Daily Devotions

Who Wrote the Book?

The author of the book of Job is unknown. Several suggestions have been put forth as plausible authors: Job himself, who could have best recalled his own words; Elihu, the fourth friend who spoke toward the end of the story; various biblical writers and leaders; or many editors who compiled the material over the years. While there is no definitive answer, it was most likely an eyewitness who recorded the detailed and lengthy conversations found in the book. In Old Testament times, authors sometimes referred to themselves in the third person, so Job’s authorship is a strong possibility.

Who was Job? This wealthy landowner and father is one of the best-known biblical heroes. But we know little more than that he was stripped of everything, without warning, and that his faith was severely tested.

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/job

Day 1 (March 23)
Job 23:1-17
Key Verses: 4-5

Day 2 (March 24)
Job 24:1-25
Key Verses: 1-2

Day 3 (March 25)
Job 25 + 26
Key Verses: 25:6

Day 4 (March 26)
Job 27:1-23
Key Verses: 1-6

Day 5 (March 27)
Job 28:1-28
Key Verses: 12-13

Day 6 (March 28)
Job 29:1-25
Key Verses: 23-25

Memory Verse
Job 1:5
So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that 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, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

Where are we?

Though the text does not directly identify its setting, internal clues indicate that Job lived during the time of the patriarchs, approximately 2100 to 1900 BC. According to Job 42:16, Job lived an additional 140 years after his tragedies occurred, perhaps to around 210 years total. His long lifespan generally corresponds to that of Terah (Abraham’s father), Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Also, Job’s wealth was measured in livestock (Job 1:3,42:12), as was Abraham’s (Genesis 12:16). Like the patriarchs, Job used God’s unique title “El Shaddai” (God Almighty). The book of Job does not mention the Mosaic Law;
indeed, Job’s daughters were equal heirs with his sons, and Job himself, though not a priest, offered sacrifices—things not possible under the Law (Leviticus 4:10,Numbers 27:8). Though we cannot be certain, Job may have lived during the time of Jacob or shortly thereafter.

Job lived in the land of Uz (Job 1:1), but no one really knows where Uz was located. Scholars believe it was outside of Canaan, near the desert because “the customs, vocabulary, and references to geography and natural history relate to northern Arabia.”¹

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/job

Day 1 (March 30)
Job 30:1-31
Key Verse: 29-31

Day 2 (March 31)
Job 31:1-40
Key Verses: 1-4

Day 3 (April 1)
Job 32:1-22
Key Verses: 1-5

Day 4 (April 2)
Job 33:1-33
Key Verses: 31-33

Day 5 (April 3)
Job 34:1-37
Key Verses: 5-6

Day 6 (April 4)
Job 35:1-16
Key Verses: 5-6

Memory Verse
Job 1:12
And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Why is Job so important?

The Israelites categorized Job within their wisdom literature. The book includes language from ancient legal proceedings, laments, and unique terms not found elsewhere in the Bible. In addition, the majority of Job is written in parallel lines which are indicative of poetry.

The book delves into issues near to the heart of every human who experiences suffering. The prologue provides a fascinating peek into the back story—why God allowed Satan to afflict Job with such pain and turmoil. Then, through a series of dialogues and monologues arranged in a pattern of threes, human
wisdom attempts to explain the unexplainable, until finally God Himself speaks.

The final chapters of Job record God’s masterful defense of His majesty and unique “otherness”—of God’s eternal transcendence above creation—in contrast with Job’s humble and ignorant mortality. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? / Tell Me, if you have understanding” (Job 38:4).

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/job

Day 1 (April 6)
Job 36:1-33
Key Verses: 31-33

Day 2 (April 7)
Job 37:1-24
Key Verses: 22-24

Day 3 (April 8)
Job 38:1-41
Key Verse: 16

Day 4 (April 9)
Job 39:1-30
Key Verses: 1-2

Day 5 (April 10)
Job 40:1-24
Key Verses: 15-18

Day 6 (April 11)
Job 41:1-34
Key Verse: 33-34

Memory Verse
Job 1:8
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

Who wrote the book?

Paul had never been to Rome when he wrote the letter to the Romans, though he had clearly expressed his desire to travel there in the near future (Acts 19:21; Romans 1:10–12). The apostle greeted twenty-six different people by name, personalizing a letter from a man who would have been a personal stranger to most of the recipients. No doubt they had heard of Paul and would have been honored by the letter, but Paul always took opportunities to personally connect with his audience so that the message of the gospel might be better received.

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-pauline-epistles/romans

Day 1 (April 13)
Job 42:1-17
Key Verses: 10-17

Day 2 (April 14)
Romans 1:1-32
Key Verses: 20

Day 3 (April 15)
Romans 2:1-29
Key Verses: 28-29

Day 4 (April 16)
Romans 3:1-31
Key Verse: 31

Day 5 (April 17)
Romans 4:1-25
Key Verses: 1-4

Day 6 (April 18)
Romans 5:1-21
Key Verses: 18-19

Memory Verse
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the
power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Coming Soon.