The Biblical Job: A Paragon of Piety and Excellence by Ronke Ruth Alao is a carefully considered, scholarly, and poignant examination of Job as a metaphor and mentor for modern times. In a series of erudite, concise chapters amply supported by scriptural references, Ronke Ruth Alao examines Job’s losses, griefs, travails, and his personal journey to redemption. Along the way, claims Alao, there are positive and meaningful messages and lessons for each of us trying to weather the storms of modern day existence.

Each of Job’s most significant losses--loss of children, loss of possessions, loss of wealth, loss of health, loss of credibility, friends, and confidence from family members--is examined in compassionate detail and re-framed with an eye for the silver lining. In Ronke Ruth Alao’s expert storytelling hands, Job is a man many times blessed, as are we who face travails in the present day. In the end, says Alao, it is faith that saved Job, and faith that will save us: “In the heat of it all, this noble man did not curse God. He was rather quite philosophical about his predicament, noting that man should not receive good things from God without receiving evil.”

In The Biblical Job: A Paragon of Piety and Excellence, Ronke Ruth Alao expresses Job’s pain in ways that modern readers can easily comprehend and draws astute parallels to modern life so that readers can experience Job’s life as a series of cautionary tales, which inspire even as they teach. Just as there will always be a place for messages of hope, gratitude, and forgiveness in the world, there is a place for The Biblical Job: A Paragon of Piety and Excellence in the library of anyone who believes, as Alao does, that constant faith is its own reward.

The Biblical Job: A Paragon of Piety and Excellence by Ronke Ruth Alao examines the man Job, looking at his character and the way he deals with things after a series of calamities that brings his comfortable world crashing down around him. The book takes a slightly different approach to understanding the man, rather looking at the way he handled crises and his attitude and responses to his friends and family. Rather than focusing on the experiences that Job had to endure, it examines the way in which he faced them, highlighting above all his reverence for God, despite all that was thrown his way.

This different approach was quite refreshing as it offers a new perspective and gives a deeper picture to the reader of Job’s character. It also reiterates why God had chosen Job in the first place to be blessed, and then why Job was able to face the trials heaped on him. The book is well written, quite intense so perhaps not suitable for everyone, but it might assist theologians or perhaps offer guidance in study groups. Whilst quite a deep work, the reader is led on a journey of discovery of a character well-known in the Bible, but the unusual approach gives an alternative view and, coupled with what is already known about Job, provides further insight into the character and humility of the man. The author, Ronke Ruth Alao, has really provided an insight into Job’s life and is to be applauded for creating a useful tool for those wishing to know more about this man.