History of Man: Reality part 2

Job is an interesting book.  But we often look at it and see only what is on the surface...the attack on him by Satan, his friends telling him he must be a mighty sinner to suffer in such a way, Job lamenting what has happened to him, then God coming back in challenge to what has been said.

But there's much to be sifted out of what is said.

First let's look at Job himself.

• In the first chapter, it is said that Job has seven sons and three daughters.  They are grown and have their own households.  So, how old might Job be?  If he was 25-30 when his first child was born and they came two years apart, then he would have been 43-48 when the youngest was born.  Add 25 to that for allowing the children to grow up, establish their own homes and begin the tradition of holding feasts together.  Job was therefore at least 68-73 at the time of these events. 
• In verse 42:16 it says that Job lived 140 years after all was restored to him, and that he saw 4 generations after himself.
• So Job lived over 200 years.  The time when this lifespan was common was the time of Peleg and Reu. 

Next, we see that Job is a man of Uz.  Uz is located somewhere "in the east" (1:3).  It is usually located somewhere between Edom and Midian, which would be somewhere in the NW portion of the Saudi peninsula.  Regardless of its location, however, it seems that the writing of the book is after the dispersion from the tower of Babel.  Whether the events took place before that dispersion, or not, cannot be determined.  Many commentators place him as a contemporary of Abraham or about that time.

Some think that Job is to be identified with Jobab, the youngest son of Joktan, and a leader at the dispersion.  Others would say that he was a descendant of Uz, the son of Aram, the son of Shem. 

Based on the biblical timeline we have established to this point, I believe that the dispersion happened during Job's lifetime and that he did live at least part of his life as a contemporary of Abraham.  He would be placed in the early chapters of Genesis if this is so.

Let's see what we can find in this ancient book...

Job 8:  ⁸ “Please inquire of past generations,

And consider the things searched out by their fathers.

⁹ “For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,

Because our days on earth are as a shadow.

¹⁰ “Will they not teach you and tell you,

And bring forth words from their minds?

 

Here, Job's friend Bildad is speaking.  He suggests that Job should talk to people of past generations and find out what their fathers had discovered.  If Job was living at the time of the dispersal from Babel, the only past generations he could inquire of were those of the post-flood time.  At this time, all the generations from Noah on were still alive.  If those past generations were to teach what they knew from their fathers...just who were they?  Were they not the pre-flood generations?  Bildad then comments on the fact that in their own day, man's life is just a shadow of what it was.  People are living a much shorter time.

Think about this.  If you lived before the flood, what could you learn, and what could you accomplish if

• you lived for 900 years, and
• you lived contemporaneously with many generations, and
• you all spoke the same language

With all that was available to man before the flood...

• wouldn't his ingenuity have been at least as great as today?
• wouldn't great development have been inevitable then?

From Genesis 4:17 we know that Cain built a city.  Genesis 10:8-12 tells us of Nimrod's building of Babylon and other "great cities".   Does Job give us any clues as to ancient technology?

Job 6:   ¹² “Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?

Job 19:  ²³ “Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
²⁴ “That with an iron stylus and lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!

Job 20:  ²⁴ “He may flee from the iron weapon,
But the bronze bow will pierce him.

Job 28:  ¹“Surely there is a mine for silver
And a place where they refine gold.
² “Iron is taken from the dust,
And copper is smelted from rock....
⁶ “Its rocks are the source of sapphires,
And its dust contains gold....

¹² “But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?...
¹⁵ “Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
¹⁶ “It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.
¹⁷ “Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.
¹⁸ “Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls.
¹⁹ “The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

These passages from the book of Job give us a hint as to the technology of Job's day.  He is familiar with both bronze and iron used as tools.  Smelting (the process of removing metals from the ore that contained them) was a common practice.  Books were already in use.  Both gold and silver were being refined and used for precious items, as were many different types of precious stones.  On a traditional timeline, the use of iron for tools was not accomplished until the time of David.  Does Job need to be re-dated?  Or do we accept the fact that iron was used earlier than we thought?

Jeremiah gives us another hint of man's technology.

Jeremiah 17:  ¹The sin of Judah is written down with an iron stylus;
With a diamond point it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart...

But weren't diamond-tipped tools a modern invention?

So, is technology a modern thing?  If man was created a little lower than God, why do we have a warped view of ancient man.  Why couldn't early man have been inventive?  Technical?  Creative?  Productive?  Ingenious?

Genesis 11:  ⁶ The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.

Even God recognizes that we can do anything we can set our minds to.