Job

Summary

Job is Scripture for sufferers, but it is not simple comfort. It is a sustained confrontation with shallow theology, easy answers, and the temptation to treat God as predictable. This Two Horizons volume aims to read Job with both literary care and theological depth, so that we hear the speeches, the silences, and the final divine address in their full force. We found that approach valuable because Job can be mishandled as either a set of tidy lessons or a vague meditation on pain.

The commentary helps us respect the structure of the book, the prose frame, the long poetic dispute, and the closing speeches. It encourages careful listening to each voice, including the friends, not because their counsel is ultimately sound, but because their errors are instructive. We appreciated that the volume does not rush the argument. It allows Job to speak as a real sufferer who fears God, yet wrestles, protests, and longs for vindication.

The theological reflection is often directed toward pastoral clarity. Job teaches us that suffering is not always a direct consequence of specific sin, that pious explanations can become cruel, and that the fear of the Lord is deeper than our ability to map Providence. The Two Horizons method helps us preach those truths in a way that honours the text and serves hurting people.

Strengths

We value the literary sensitivity. Job is poetry and argument, and it works through repetition, irony, and relentless questioning. This commentary helps the preacher see those features, which can prevent sermons from flattening the book into a few slogans.

The theological handling is also often strong. It exposes the spiritual danger of mechanistic thinking, where obedience is treated as a guarantee of ease. It also helps us see how the Lord rebukes both the friends and Job, not to crush faith, but to draw faith into deeper humility.

Pastorally, the volume can steady a preacher in the hardest places. It encourages us to speak carefully, to avoid glib application, and to let lament have its place. That is a gift to congregations where suffering is present, whether named or hidden.

Limitations

Job is long, and a volume like this reflects that. It will not be a quick read. Some pastors may find the detail more than they can manage week by week, especially if preaching shorter sections.

Because the book raises profound questions, some readers may want more direct help with how to preach Christ from Job without forcing the text. The commentary can support canonical reading, but the preacher will need to make careful, explicit gospel connections with restraint and clarity.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume when planning a Job series and when preparing the most complex speeches. It can help us keep the argument straight, avoid misreading the friends, and preach the Lord as He is revealed in the book, holy, wise, and not manageable.

To test it quickly, we would read its handling of a well known speech from one of the friends, then its treatment of the divine speeches. We would ask whether it clarifies what each section contributes to the argument, and whether it helps us speak pastorally to sufferers without promising what God has not promised.

We would also pair it with a more pastoral resource that assists with application and care. Job requires both accurate interpretation and gentle shepherding, and most pastors will want help in carrying the emotional weight of the book wisely.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this volume as a serious, pastorally aware companion for preaching Job. It will reward careful reading and will help preachers resist easy answers, so that the congregation learns to fear the Lord and to trust Him even when His ways are beyond us.