INTRODUCTION

Nobody knows when the book of Job was written, but it is probably very ancient and was possibly written before the book of Genesis. It takes place in the land of Uz, unknown to us outside this book. Job stands as a representative of everyone who suffers.

Was he a historical person? Opinions differ. (Remember that we can talk about "Hamlet" or "R2-D2" or "fill-in-the-blank-with-your-favourite-fictional-character" without implying that they are historical people.) It makes no difference to the message of the book whether he was historical or not. God has something critically important to say to all of us. At some point in our lives, every one of us will suffer--and be the friend of someone else who is suffering.

It may be ancient, but the thought in this book is profoundly up-to-date. Every time I come back to it I find it a stunningly sophisticated piece of writing. "RHS" on the Jesus Creed blog wrote, "it strikes me as one of the most significant, misunderstood, and under-appreciated books in the entire Bible." Never think that the ancients were primitive in their understanding of the big, important questions we all ask.

Eliphaz, Zophar and Bildad do go on and on! But I think that's part of the point. Bear in mind all that we know and Job didn't, not only with the New Testament but also the "Old" Testament and the history of God with the Jews.

Job stands as a representative of everyone who suffers, but maybe in the end, the book isn't really about suffering at all. I leave that for you to figure out.

Annabel Robinson