Job as a type of the people of Jacob

In the book of Job, against the background of Job’s negative experiences, the great question of human suffering is discussed. Job’s friends cannot but consider the proverbial, bad experiences of Job as a punishment from God. Job himself complains to God with reproachful questions. Until at the end of the book, God Himself begins to speak. Not to answer the questions, but to put man in his place. “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?” (40:2) There is one aspect of the book of Job that rarely gets attention. And that is the remarkable link between the suffering that struck Job and the sufferings of the people of Jacob in history. Here is a list of a few evident facts, in which Job appears to be a type of the people of Jacob.

1. Job was richly blessed by God, above all in the East (1:1-3). So it has been for the people of Israel, in the midst of the nations, chosen by God and blessed with a land overflowing with milk and honey.
2. Job feared God, served Him and brought offerings (1:1,5), even as Israel feared God and served Him in the worship services of offerings.
3. Behind the scenes, Job was a central topic in the heavenly places. Satan, “the accuser of the brethren”, was authorized to take away everything from Job, except his life (1:6-12). So are the people of Israel the spiritual hub of world history. The adversary knows this and has the authority to turn against this people (anti-Semitism); with the restriction that the people, despite everything, will be spared.
4. Job lost all his possessions by attacks of hostile people (1:15.17); just as Israel, repeatedly, lost her land, the last time by the Romans, whereby the people for two thousand years, ended up in the diaspora.
5.  Job not only lost his possessions by hostile people, but also his sons and daughters. How many millions of sons and daughters of the house of Jacob have not died in the diaspora and have become the victim of anti-Semitism?
6. Job’s friends declare that Job owes his suffering to himself. It is God’s punishment (according to them) for his sin that affects him. Is that not also what the religious relatives of Israel (Christians) say about Israel’s fate? The Jews, as “Christ-killers”, have had to endure so much suffering…
7. Ultimately, it is God Himself who breaks the silence and from out of the storm speaks to Job (38:1). With this, He brings up two terrifying beasts, the behemoth and leviathan (40 and 41). The storm speaks of the great tribulation that will come and of the time that God will make His voice to be heard. On the world stage will appear two terrible beasts (Rev.13).
8. Through this final answer from God, Job comes to the recognition: “… now my eye sees You.” Job repents in dust and ashes (42:5,6). Thus, the house of Jacob will be brought to recognition, by the great tribulation, and come to be face to face with her Lord.
9. After Job’s repentance, God directs His anger to Job’s friends, who had not spoken correctly of Him (42:7). It is by Job’s intercession that their calamity is averted (42:8,9). So, in the future, the nations, who have not spoken correctly of God, will be affected with calamities. But for the sake of the house of Jacob, God will, nevertheless, bless all nations.
10. God brings about a change in the fate of Job, who receives a double portion of what he once possessed (42:10). So will God bring about a change in the fate of the house of Jacob and gather them to their country, in order to bless them as He has not done before. There, she will receive the birthright-blessing: the double portion!

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