Irony In The Book Of Job

One of the most important Books of Wisdom, the Book of Job, presented the theme of spiritual growth through hardship. Although the author is unknown, speculated to be written by Job himself, the Book of Job was estimated to be written “as early as 1700 BC” (Estes 12). If this is true, this could stand as being one of the oldest books in the Bible. In the beginning of the Book of Job, God allows Satan to have influence over a man’s life named Job. A devoted follower of God, God believes that Job’s faith will not be hindered as Satan tests Job’s faith in God as he takes away everything that is of value to Job. As the story progressed, Job showed an unwavering devotion to God as he believed that it was part of God’s plan and that God will help him find the path to a better life. The main focus of the Book of Job was to show how God is supreme and by having faith during times of hardship, God

Irony is shown when Job asked for insight from his three friends by asking why all of these things were happening to him. They believed that it was due to his past sins and in turn, God was punishing him for his sins. Ironically, it was not punishment, more of an accolade from God as he knew that Job would succeed. Towards the end of the Book, God criticized his friends for these allegation, but in another display of irony, Job asked God to forgive them even though his friends accused him of being someone whom was not devoted to God. Finally, the overlying theme of this story is suffering. When God and Satan discussed the devotion that Job had to God, Satan believed that through suffering, Job would deter from his devotion and would become blasphemous to God. This story portrayed Job’s spiritual devotion to the Lord even though suffering encompassed him. By having faith in his God, Job was able to overcome the challenges that Satan placed in front of him and was, in turn, rewarded with praises from God for his