The Outline of Job

I. JOB’S DILEMMA (1:1 – 2:13)

A. Job’s character and wealth (1:1-5).

B. Satan is allowed to test Job (1:6-12).

C. Satan takes Job’s property and children (1:13-19).

D. Job laments over his losses but does not sin (1:20-22).

E. Satan attacks Job’s health (2:1-8).

F. Job’s wife tempts him but he remains faithful to God (2:9-10).

G. Job’s three friends visit and sit in silence for a week (2:11-13).

II. JOB’S DEBATES (3:1 – 37:24)

A. FIRST CYCLE OF SPEECHES (3:1 – 14:22)

1. Job laments his birth (3:1 – 26)

2. Eliphaz and Job debate the innocent and guilty (4:1 – 7:21).

a. Eliphaz said, “Job, you’re in sin” (4:7-8). “And if you repent God will forgive

you” (5:1, 8, 17).

b. But Job demanded, “Show me my sin!” (6:24, 30). “Who are you to single

me out” (7:20-21).

3. Bildad and Job debate God’s judgment (8:1 – 10:22).

a. Bildad said, “God has judged your children” (8:4). “If you repent, God will

plead for you [8:5-6], and you will have better days” (8:7, 21).

b. But Job responded, “If there were a mediator, I would plead my case” (9:2,

33). “I would want to know why an innocent man is suffering as a

condemned man” (10:1-2, 7).

4. Zophar and Job debate God’s punishment (11:1 – 14:22)

a. Zophar said, “Job, you deserve worse” (11:6). “Unless you quit sinning you

will remain guilty [11:13ff], and you’re only hope is to breathe your last”

(11:20).

b. Job responded, “Believe me, I’m innocent!” (12:4). “God is ultimately

behind this entire suffering [12:9], but I will continue my hope and trust in

him” (13:15). “You are speaking lies and I want you to be silent” (13:4-5).

“Death comes to everyone” (14:1).

B. SECOND CYCLE OF SPEECHES (15:1 – 21:34)

1. Eliphaz and Job debate pride (15:1 – 17:16).

a. Eliphaz said, “Your lips reveal your lack of fear in God” (15:3-5). “What do you

know that we don’t know?” (15:9)

b. But Job responded, “You all are terrible comforters” (16:2). “You propose that

this suffering is a witness against me [16:8], but my witness is in Heaven”

(16:19). “I am depressed [17:1], and you are no help to me [17:10]; I really have

no hope” (17:15).

2. Bildad and Job debate again God’s judgment (18:1 – 19:29).

a. Bildad remarked, “We’re not dumb” (18:3). “God punishes the wicked [18:5]

and those who don’t know him” (18:21).

b. But Job replied, “You torment me continually” (19:2-3). “If I had sinned, God

wouldn’t need you to represent him” (19:4-6). “I know that my Redeemer

lives” (19:25).

3. Zophar and Job debate again the suffering of the wicked (20:1 – 21:34).

a. Zophar says, “Don’t you know that the wicked suffer and are forgotten” (20:45ff).

b. Job replies, “Yes the wicked do suffer, but they also prosper” (21:7ff). “Let them

reap the harvest of evil now” (21:17-21). “Seeing the righteous and unrighteous

both die [21:26], who will show the wicked they are wrong?” (21:31) “I can’t

find comfort in your lies” (21:34)

C. THIRD CYCLE OF SPEECHES (22:1 – 26:14)

1. Eliphaz and Job debate Job’s sins.

a. Eliphaz said, “God’s judging your abundant sin” (22:5). “Will you continue to

sin?” (22:15) “Or, will you repent?” (22:21ff)

b. Job answered, “If I could find God and plead my case before him, he would

acquit me forever” (23:3, 4, 7). “Despite my innocence, God permits others to

commit treacherous sins” (24:12, 22). “If it’s not so, then prove it” (24:25).

2. Bildad and Job debate God’s majesty and man’s depravity.

a. Bildad said, “Will God, who is pure, hear the complaints of a mortal seeing they

cannot be totally chaste?” (25:4ff)

b. Job replies, “How are your words intended to help me?” (26:2-4)

D. FINAL DEFENSE OF JOB (27:1 – 31:40)

1. Job affirmed his innocence (27:1-23). “As long as I live, I will continue to praise

God and refrain from deception” (27:3-4). “You three are similar to the

wicked [27:7-8] because you would rather defame my character than to call

upon God on my behalf” (27:10). “Although you all correctly state ‘God

punishes the wicked,’ you inaccurately apply it to me, an innocent man”

(27:12).

2. Job asserted, “Men can do many great things [28:9-11], but we may never fully

understand God’s wisdom” (28:12-13, 23).

3. Job remembers the glory days when he enjoyed friendship with God and others

and contrasts it with his current predicament (29:2-4). “Eliphaz, contrary to

your false allegations [cf. 22:6-7, 9], I have helped others who were less fortunate”

(29:12-13, 15-16). “The young and old listened reverently to me [29:21], but now

they laugh at me and mock and detest me” (30:1, 9-10).

4. Job mentions specifically how he has maintained purity. “I have neither lusted [31:1]

nor committed adultery” (31:9). “I have treated well those in business [31:5ff], my

servants [31:13] and the poor” (31:16).

E. THE SOLUTION OF ELIHU (32:1 – 37:24)

1. Elihu rebukes Job’s three older friends (32:1-22). “I respectfully listened to your words

and purposefully waited to speak because of my age [32:6, 11], but I have to admit

your empty words didn’t answer Job’s concerns” (32:12). “Therefore, I am compelled

to share my opinion” (32:18-20).

2. Elihu rebukes Job (33:1-37:24).

a. “Job, you have alleged that God idly watches your suffering in silence [33:9-11; cf.

13:22], but God speaks through dreams [33:15] and pain” (33:19).

b. “Job, you have charged God with the crime of justice claiming that he is the cause

of your suffering [34:5-6; cf. 19:6-7; 27:2] when in fact the opposite is true.”

1) “God renders unto a man his due reward” (34:11).

2) “Besides, injustice is not in God’s character” (34:12).

3) “Add to that, no one can influence God to commit injustice” (34:13).

4) “If God desired, we could all perish; but God is too good” (34:14-15).

5) “How could a just being govern the world?” (34:17)

6) “God judges all men alike and shows no partiality since he considers neither

power nor money” (34:19).

7) “God’s omniscience allows God to see every deed of man and judge

accordingly” (34:21).

8) “God does not ignore sin” (34:21).

9) “Although God patiently and silently allows men to live in sin in hopes that

they will repent, he does not condone sin and no one should rebuke

him for his silence” (34:29-30).

c. “Job, you may not be suffering because of sin, but I believe you are sinning [by

your words against God] because of your suffering” (34:37).

d. “Job, you are so inconsistent! How do you expect God to vindicate you?”

1) “First, on the one hand, you have demanded that God reward you for your

innocence; yet on the other hand, you claim that he is unconcerned with

your hardships and innocence. Which is it?” (35:2-3) “Don’t you know that

God’s magnificence is too great to be affected by man’s sins? [35:6]. After

all, sin only affects man” (35:8).

2) “Second, you are waiting on God’s deliverance yet you don’t believe God

punishes the wicked in this life” (35:12-15).

e. “Job, God deals righteously with everyone, even you (36:4-5). “The wicked

naturally suffer because of their sin [36:6], but the righteous suffer in order to

have their ears opened to God’s will” (36:10, 15).

f. “Job, if you cannot understand God’s behavior in nature [36:27-37:18], how can

you debate God?” (37:19)

III. JOB’S DELIVERANCE (38:1 – 42:17)

A. God rebukes Job (38:1-40:2).

1. God said, “Consider the heavens and the earth [38:4-38] and the animals”

(38:39-39:30).

2. He demanded, “Tell me how you understand their origin?” (38:4, 18) “Surely

you know all things!” (38:5, 21) “I want you to answer me!” (38:3; cf. 40:7)

B. Job humbles himself, but he does not repent (40:3-5).

C. God rebukes Job a second time (40:6-41:34).

1. God asked, “Would you discredit my integrity or even assassinate my character

in order to justify yourself?” (40:8)

2. God pressed, “Job, do you want my job? Can you dress the part?” (40:9-10) “If

so, you must be able to humble the proud [40:11-12] and to subdue the most

violent of creatures—the Behemoth [40:15-24] and the Leviathan [41:1-34]

among which no one can tame.”

D. Job repents of his pride (42:1-6).

E. God rebukes Job’s three friends (42:7-9).

F. God blesses Job (42:10-17).