A Real Parable

Q: Is the book of Job a real story, or is it a parable used for teaching?

A: The short answer is "Yes." Yes, the book of Job is both a real story and a parable used for teaching. Much of the Bible is that way. However, as it is with many teachings, they have a much greater impact when they are real. To determine whether the book of Job is real one only needs to look at the first verse of the book, Job 1:1. "In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." As is the case with many books of the Bible, the opening verse usually introduces the individual(s) involved and the location. Notice how the location where Job lives, Uz, is identified immediately. It is quite possible that the land of Uz was named that way after Uz, the son of Aram, grandson of Shem and great-grandson of Noah. "The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech (Genesis 10:23)." The use of names, locations and historical references gives us solid evidence that its contents are those representing authentic historical figures and locations. Contrast this with what we see in many parables used within scripture.

The most well known parables in the Bible are, of course, those said by Jesus Christ. In many instances there is no reference to any named individual, any historical context or any geographic location. For example, take the Parable of the Two Sons found in Matthew 21. In Matthew 21:28 it reads, "There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'" Notice the vague references to "a man" and "two sons." This is evidence that what Jesus is saying is simply to be used as an example. He is not trying to make a point about any particular time or place in history or specific individual like we see with Job. Another example we see in the Parables of Jesus is the terminology used at the beginning of some of them. In the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30), the Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast (Matthew 13:31-35) and the Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-50) we see them all contain the phrase, "the kingdom of heaven is like." This is a clear indication that what Jesus is about to say is simply for the sake of giving an example. The parables are not meant to single out any particular individual, but to call attention to what the example is trying to describe.

Another distinction that sets the book of Job apart from many parables is its length. Most of the parables Jesus used to describe the kingdom of heaven are short; no more than a few verses at most. Where as the book of Job is 42 chapters long making it one of the longer books of the Bible. I believe one of the reasons for its length is because of all the historical and scientific facts contained within its pages. In Job 22:14 it reads, "Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see, And He walks above the circle of heaven.’" Many believe this is a scientific reference to circular shape of the planet. A fact not known to mankind at the time this book was believed to be written. Then there is the mention of dinosaurs living alongside mankind. "Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox (Job 40:15)." Many scientists believe behemoth to be a large, plant eating sauropod. And finally, as previously mentioned, is the use of the names of people involved in Job's life. There are the Chaldeans (Job 1:17), a historically identified group of people who settled in what is now modern day Turkey and Southern Iraq. And, of course, there are Job's three friends, "Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite (Job 2:11)," who visited him. These all tend to give the book of Job the feel of a real story.

Ultimately, the book of Job, while appearing to be a real story, is also a book with many lessons to teach. Chief among those lessons is that man will suffer in this world regardless of who we are, what we own, our standing in the world or our standing with God. But, as believers we can rest assured that God is with us through our trials and, in Christ, are rewarded in the end. We should learn to embrace our sufferings because they force us into a greater understanding of our God. As we suffer we share in the sufferings of Christ, in many ways, and it brings us to a place of thankfulness. Yes, thankfulness. Thankfulness towards all that the Lord endured in order to set us free from our sins and to give us eternal life. In many ways we can share in the understanding revealed to Job when he said, "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you (Job 42:5)." We are all too familiar with suffering and have that in common with Job. That alone is even more evidence that this is a real story. A real story that ends with us being restored and God being glorified. Amen!