Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-11-05

WA ohSay VI LllC
various types of literature to be
found in the Bible, we come this
week to a consideration of the
book of Job as an example of
dramatic writing. While we u.s.
ually associate action with dra-
ma, the story of Job contains
very little action and what there
is Of it is mental and spiritual.
The Book of Job has been des-
cribed as "a drama of the spir-
it; its action goes on in the un-
seen world of the mind and
heart"
We have no information as to
the author of this book of the
Old Testament. The book itself
gives us no clue as to the writer
or the date. Some Bible experts
believe that the first two chap
tiers were originally written and
the others added later by anoth-
er writer. However that may be,
the book may be divided into
four main divisions(-D the pro-
logue and epilogue, (2) Jobs
speeches and those of his thres
friends, (3) Elihu's speech, and,
finally, (4) the speech of Jeho-
vah.
The problems which this
book discuss are age-old ones
and are as important today as
they were in Old Testament
time. People are still asking
the questions which are upper
most in this old book. "Is all
suffering the result of sin? Why
do the righteous suffer and
often the wicked escape merited
punishment? Why does God al
low sin and evil to exist in the
world he has created?"
In the passages given for our
consideration this week, we are
told of the council in heaven at
which God and the angels are
present. With the angels is Sa-
tan, who once an angel, but
because of his pride and ambi-
ton, had been cast out of heav-
en-. When God taunts Santan
with the uprightness of Job, who
is described as a perfect" man
Satan replied that Job was only
righteous because it paid him
to be So" He declared that if
God were to take away all of
Jobs temporal blessings, j o b
would be as bad as the rest.
Accepting Satan's challenge,
God is pictured as agreeing with
Satan to put Job to the test, to
see if the charge was true. The
only limit placed upon Satan's
power was tha: he was not to
harm Jobs body. Therefore,
with swift suddenness, all of
Jobs earthly possessions were
swept away. Finally and most
serious of all, all seven of his
sons and his three daughters
were killed when hurricane
destroyed the home of his eldest
son where they were all gather
ed, eating and drinking. Only
his wife was LETT to him.
While Job was terribly griev-
ed at the catastrophe which had
befallen him, he did not be-
, come bitter. In the midst OF his
sorrow, Job gave us an express
sion of his absolute faith in
God which has been repeated
hundred and hundreds of times
throughout all the ages by be-
levers of every nation. 1.-THE
Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away: blessed be the
name of the Lord"
Again there was council in
heaven. Satan, compelled to ad-
NIT his defeat, suggested anoth-
er method of attack, stating that
if Jobs body was affected,
then, for sure, he would re-
nounce God. God permitted
Satan to go forth and do what
he would to Jobs body, with
the only limit that he spare his
life. AS a result, Job was afflict-
ed with sore boils from the
sole of his feet to the crown of
his head.
I 1t was a terrible affliction, SO
repulsive to those around him
that Job sought refuge outside
the villa pa I1nnr, the hean of Sh-