 min read

    • Article

      What Prayer Can Do®

      May 24, 2019

      My daughter, Amy, and I were getting ready to drive to the supermarket. I’ll put on some Colton Dixon in the car, I thought. Amy liked his songs. I liked the Christian message in them. I was always looking for ways to encourage my daughter to pray, b

      1 min read

    • Article

      Josh & Tara McCauley On A REDEMPTIVE Mission

      Sep 4, 2020

      Whilst his friends were out playing cops and robbers, a young Joshua would sit in the front row of church listening to the sermons of his dad (Rhema Church founder, Pastor Ray McCauley) blissfully unaware that one day he too would be standing behind

      10 min read

    • Article

      Made for Another World

      Jul 16, 2022

      AUTHOR C.S. LEWIS wrote, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” We are all spiritual beings with a desire from within for something greater. R

      1 min read

    • Article

      Sunday, July 3

      Jun 16, 2022

      The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4 (ESV) ON A VACATION WITH MY family in Belize, I almost ran out of air while scuba diving. About ten minutes into a dive, I checked my air supply—it was in the red

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Parables Of Jesus

      Jun 16, 2023

      The Parables Of Jesus
      4 min read

    • Article

      Famous Fathers In The Bible

      May 20, 2019

      Scripture is filled with people who we can learn much from. When it comes to the challenging vocation of fatherhood, several fathers in the Bible show what is wise to do—and what is not wise to do. Of course, the most important father figure in the B

      2 min read

    • Article

      Job

      Jun 24, 2019

      Job
      3 min read

    • Article

      Why, God, Why?

      Sep 7, 2021

      Why, God, Why?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Judging God: Rereading Job for the First Time

      Sep 23, 2019

      A dramatic new translation of the Bible's most subversive book renders Job's story far more radical than it's ever been presented before. The post Judging God: Rereading Job for the First Time appeared first on The Millions.

      15 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Dec 29, 2023

      D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to k

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Lost Language of Lament

      Jul 30, 2021

      The Lost Language of Lament
      3 min read

    • Article

      Even Before Your First Cry Is Heard

      Sep 16, 2019

      We are in our study of the deeper revelation in Jeremiah 1:5. We have learnt that at least 4 things happen to us prior to our physical birth on this earth. In the previous issues we saw this amazing picture of how Abba Father says that before we were

      3 min read

    • Article

      5 Of The MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS In The Bible

      Sep 23, 2022

      The Bible is full of answers, but there are some pretty important questions in there as well. Here are five that stand out to me. They were asked by the likes of Cain, Paul, and God Himself. All of them speak to some of the issues we’re facing today.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Getting Getting to t Know God God’s Condescension

      Aug 7, 2020

      The title for this article may make some readers scratch their heads in confusion. That’s probably because we have a negative idea about “condescending.” And yet, once we properly understand what that word means in relation to God, we’ll see that God

      3 min read

    • Article

      Where is God IN THE CHAOS?

      Mar 18, 2022

      We live in extremely challenging times. Our unemployment rate is among the highest in the world. Our economy is tanking. Skilled people are emigrating. Crime, poverty, corruption, and violence are endemic in our society. Chaos seems to be overtaking

      3 min read

    • Article

      Depression

      Feb 10, 2020

      Depression
      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Apr 22, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Journey Of A Christian

      Oct 21, 2019

      The Journey Of A Christian
      6 min read

    • Article

      HOW IS YOUR VISION? 5 Tips To Establish God’s Plan For Your Life

      Jun 24, 2019

      A church in a community bought a piece of property and built a building. They were excited about serving the Lord. They wanted to win the lost for Christ and encourage the believers to live for Jesus. They really had a vision for God. It was their de

      6 min read

    • Article

      Zombielands

      Jul 13, 2022

      Zombielands
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Exploring the Word of God Books of Poetry

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Exploring the Word of God Books of Poetry - Tim Finlay

      Exploring the Word of God

      Books of Poetry: Job Through Song of Songs

      By Tim Finlay and Jim Herst

      Copyright 2013 Grace Communion International

      All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

      The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

      Illustrations by Ken Tunell; copyright Grace Communion International.

      Table of Contents

      The Trial of Job

      Exploring Psalms

      The Key to Biblical Poetry

      Types of Psalms

      Types of Psalms — Part 2

      Psalms Can Help You Pray

      The Lord Is My Shepherd

      Psalms: Thematic Collections

      Psalms in the New Testament

      Exploring Proverbs

      Proverbs: Words of Wisdom

      The Numbers Game

      Exploring Ecclesiastes

      Ecclesiastes: The Voice of Experience

      The Limits of Wisdom

      Exploring the Song of Songs

      Song of Songs: A Lover’s Paradise

      About the Authors

      About the Publisher

      Grace Communion Seminary

      Ambassador College of Christian Ministry

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      The Trial of Job

      By Paul Kroll

      Have you experienced pain and suffering?

      Then you have shared Job’s anguish and perhaps his wonderment.

      Like Job, you also may find God much closer than you thought.

      The book of Job in the Bible is the story of a devout man who lived thousands of years ago. But tragedy hovers over this righteous man. When the book opens, we notice Job is about to lose everything — children, property and wealth, good name and even his health.

      Why will Job suffer such tragedies? Because God is about to challenge the devil with Job’s obedience and faith.

      The big dare

      The introduction to the book of Job tells us the background of God’s challenge and Job’s suffering. Scene I invites us behind the curtain to the universe-ruling throne of God. In this drama, angelic beings are delivering reports on their activities. Satan is among them. The Evil One has been roaming the earth, surveying his domain (Job 1:6-7; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9).

      Job’s troubles begin after God presents him to Satan as shining example of virtue. Have you considered my servant Job? God asks Satan. There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil (Job 1:8).

      God will soon allow Satan to afflict Job, but God is not punishing Job for sin. God himself says Job is blameless and upright. Job suffers because he is among the best, not because he is the worst.

      Satan rejects God’s view of Job’s good character. He implies that Job has a selfish motive, a cynical reason for obeying and trusting God (verses 9-22). Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan asks. Satan insinuates that Job is simply out for what he can get from God. Job is only a fair-weather friend, Satan insists. Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? Satan argues. You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

      Satan’s challenge

      Satan sneers at the good example. Job doesn’t love you, Satan implies. Take away Job’s many blessings and you’ll find that he’s no friend of yours. Satan tries to make a bet with God. Stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, Satan dares God, and he will surely curse you to your face.

      Really? Does Job love God only for selfish reasons? Do we? Well — let’s see, is God’s reply. He tells Satan, Everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.

      With God’s permission, Satan grabs a handful of dirty tricks from his bag of suffering. He flings them at Job, and the world caves in on this innocent man. Job’s herds and property are either carried off by raiders or destroyed by natural disasters.

      But Satan is proven wrong. After these terrible tragedies strike Job, he tears his robe and shaves his head. He falls to the ground in worship, saying, The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. The author of the book of Job is careful to point out, In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

      The second dare

      Time elapses. One day, another angelic report takes place in heaven. God reaffirms to Satan his contention that Job truly loves God and his ways (Job 2:1-7). Satan again scoffs at Job’s faith in God. "A man will give all he has for his own life, jibes Satan. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."

      God again expresses confidence in Job. Well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.

      The devil immediately strikes poor Job with horrible sores over his entire body. The fall of the house of Job is complete. It appears he has become — without his knowledge or permission — the guinea pig in one of history’s greatest tests.

      Job is now on trial. He must answer a vital question. How will he, who had faithfully trusted God for help and protection, react to suffering that seems senseless and unjust? Will righteous Job reject God, or maintain his faith?

      So far, Satan has lost every round. He has been proven wrong about Job’s faithful relationship with God. But can Job endure? Will he continue to trust in God as the seemingly endless suffering rolls on, with only pain and death in sight? Will Job persevere even though God seems to have forsaken him? That is the issue at stake.

      Job can be seen as a metaphor of the suffering believer. How Job reacts to God’s test says something about how we should react to trials. The book asks us to consider our faith. Would we continue to trust God, to love God with all our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37-38) — even while suffering for reasons we don’t understand?

      On the ash heap

      Scene 2 of this great drama takes place on an ash heap in the land of Uz, here on earth (Job 2:8). Job is suffering pain and anxiety. He is emotionally alone, tormented, confused, angry. His three friends who came to comfort him are instead emotionally and verbally persecuting him.

      The human actors in the drama do not know that God is deeply involved in Job’s life at this precise moment. They have no understanding of what God is trying to accomplish nor why Job is suffering so terribly. Nor do they grasp that a cosmic issue is at stake.

      Job himself does not understand why this evil is happening to someone who has faith in God. Why has a good God allowed such terrible things to happen to a decent, God-fearing human being? Job, in short, is asking, Why me, Lord?

      On the ash heap, the issues are very human, confused and not completely understood. The principal human characters all have incomplete and distorted knowledge. They make partial or even incorrect judgments about God’s activities. Or they misapply general observations to Job’s specific situation.

      The introduction has given us a sneak preview of the heavenly perspective on Job. We know God is much pleased with and concerned about him. No matter that God has temporarily suspended Job’s protected condition. There is a reason.

      Job is not a victim of time and chance, but a part of God’s orchestrated purpose. Job has no inkling he is the star actor in a God-directed morality play on earth. As far as Job knows, God has disappeared from his life.

      Job’s primal scream

      Job desperately tries to solve the mystery behind his suffering. He struggles on his own, looking for clues. None appear. Job prays expectantly. God will surely speedily intervene in his life — heal him of his disease, explain to him what in the world is going on. But nothing happens. The horribly painful disease reduces Job’s strength. He grows weaker and weaker. He becomes more confused.

      Job’s language sometimes borders on the irrational and incoherent. At times he appears almost delirious. Opposing attitudes clash in his speeches. Job appeals to God to act before it is too late. At times he even challenges God. Please help me, he cries. Come to me quickly. I will soon lie down in the dust, Job cries out, you will search for me, but I will be no more (Job 7:21).

      Through his agony Job becomes increasingly confused, perplexed, discouraged, without hope. In his worst nightmare, Job sees death coming around the corner of his life, ready to run him down. Job knows he is finished — through. He sees himself doomed to die a broken, lonely, hated and despised person. Job’s hopelessness is painted throughout the book. In one place he moans, My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me (Job 17:1).

      Even though Job has done nothing wrong and pleads desperately for help, God still chooses to stay hidden. I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer, Job

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1