An Overview of the Book of Job as a Play
Opening Prayer
Introduction—Did you know that there are dramas in the Bible? There are two famous dramas in the Bible: the book of Job and The Song of Solomon. The Song of Solomon is intended as a musical and the Book of Job is intended as a play. What do you think about that: that there are scripts for dramas in the Bible? Let’s try a little bit and you’ll see what I mean.
Open to the book of Job. Could someone be our Narrator? (Select a narrator) Narrator, read for us Job 1:1, 6-12 while we follow along in our Bibles. (READ)
Now we need a Messenger. Who’ll be our Messenger? (Select Messenger) Read for us Job 1:14-19 as dramatically as you can while we follow along. (READ)
And a Job? Someone who likes to read. (Select Job). Read Job’s response in 1:20-21. (READ)
Narrator, please read Job 2:7-13 while we follow along. (READ)
That set the stage for the whole play to really begin. What do you think of the story so far?
Now we need an Eliphaz, a Bildad, and a Zophar. (Select E. B. and Z.) Job, read 3:1-6, and then, right after, Eliphaz read 4:1-7; Job, 6:24-27; Bildad, take 8:1-7; Job, 9:1-5; then Zophar, 11:1-7; then Job, 12:4-5. That’ll give us a feel for this play with its characters and dialogue. Try to really act it out with feeling as you do. [you might write these down on a board or piece of paper for them] (READ)
Climax—The story of Job goes back and forth like this; with the friends trying to convince Job that he’s being punished for some sin and Job replying that he’s confessed all his sins, made the sacrifices God required by faith for the forgiveness of his sins, and so there’s no reason that God should be punishing him. His friends try to point Job again and again back to himself, and Job tries to point them again and again back to God. It all culminates in the Theophany (The God-Epiphany) of chapter 38.
Let’s have another person read God’s part here. (Select “God”). The character of God, read for us Job 38:1-7 and 40:2 while we follow along in our Bibles. (READ)
Job, read 40:4-5 for us. Then, Character of God, could you read one last time, 40:7-14. Finally, Job, if you could read 42:2-6 and then, Narrator, finish out the book with 42:7-16. [you might write these down on a board or hand this paper out for them] (READ)
Conclusion—And that’s the story of Job: one of the plays God inspired to be included in the Bible.
Just with the little bit we were able to cover, what is the moral of the story? It may be helpful to look again at Job 42:7.
What does that say about Job’s friends and about Job?
What were Job’s friends saying? What was Job saying?
Was there anything else you found interesting in the story as we just quickly summarized it?
Applications—How might this play apply to you and your life and your friendships?
What could this have to help you in answering the question: Why do bad things happen to good people?
Or, how could this play help you draw closer to God when bad things happen to you?
Why do you think God chose to inspire a drama in his Bible? (Open it up for other application questions, sharing, etc)
Let’s end by us all turning to Job’s most famous words in Job 19:23-27. Comment on those verses.
Closing Prayer
Should your group desire, we also have the whole book of Job condensed for an OAFC drama.
Introduction—Did you know that there are dramas in the Bible? There are two famous dramas in the Bible: the book of Job and The Song of Solomon. The Song of Solomon is intended as a musical and the Book of Job is intended as a play. What do you think about that: that there are scripts for dramas in the Bible? Let’s try a little bit and you’ll see what I mean.
Open to the book of Job. Could someone be our Narrator? (Select a narrator) Narrator, read for us Job 1:1, 6-12 while we follow along in our Bibles. (READ)
Now we need a Messenger. Who’ll be our Messenger? (Select Messenger) Read for us Job 1:14-19 as dramatically as you can while we follow along. (READ)
And a Job? Someone who likes to read. (Select Job). Read Job’s response in 1:20-21. (READ)
Narrator, please read Job 2:7-13 while we follow along. (READ)
That set the stage for the whole play to really begin. What do you think of the story so far?
Now we need an Eliphaz, a Bildad, and a Zophar. (Select E. B. and Z.) Job, read 3:1-6, and then, right after, Eliphaz read 4:1-7; Job, 6:24-27; Bildad, take 8:1-7; Job, 9:1-5; then Zophar, 11:1-7; then Job, 12:4-5. That’ll give us a feel for this play with its characters and dialogue. Try to really act it out with feeling as you do. [you might write these down on a board or piece of paper for them] (READ)
Climax—The story of Job goes back and forth like this; with the friends trying to convince Job that he’s being punished for some sin and Job replying that he’s confessed all his sins, made the sacrifices God required by faith for the forgiveness of his sins, and so there’s no reason that God should be punishing him. His friends try to point Job again and again back to himself, and Job tries to point them again and again back to God. It all culminates in the Theophany (The God-Epiphany) of chapter 38.
Let’s have another person read God’s part here. (Select “God”). The character of God, read for us Job 38:1-7 and 40:2 while we follow along in our Bibles. (READ)
Job, read 40:4-5 for us. Then, Character of God, could you read one last time, 40:7-14. Finally, Job, if you could read 42:2-6 and then, Narrator, finish out the book with 42:7-16. [you might write these down on a board or hand this paper out for them] (READ)
Conclusion—And that’s the story of Job: one of the plays God inspired to be included in the Bible.
Just with the little bit we were able to cover, what is the moral of the story? It may be helpful to look again at Job 42:7.
What does that say about Job’s friends and about Job?
What were Job’s friends saying? What was Job saying?
Was there anything else you found interesting in the story as we just quickly summarized it?
Applications—How might this play apply to you and your life and your friendships?
What could this have to help you in answering the question: Why do bad things happen to good people?
Or, how could this play help you draw closer to God when bad things happen to you?
Why do you think God chose to inspire a drama in his Bible? (Open it up for other application questions, sharing, etc)
Let’s end by us all turning to Job’s most famous words in Job 19:23-27. Comment on those verses.
Closing Prayer
Should your group desire, we also have the whole book of Job condensed for an OAFC drama.