1. Identify and explain the significance of key terms, passages, people, and themes from this section including: Job (book of), Isaiah (book of), Satan, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu, Messiah, Malachi, Isaiah 40-66, and the 400 silent years (the time between the testaments).
2. Locate on a map the key places in this section, including: "Major Areas," Judah, Jerusalem, the Jordan River, Babylon, Susa, and Babylonia.
3. Know the content of the following passages of Scripture which are pertinent to this section.
Job 1 - The testing of Job by Satan
Job 3-37 - The speeches of Job's friends
Job 38-42 - God's speech to Job
Isaiah 40 - A message of hope about the future
Isaiah 53 - The Suffering Servant
Isaiah 55 - A glimpse of future glory
4. Study the general scriptural teaching on suffering from the book of Job and the "suffering servant" sections of Isaiah. Explain why it appears that God allows his servants to suffer and what benefits there are for Christians in suffering.
Required Readings and Study Items
(Bible software upgrade may be required for "Dictionary" and "Study Bible Notes", see "Order" button on "Cover")
1. Discovering God, Philip Yancey, pp. 123-131, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1989 (click on the "Text" button).
2. Click on the "Text" button and then click on unfamiliar words or phrases in blue and bold type.
3. Click on the "Explore" button, open the Bible Dictionary, and do a search on the words, terms and people listed in Learning Objectives #1 and #2. Scroll through the search "hits" and read the key article(s) associated with each term.
4. Click on the "Explore" button, open the Study Bible Notes, and read the following:
A. "Date" to the book of Job
B. "Theme and Message" to the book of Job
C. "Outline: Part 2: The Book of Comfort (chs. 40-66)" to the book of Isaiah
5. Click on the "Study" button and learn:
Geography - "Major Areas" and "Divided Kingdom & Return"
Books - Job and Isaiah (Chapters 40-66)
Chronology - "Era of the Patriarchs, 2200 B.C. - 1800 B.C." (Job?), and "Divided Kingdom and Babylonian Captivity, 931 B.C. - 538 B.C." (Isaiah).
6. Click on the "Library" button and read the "References" associated with the "Preparation" section.
7. Click on the “Links” button in this section and follow each link to other related areas of study.
8. Click on the "Facts" button and review the Bible facts associated with Job and Isaiah.
Suggested Readings
1. "Job," pp. 312-314 in NIV Compact Bible Commentary, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994.
2. "Isaiah," pp. 363-374 in NIV Compact Bible Commentary, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994.
3. "Job," pp. 742-789 in Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, Vol. 1 by Elmer B. Smick, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994.
4. "Isaiah," pp. 1041-1044, 1114-1147 in Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, Vol. 1 by Geoffrey W. Grogan, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994.
5. "Job," by Raymond B. Dillard & Tremper Longman, pp. 199-210 in An Introduction to the Old Testament, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994.
6. "The Book of Job," by R.K. Harrison, pp. 1022-1046 in Introduction to the Old Testament, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969.
7. Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey, HarperCollins Publishers: New York, 1993.
For Further Review:
Go to the next page and test yourself by taking the quiz over the material which you have studied. When you have finished, check your answers by clicking on the "Answers" button.
PREPARATION: QUIZ
1. After surveying the content of Isaiah 40-66 explain in a paragraph or two God's plan for the future of humanity.
2. The individual responsible for testing Job was:
A. Satan
B. God
C. Eliphaz
D. Elihu
3. More than anything else, the book of Job is about:
A. loss
B. faith
C. sorrow
D. anger
4. As an historical figure, Job probably lived during:
A. the era of David and Solomon
B. the Exilic era
C. the time of the patriarchs
D. the Exodus
5. One of the key themes of the book of Job is:
A. that all human suffering is deserved
B. that God is all-knowing but not all-powerful
C. that not all suffering comes as punishment
D. that God is all-powerful but unjust
6. Which section of the book of Job comes before the others?
A. The different speeches of Job's friends
B. God's speech to Job
C. The testing of Job
D. The double blessing of Job by God
7. What is the Old Testament title given to the promised deliverer of the Jews?
A. Christos
B. Lord
C. Messiah
D. Savior
8. The promised deliverer of the Jews was described in great detail by the prophet:
A. Jeremiah
B. Ezekiel
C. Malachi
D. Isaiah
9. According to the prophets, the promised deliverer of the Jews would eventually come as:
A. a mighty warrior
B. a suffering servant
C. a great communicator
D. a victorious leader
10. Perhaps the most famous Old Testament passage describing the promised deliverer of the Jews is:
A. Jeremiah 31
B. Job 42
C. Isaiah 40
D. Isaiah 53
11. The "400 silent years" are also known as:
A. the suffering of Job
B. the time between the testaments
C. the period from Isaiah to Nehemiah
D. the time of preparation
12. In two or three paragraphs, explain in your own words why it appears that God allows his servants to undergo suffering and what benefits there are, if any, in that.
