My opinion on these points is such as I avow, and such as I feel no disposition to conceal. I believe Job to have been a real person, and the history to be a statement of confirmed facts.

It has been denied by some critics that Job did not live and die as a real person, rather he was a part of ancient folklore.

I am reminded of 2 Tim. 3:16, ”Every Scripture is inspired.” And yet I find no mention ever of God having inspired any folklore at any time in history. I suggest that any time a reader picks up the Bible, and reads something he does not understand, in ignorance he makes charges against Scripture. Scripture was given to teach, Scripture teaches by types, patterns, shadows, and especially by symbolic and prophetic language. A symbolic word such as death does not always mean a physical death. So it is with Job. Job is so filled with types and patterns that to many people it sounds unreal.

            Job is not the enigmatic book that some think of as being mysterious. There is no mystery when you can trace his place of birth, and the family to which he was born into.

The first chapter states him to have lived in the land of Uz {or Uts}, and in view of ancient history and Biblical evidence, I believe this place to have been located in Arabia of Petraea, on a line between Egypt and Philistia, surrounded by Kedar, Teman and Midan, all of which were districts of Arabia; situated in Idumea, the land of Edom, or Esau; and comprising a large part of it, that Idumea and Ausitis, or the land of Uz, and the land of Edom, were convertible terms, and equally employed to import the same region. Thus Lam. 4:21-22, states “Rejoice and be glad ye daughters of Edom who dwells in the land of Uz, but the cup will come around to you as well, you will become drunk and make your self naked. O daughter of Zion.” Who would have thought that the Church of Christ would have been among such wicked nations? The symbolic word “Zion” has always been recognized as the Church of Christ, or the heavenly Jerusalem. Britannica World Language Dictionary, page 1520.

This helps us to better understand the faith of Job, and of his worship to God. Nothing is clearer than that all persons introduced into this work were Idumeans, dwelling in Idumea; or in other words Edomite Arabs. The persons are Job himself dwelling in the land of Uz; Eliphaz of Teman, a district of Arabia, in view of Ezek. 25:13; Amos 1:11, 12, and Obidah 8:9; Jer. 49:7-20 Teman was a principle part of Idumea. Eliphaz the son of Esau Gen. 36:10 Bildad the Shuah, are always mentioned in connection with Sheba and Dedan, all of them being placed in the vicinity of Idumea. Zophar of Naamah, a city whose name is mentioned in Joshua 15:21-41, and shows it to have been situated in Idumea, and to have lain in a southern direction towards its coast, or the shores of the Red Sea. Elihu of Buz, a name which occurs only once in the sacred Scriptures, but where in Jeremiah 25:22 are mentioned in connection with Teman and Dedan; like themselves a border city called Horitis, Uz, or Idumea, it had a number of names; it was first called Horitis, from the Horites who appear to have first settled there, among these the most distinguished was Seir; and from him the land was known by the name of the land of Seir. The chief had numerious family, and among the most distinguished of his grandsons were Uz, or Uts; and from him, not from the Uz of Nahor the land was called Ausitis, or the land of Uz, the family of Hor, Seir and Uz were at length disposed of the entire region by Esau, or Edom; who strengthened himself by his marriage to the daughter of Ishmael, Gen. 28:9, and the conquered territory was called Idumea, or the land of Edom. I think this to be conclusive as to the country of Job and his friends.

It is reasonable in view of historical, and Biblical evidence given above to assume that the two Job’s mentioned in some history are one and the same person. Since Esau conquered the land of Arabia, and the land was called Edom, and since Eliphaz was the son of Easu, and a cousin to Job, it is most likely the same Eliphaz from Teman, a province of Arabia.

Bildad the Shuhite, also inhabited a province of Aribia, this nation of people which inhabited this province began with the children of Abraham’s last wife Gen. 25:1-6, and later called Edom when Esau the son of Jacob conquered it. Is important at this point to fully understand that the people of this particular area were closely related to Abraham. Ishmael was given this land by God Gen. 21:14-21, and through his seed great nations arose. Esau the grandson of Abraham conquered this land from the children of his grandfather Abraham, and married the daughter, or granddaughter of Ishmael.

According to Joshua, Naamah was located between the land of Judah, and that of Edom. As to Zophar nothing more are known, other than that which are recorded in the book of Job.

Perhaps the answer to this question, will answer also the question as to whether the event of Job occurred before Jacob went down into Egypt, or whether it was incurred several hundred years later. If several hundred years later, what was the purpose? And would it fit into the whole plan of God? If written by Solomon as some claim, why   are not the names of these men listed in the Kings, or Chronicles? Now we must determine the age of Job.

1.  Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebecca Gen. 25:20

2.      Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob and Esau were born. Gen. 25:26.

3.      Esau and Jacob would have been 40 years old when Esau married.

4.      Isaac was 100 years old when Esau married Gen, 25:34.

5.      Giving a five-year period for Jacob and Esau to have their trouble, and for Jacob to leave home, and come to Labans house, each of the men would have been 45 years old.

6.      Jacob works 7 years for Rachel, but receives Leah; now Rachel is promised to Jacob after he completes his week with Leah, which was a feat week. Yet Jacob was to work yet another 7 years for Rachel. Jacob now would have been 52 years of age. Then Reuben is born of Leah. Gen. 29:32, then Simeon is born of Leah. Gen. 29:33, Levi is born of Leah Gen. 29:35, Rachel becomes angry and gives her maid to Jacob, Bilhah bares Jacob a second son, and his name was Dan, Gen. 30:5-6, Bilhah bares Jacob a second son, and his name was Naphtali Gen. 30:8. Now Leah gives her maid to Jacob Gen. 30:9, Zilpah bares Jacob a son, and his name was Gad Gen. 30:11, Zilpah bares a second son, and his name was Asher Gen. 30:13, once again Leah bares Jacob the fifth son, whose name was Issachar Gen. 30:18, then Leah bares Jacob the sixth son, and his name was Zebulon Gen. 30:20, a daughter was now born to Leah and Jacob Gen. 30:21, Rachel now would bare Joseph for Jacob Gen. 30:24. The last son whom Rachel would bare would be Benjamin, and she died Gen. 35:18. Now Benjamin was born after Jacob returned from Laban. At the time Jacob left Laban he would have been near 65 years of age. Compare his age of 45 when he arrived, then add 20 years that he stayed with Laban Gen. 31:38-41, and we arrive at age of 65.

7.      Issachar was the fifth son of Leah, or the 9th son of Jacob, all his sons and daughters except Benjamin were born during this 20 years Jacob lived with his father in law. Now Jacob and his family remains in Bethel, during his residence there his father Isaac died being an hundred and eighty years of age Gen. 35:27, at this time Jacob would have been 120 years of age, compare with Gen. 25:26. Issachar the son of Jacob and the father of Job would have been near 55 years of age. Compare Jacobs age when he left Laban at 65, now Jacob is 120, which would make Issachar at least 55, however, the chance is very good that he was near 58 since there were other children born after him at Laban’s house. Such age would allow Issachar to have grown children of his own, and them with families. At 58 Issachar had his 4 sons, Tola, Puvvah, Job, and Shimron.

8.      Jacob lived in Egypt 17 years Gen. 47:28, he died at the age of 147. Thus he lived in Bethel for 10 years after his father Issac died, which would have meant that Jacob was 130 years of age when he left Bethel for Egypt, this additional 10 years added to Issachar would have meant that he was 68 to 70 years of age, and could have given Job an age at this time of 35 to 45 years of age, and would have given Job ample time to have children, Job 1:19 refers to Job’s children as young people, and the oldest could have been 20 or more. Jacob promises his brother Esau that he would come to the land of Seir, or the land of Edom Gen. 33:14-16, there are no records which states that Jacob ever went down to Seir, but Job was of the land of Uz, a province of Seir, or Edom. After all his uncle was master of all Edom of Arabia.

9.    It is possible, and most likely that only Job and his wife accompained Joseph to Egypt by being in the caravan that bought Joseph and carried him into Egypt Gen. 37: 18 ff. Job’s son’s and daughters were all killed before any had married. These were not restored until the latter day’s of Job’s life Job 42:12-13, it is most likely that Job received these blessings while in Egypt.

I feel all the difficulties of the various chronoligies of learned men: all that has been offered on the subject of Job, where he lived, and his age and kindred, is only opinion, and while I differ from many respectable authors, I dare not say that I have more to offer in the life line of Job, or more to strengthen my opinion than they have to support theirs. I believe that Job lived under the patriarchal dispensation, and like Genesis God was the author, using Moses as his instrument. The author of this book must in style have been equally master of the simple and of the sublime; that he must have been minutely and elaborately acquainted with astronomy, natural history, and the general science of this age which they lived.

The style of writings of the book of Job, does not fit the style of Solomon, thus I deny that Solomon wrote the book of Job as is claimed. The vocabulary of the writings of King Solomon, and the writings of the book of Job is Oceans apart there is nothing to compare. Job wrote the history of the events that happened to him during that time, and finished his work after God restored all his blessings to him, and before he died.

I observe that Judah the son just older than Issachar by Leah had three sons by Shua a Canaanite woman that Judah took a wife for his older son Er and her name was Tamar. Er died after a period of time, then Judah gave Tamar his next oldest son for husband, and he died, Tamar was instructed by Judah to remain in her father’s house as a widow until the youngest son reached manhood. However, when the time came Judah had not given Tamar his last son, instead by mistake Judah himself went into Tamar, she conceived and bare twins, and named them Perez, and Zerah Gen. 38 this same Perez was old enough when Jacob went down into Egypt to have sons of his own Gen. 46:12. In this incidental way the age of Job’s children can be seen as old enough to care for the flocks.

For another thing, I observe a pattern running from Genesis through this book of Job, which God used Job to demonstrate the existing power of Satan in Job’s own age, or in his own world, this type and pattern as was used upon Job, and his family to point up the catastrophe events that would befall the descendants of Abraham in Egypt.

Perhaps it can be said that the incidental way in which Satan is introduced is indicative of the ever-present principle of the divine economy of the scriptures. To speak frankly, until I fell upon the idea of preparing a lesson on this subject, I had never put together or organized those incidental matters pertaining to the pattern shown in Job. For the most part I had followed in the footsteps of tradition. This is a mistake made by many a scholar in regards to Job, and the patterns clearly seen.

We see in the first of Job, that he was a very rich man, he also was a righteous man, receiving great blessings, such as history fails to recognize any other man receiving, in this period of history. We may look back at Job’s Great grand father Abraham, and certainly can see that God put Abraham to the test of faith, in this incidental way we are about to see the faith of Job tested. Was there a long-range pattern between Abraham, Job, and the Israelites? If not why not?

Did not the descendants of Abram go down into Egypt, and because of Joseph receive great blessings from Egypt, and Joseph, that no other people had ever been allowed to receive, especially from Egypt. But Joseph dies! Now comes a test of faith by the descendants of Abraham. Can we see God using Satan to strip away the blessings that God had given the people in the land of Goshen?  Joseph is no longer alive to act as a mediator between Egypt and the people. It is not long before they are slaves, and owns nothing. This lasts for more than four hundred years. God could have brought them out of Egypt after 100 years there, but they were not ready, like Job they had not hit rock bottom. But before the death of Job, and after his two friends, and Eliphaz had repented, and offered sacrifice God accepted Job and restored all his blessings two fold, and Job lived 140 years.

Would this restoration of Job’s posterity have any thing to do with the restoration of Abraham’s descendants? I suggest that God’s plan through Abrahams and Job was to show the end results of Jacobs 12 sons.

It appears to me that even though God allowed Satan power over Job, God required proven faith by both Abraham, and Job. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness 40 years, because they did not show proven faith, and before God would allow the crossing into the promised land, all the old ones who were unfaithful and trouble makers all died, leaving those 20 and below to enter.

I further observe that since God taught Abraham the Gospel of Christ, Gal. 3:8, That Abraham in turn taught his family the same gospel. If this is not true, then how could Job say,” And as for me, I know that my Redeemer Lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is flayed, yet without my flesh I shall see God”, Job 19:25-26. This is New Testament Gospel.

This statement by Job leads to another observation, clearly stated. “I know that my Redeemer lives. ”It is true that Satan held the departed spirits from Adam to the cross; they were separated from the presence of God. Satan required the blood and life of Christ in order to redeem the departed spirits. This price was paid according to Heb. 2:14, and was delivered to God, Heb. 2:15. Job had this information, as well as the demise of Satan Rev. 20:10.

            In keeping with the above paragraph, I can confirm that Job indeed knew of the Gospel, which had been taught to his grand father Abraham. In chapter 42, and verse 5, Job says, “ I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eyes sees thee.” Two things stand out in regards to this statement by Job; they are: One, God had spoken directly to Job, and two, God had spoken directly to Eliphaz and his two friends. God had manifested His power in such way as Job could say, “My eye sees thee.”

            Job 42:7. “ God speaks to Eliphaz, his friends, and to Job: “Because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.” This statement informs me that Job knew, or had been taught more about God than his cousin Eliphaz, it could have been that Job had a more sincere heart, and more interest in God than Eliphaz; but the lack of knowledge of right is evident, on the part of Eliphaz.

            Because of Job 42:10, where the word “restored” is used; preachers and teachers are careless to assume the restoration of all things to Job! Simply by assuming that the word “ restored” is the correct translation. The Greek text reads “ And the Lord prospered Job: and when he prayed also for his friends, he forgave them their sin: and the Lord gave Job twice as much even the double of what he had before. His children was not restored; they were not the first born from the dead. The Holy Spirit did not plant the seed for their birth. These were not the same children as was taken from Job. This was a new family, each one taking some nine months of gestation; they were not restored. And as the Greek   text suggest, Job was prospered, simply put, Job was a smart man in his trade.

            In the study of various passages in the book of Job, it would seem that at one point Job could have been the writer of this book; at other points it would seem that Eliphaz may have been the writer of this book. Certainly it is not Moses, nor Solomon. Rather, to me I can see an unnamed scribe, one that was stationed with Job day and night, and was around during the latter days of Job, how else could all the blessings from God have been recorded. Although God had preached the Gospel to Abraham. Abraham in turn taught this same gospel to his descendants. I aver that this is the first book of the Old Testament, which contains in part the Gospel of Jesus Christ; thus leading the reader who understands the book to the New Testament.

            Suggestions: I suggest that the book of Job contains the doctrine of faith, the doctrine of repentance. The book of Job is the first book of the Old Testament, which uses the word repentance. Gen. 6:6-7, God uses the word “ It repented the Lord.” Repentance was no after thought on the part of God and the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38. There is the doctrine of character in Job, the doctrine of goodness, the doctrine of love, the doctrine of peace, the doctrine of joy, the doctrine of suffering, the doctrine of hearing, the doctrine of confession, the doctrine of prayer, the doctrine of self control. Job did not fail to repent.

           I suggest that when you compare Job 19:25-26, and Hosea 6:1-2, and Isaiah 26:14-19, you will find that Job knew more about the resurrection in his day than most people do today.

Jessie E. Mills