Narrative Lectionary Summer Series – Job, Week 1
Job 1:1-22
Free Additional Resources for Study & Sermon Preparation
Furthering the Power of God’s Story – Narrative Lectionary Commentary
by Rev. Dr. Clint Schnekloth
Job is a companion both majestic and troubling enough to move and inspire us as we continue this long strange season of life. Job is often counted among the masterpieces of world literature. It's like Shakespeare of the Bible. Part of the "Writings" of the Old Testament (Ketuvim), it is the first poetic book in our Scriptures.
It's also a "once-upon-a-time" story. It sets us up for prayerful moral and existential consideration of the meaning of events in life. And uniquely suited for a time of social distancing, when Job's friends arrive to sit with him near his ash heap in his suffering. They first sit in silence for seven days, because there are no words. So too I invite us to begin a process of sitting with this text in June, to hear what God might be saying to us in this time.
Job sets us up to see how good Job is and how far he can fall. A successful keeper of considerable livestock, he’s also blameless and upright. He’s so fastidious in his devotion to God, he even makes sacrifices to purify his children on the chance they might sin against God in their hearts.
The LORD, mentioning Job to Satan in the divine courts, asks, “Have you considered my servant Job?” Satan replies, “Why yes, I have! But he only fears you because you protect him. Take away the protections, or curse him, and see how quickly he’ll curse you back.”
The LORD takes Satan up on the challenge, releasing Satan to do what Satan will. The fall of Job is immense, threefold loss of donkeys and oxen, then sheep, then camels, plus all the servants, and finally his own house crushes his children and family.
Preachers on this text are left asking, “Is this a straightforward theodicy text, inviting us to dwell on why bad things happen to good people?”
Or, is there something more going on, or even many more things going on, than the simple theodicy question that will (even if it isn’t the main question Job is set up to address) be the one many hearers of the text ask themselves.
There are many theories on what Job is really about. Perhaps it is a text facilitating reflection on the emergence of the new individual of faith in the new Judaism of exile. Perhaps it is more a presentation of Job as the just and faithful one. Sirach, for example, cites Job as the one who holds fast to all the ways of justice. James in his letter praises Job for his perseverance.
Whether or not God actually lets bad things happen to good people is also called into question by the genre of Job. Remember, it is a “once upon a time” story. It’s designed to set hearers up to consider it as a tale, and so there are many further considerations tellers and hearers of the tale might consider, not the least of which are the ways Job’s friends respond to Job’s suffering, and the way Job himself sits in his grief.
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The following links and resources are not produced or maintained by Clergy Stuff. However, at the time of this posting, the links were active and considered to be good source material for proclamation for the text for this week. Please scroll down or click on the quick jump menu you find below. For more free worship resources & planning materials, please visit our links for RCL Worship Resources.
Historical Exegetical Resources
Carl Jung’s Answer to Job
James Sanders on The Book of Job and the Origins of Judaism
Contemporary Resources
Exegetical Links
"Speak, O Lord: The Silence of God in Human Suffering," Ataloa Snell Woodin, Direction, 1996.
Great Quotes
“This man is described in the Syriac book as living in the land of Ausis, on the borders of Idumea and Arabia: and his name before was Jobab; and having taken an Arabian wife, he begot a son whose name was Ennon. And he himself was the son of his father Zare, one of the sons of Esau, and of his mother Bosorrha, so that he was the fifth from Abraam. And these were the kings who reigned in Edom, which country he also ruled over: first, Balac, the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dennaba: but after Balac, Jobab, who is called Job, and after him Asom, who was governor out of the country of Thaeman: and after him Adad, the son of Barad, who destroyed Madiam in the plain of Moab; and the name of his city was Gethaim. And his friends who came to him were Eliphaz, of the children of Esau, king of the Thaemanites, Baldad sovereign of the Sauchaeans, Sophar king of the Minaeans.”
A Good Watch
Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood
by Quentin Tarantino
Not only is this a fantastic film, but it resonates so closely with the Job narrative. Hate to say much more, because spoilers, but it will definitely prepare you to preach on Job.
Video Resources
Daily Devotional Feed
Free Dramatic Reading For This Text (NRSV)
Readers: Narrator, Job, Lord, Satan, Messenger 1, Messenger 2, Messenger 3, Messenger 4
Narrator: There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another’s houses in turn; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said,
Job: “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.”
Narrator: This is what Job always did. One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan,
Lord: “Where have you come from?”
Narrator: Satan answered the Lord,
Satan: “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
Narrator: The Lord said to Satan,
Lord: “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.”
Narrator: Then Satan answered the Lord,
Satan: “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”
Narrator: The Lord said to Satan,
Lord: “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!”
Narrator: So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said,
Messenger 1: “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Narrator: While he was still speaking, another came and said,
Messenger 2: “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Narrator: While he was still speaking, another came and said,
Messenger 3: “The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Narrator: While he was still speaking, another came and said,
Messenger 4: “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Narrator: Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said,
Job: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Narrator: In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong-doing.