V. What does the story say about human nature?

The Book of Job is an epic poem, an allegory, to show the grand elements in human nature, enabling mortals to rise superior to all trials and temptations, to the humiliations of the spirit, and to prolonged suffering in the flesh. Though illustrated in the personality of a man, yet the principle applies equally to the wisdom and the virtue of woman. (http://www.sacredtexts.com/wmn/wb/wb56.htm) Humanly, we like everything to be neatly pigeon holed. We want the world and the events in it to make sense. But in trying to give an explanation for everything we sometimes miss the point. This is the way it was for Jobs friends. (http://www.lcg.org/cgibin/lcg/studytopics/lcgst.cgi?category=Christianity1&item=1122911276) What is a human Being? Job 25 Bildad 1Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 2Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. 3Can his forces be numbered? On whom does his light not rise? 4How then can a mortal be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? 5If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, 6how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot a human being, who is only a worm! Human being compared to God is very low

point that it is not really Jobs place to question the Almighty. Job 38 As Chapter 38 comes to a close, the scripture gets to the animals:
39Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions 40when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? 41Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

(Verses 39-41) Here God expresses concern and awareness of the animals, and not just as species, but as individuals. I get the idea that God is aware of every feather on every bird as well as every blade of grass, just as He is aware of each star. His awareness is awesome in itself, but when you add the fact that He is the source and sustainer of all creation, you begin to get a glimmering of understanding of what He is expressing to Job. We might be tempted to whine that God is saying He is too big and great to pay any attention to our problems, but we would be whining without justification. God is after all taking the time to explain all this to Job, and he has shown Himself to care about our every breath long before Christ incarnated to redeem us by His death and resurrection. He is a God who is willing to take the time to express His point of view to one of the creatures He has made! Job 39 Job 39: Animals have their own nature and God has His reasons

VI. Are human beings different from animals? In what ways? Job 38 and 39 Many scriptural references to animals are metaphorical, used to make a point about man, and many others are literal, relating historical events, such as in the story of Jacob with his herds of livestock. The animal references in Job 38 and 39 are rather unusual because they record God discussing his literal creation of animals, but doing so to make a point about the position of man to his almighty Creator. These passages, which are part of Gods response to Jobs complaint about his terrible and seemingly unjust suffering, are so detailed and so exuberantly forceful, that they provide fascinating insight to Gods relationship with his non-human creatures. Out of the whirlwind God responds to Job by asking him a long series of questions to illustrate the

In Chapter 39, God speaks about a variety of animals with exuberant delight in the unique qualities of each one: mountain goats, deer, the wild donkey, the wild ox, the ostrich, the horse, the hawk, and the eagle. His focus is mainly on wild animals except for the horse. Each animal has its own nature and its own value in Gods eyes, apart from its usefulness to man. God seems to be indicating that this animal exists for purposes apart from service to man, and in fact God Himself has loosed the bonds. Just as animals have their nature and scope of abilities, so do humans. The difference is, we want to go beyond ours and they are content with theirs. (http://carolapple.hubpages.com/hub/Animals-in-theBible-Who-are-they-and-why-are-they-here)

VII. Do human beings have souls? Eternal ones? Yes, human beings have soul.
Job 3 20Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, Job 7 11Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Job 10 1I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. Job 24 12The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help. Job 30 25Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor? Job 33 Job 20so that their body finds food repulsive and their soul loathes the choicest meal.

X. What adjectives might be used to describe human nature as it is presented in the story? Is it brave, generous, heroic, creative and benevolent? Is it frail, selfish, dull or evil? The Book of Job is an epic poem, an allegory, to show the grand elements in human nature, enabling mortals to rise superior to all trials and temptations, to the humiliations of the spirit, and to prolonged suffering in the flesh. Though illustrated in the personality of a man, yet the principle applies equally to the wisdom and the virtue of woman. (http://www.sacredtexts.com/wmn/wb/wb56.htm)
A right is inalienable or indefeasible if it cannot be given up, taken away, deferred or overridden, without a moral wrong being committed. Very few rights are inalienable and indefeasible in that sense. There are perhaps only three such rights: the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those three rights can never be given up, taken away, deferred or overridden, without human nature itself being destroyed. (http://www.bookofjob.org/quick%20summary2.htm)

IX. Do human beings exist for a purpose? What is it?