Job
The book of Job is an interesting book with poetic flare. The book is also considered to be wisdom literature(Hindson & Towns, 2013). The book has no author. It is also uncertain when the book was written but theologians believe the writer preceded Moses (Hindson & Towns, 2013). Some feel the writer could have been Job, Elihu, or a contemporary of Job. The key themes in the book of Job are: death, loyalty to God, pain and suffering, questioning and doubting God, mans status before God, and friendship(Shmoop Editorial Team). The main purpose of the book of Job is to let us know that the Devil cannot harm us unless God allows it. The book of Job shows us to trust God through all situations.
The main chracters in the book of Job are Job, his three friends (Eliphaz, Bilidad, and Zophar), Elihu, God, and Satan. The story in the book starts out with Job living a life of prosperity and blessings. He is upright and blamless. He has a wife and wonderful children and all is well for him. Life could not get better. He is so put together that God brags to the heavenly assembly about him. This causes Satan to challenge God about Job’s worthiness. Satan throws God a challenge that if he is allowed to destroy Job’s children and all his possesions that Job will forget all about God. God, trusting Job, gives Satan the go ahead. Satan attacks Job’s family, but Job still does not deny God. Then Satan convinces God to afflict him with sickness. This really affects Job. He does not reject God but, he does want some type of explanation. Job’s friends come around and claim it is his fault he is in his current situation. They are convinced he has sinned and that is why he is facing all the afflictions. Elihu comes and puts him in check, letting him know that he may not have sinned but God is still in control of all. God finally shows up to make things clear to Job. After that ordeal, Job is humbled and realizes he is a mere mortal. Job, after it all, ends up with double what he had before the afflictions, and he lives to a very ripe old age(Job.42:1-16). It is a beautiful end to a gloomy tale.
Ruth
Ruth’s story is found in the book of Ruth. Her place of birth is not specified in the Bible. King David’s birth is dated to around 1040 BC to about 970 BC. Ruth is his “great-grandmother”, so that would date her birth to about 1100 BC. It is belived by many theologists that Ruth was born in Moab. This is not stated in the Bible, but she is refered to as the Moabite woman. This implies she was born in Moab. Moabites were decendants of Lot (Gen 19:30-38). This would make Ruth a decendant of Lot.
Ruth is an important character as she becomes a part of the lineage of the great Messiah. She is introduced In the Bible as a Moabite woman who marrys Mahlon, first son of Elimelech and Naomi. Marrying a Moabite woman was against the law of the day (Deutoronmy 7:3, 23:3). Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion (second son of Elimilech and Naomi) all die and leave the three women as widows. Naomi tells her daughers-in-laws to go back home and live with their families. Ruth refuses to go and accepts Naomi and her God. She vows to take care of Naomi. This appereantly touches God because, through a series of events, Ruth, a Moabite woman, becomes part of the lineage of the Messiah. Ruth’s life shows just how much God loves those who follow and love him. He will go to any lengths to bless his loyal followers. Ruth went on to follow Naomi and marry Boaz. They had a son, Obed, which made her the “great-grandmother” to the great King David. Ruth’s contemporaries include Boaz,Naomi, and Jesse.
Ninevah
Ninevah was the capital of the ancient kindom and empire of Assyria. Nineveh is first mentioned in the Old Testament in connection with the primitive dispersement and migrations of the human race (Smith, 2002). Ninevah was established by Nimrod Gen.10: 8-1). The great city as refered to in the book of jonah (Jonah.1:2; 3:2) was in a strategic location. It enabled the city to control important trade routes by land and river (Hindson & Towns, 2013). It was 50 miles from its mouth and 250 miles north of Babylon (Smith,2002). Nineveh had a centralized, river-side location.
Ninevah’s size is described as being a three day journey in breadth, with over 120,000 people (Jonah 3:3,4:11). Nineveh was made capital by King Sennacherib in the early seventh-century BC (Hindson & Towns, 2013). Sennacherib’s Nineveh was surrounded by a protective double wall nearly sixty feet thick. Under Sennacheribs’s reign, the city was expanded so that it covered some 1,800 acres. Ninevah was very famous in the ancient world because it was a center for the worship of Ishtar (Astarte), the fertility goddess ("The Destruction Of Nineveh."). They were an idolatrous nation. This eventually led to their fall. Ninevah eventually came to destruction in 612 B.C. ("The Destruction Of Nineveh") A library built by Ashurbanipal (669–627 BC) became one of Nineveh’s most important buildings (Hindson & Towns, 2013).
Jonah was sent to warn the city of their sins (Hindson & Towns,2013 ). The people repented, but,it did not last for long. Nahum (Gods prophet) would predict the eventual demise of the city. Ninevah was mentioned in the books of Genesis, Jonah, and Nahum. The prophets Jonah, Nahum, and Zephaniah all prophesied concerning Nineveh.
References
"The Destruction Of Nineveh." Destruction Of Nineveh. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2016.
Hindson, E., & Towns, E. (2013). Illustrated Bible survey: An introduction. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group.
Smith, W. (2002). Smith’s Bible Dictionary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.
NIV Bible. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2007. Print.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Book of Job Themes." Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 21 Jun. 2016.
