Can Job Be a True Story?

Let us first address whether or not the content of Job is historically authentic.

First, Job reads like history. It tells of events that happened to a man named Job. He lived in the land of Uz. It details his family, his life, and his suffering. It also conveys his friends’ interest in his suffering and the spiritual struggle he faced.

There is nothing in the content that ought to lead us to reject its historicity. It is not presented as figurative or symbolic. It is set forth as what actually happened.

Second, if we should reject Job as history merely because it contains extraordinary elements (e.g., God and Satan’s dialogue; God speaking to Job out of a whirlwind), then we ought to reject much of the rest of the Bible as well. In fact, the Bible, as an inspired document from God, would be rejected on the same grounds, because the idea that God reveals his will to man through the inspiration of the Scriptures is extraordinary.

It is erroneous to say: “The book of Job contains miraculous elements; therefore, it is not historical in nature.” The same reasoning would require rejecting the record of Christ’s resurrection as historically inaccurate — simply because it is miraculous.

The fact of the matter is that this world cannot be explained without a supernatural creator. If one dismisses the possibility of the miraculous, he dismisses the only rational explanation for the origin of the Universe.

Third, other biblical writers refer to Job as a real person. Ezekiel mentions Job, along with Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14, 20). James also draws on Job's example to comfort the suffering, underscoring God's mercy. He commends Job's endurance (Jas. 5:11).

It would not be very comforting if Job were nothing more than a “Jack and the Beanstalk” story. These biblical references alone attest to Job's historical existence.

Fourth, the book of Job was a fixed document of the Old Testament centuries before Christ's coming in the first century. Christ gave complete endorsement to the inspiration and authority of the Old Testament Scriptures (Lk. 24:44; Jn. 10:35).

Paul did as well (Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:14-16). In 1 Corinthians 3:19, Paul quotes Job 5:13 with the words “It is written,” a common formula for introducing an inspired quotation.

As to the question about God and Satan’s dialogue, consider the following.

First, God is in complete control. Satan had neither the power nor the authority to do anything without the permission of God. It was consistent with God’s nature and will for him to allow those events to occur to Job.

At the end of the book, the Lord’s point to Job is that he is the all-powerful Creator, the loving Sustainer, and the perfect Ruler. He created the Universe and knows how to govern it as well.

Second, it is impossible to evaluate Satan’s behavior as if he would do only what is rational.

Furthermore, the events surrounding Satan’s “bet” with God reveal the true character of this despicable entity. His arrogance in the presence of Jehovah and his inability to “see” the future confirm that he is far removed from the divine nature.

Third, it would be unethical to present something as a historical fact that never occurred.

There is no such thing as a pious fraud. Job, like many other parts of Scripture that describe miraculous events, is presented as straightforward history.

I do not imply that there are no figurative passages in the Bible. The figurative language of Scripture is not to be equated, however, with the idea that something that never happened can be represented as literal history in God’s Word.