The Book of Job—a Parable

“My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable;” – Psalms 78:1,2 It’s better to be in a tough spot if you know things will get better, than to be comfortable, but know things will get worse. Someone who is happy now but expects trouble feels worse than someone who is struggling now but is sure of a better future. This brings us to the story of Job, one of the oldest books in the Bible. You might not know this, but the book of Job is a parable. It’s not a historical record of events in chronological order, like the books about David or Joseph. Job is a parable, and we know this because it is one of the three main books of wisdom literature. The first book, Proverbs, explores how God is just and rewards those who