Job and Doris
Objective:
To help us understand the need for Christ and to encourage us to continue to praise God even in adversity.
Scripture Basis:
The book of Job
Entry Verse : Job 37:24
Cast:
Costumes:
Style:
Older Jewish or New York Style accent
(instructions in parenthesis)
Props:
Dialogue:
On Entry (Job comes through portal backwards. His wife, Doris is following him and is complaining about everything being gone, -- add lib this. When both see the audience and Host they stop and look at the group with some amazement)
Job: What Now! Is this some new torment that is upon me? (facing host) Are you some new advisor come to give your opinion on my problems?
Host: No, No, this is not a new torment and we’re not here to advise you. This is the Wednesday night live show and you are in the 20th century. We have brought you into the future to interview you. Would you be open to letting us ask a few questions?
Job: Well OK as longs as your not going to offer any advice. I’ve had enough of that lately.
Host: Ok, please come over here and sit down. (Job and Wife move to couch)
Job: (while walking) Say this is a nice place.
Doris: Yeah, it really is. (Sees gold cup on the desk, takes it and puts it in her purse)
Job: (as he sits down) You seem to know my name- how can that be?
Host: Well Job, your story is recorded for us in a book we call the Bible. We believe it contains Gods Words.
Job: Oh Good. I hoped that someone would record this strange journey that I have been on.
Host: So who is this with you ? Is this your wife. The Bible doesn’t tell us her name.
Job: Ahhhh – yes this is my wife, Doris.
Host: Welcome to Wednesday Night Live Doris.
Doris: It’s nice to be he’ah.
Host: Well Job, Gods word tells us that you were one of the wealthiest and most righteous, God fearing men living in your time, but you look horrible. Tell us what happened to you?
Doris: Well, we used to be – but now its all gone, all of it! I used to shop at Dillard's but now I have to shop at MacFrugal's. And what are we going to eat? I used to have steak for dinner but now all we have is hamburger helper or macaroni and cheese.
Job: Well, yes, I was really blessed by God. I have, well had, - (Job looking sad) seven really neat sons and three wonderful daughters. All were young adults.
Doris: (starts crying and takes out folding pictures of kids and holds it up so all 10 drop out. Then she starts naming them)
Job: I had a beautiful home one of the largest in the East, where I lived in luxury. I owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred oxen and five hundred donkeys. And I had a large number of servants too.
Doris: (begins to cry even louder over the servants and lost possessions)
Job: Yes, everything was going great. Indeed, God had blessed me, protected me and made me one the most respected men among all the peoples of the East. I used to speak in the public square. I was a friend to the needy and everyone spoke well of me. (pause) But now everything has changed.
Host: What actually happened?
Job: Well one day about 3 months ago, Doris and I were sitting at home relaxing when a messenger came running in and told me that his gang called the Sabeans had attacked my farms killed my servants and stole my oxen and donkeys. Then just as he finished telling me this another messenger can running in and said that fire fell from the sky and burned up all my the sheep and killed all my shepherds. Then, while he was still speaking, another messenger came in and told me that another rival gang, "the Chaldeans" raided my stables. They killed my stable servants and carried off all my camels . Man! in 3 minutes I found out that all my servants and possessions were destroyed!
Host: Wow, all at the same time! That’s terrible, but at least you still have your family. Possessions aren’t everything.
Job: Well that’s what I was thinking just after hearing about the camels, when another messenger came in and told me that my sons and daughters were all partying at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a tornado swept in from the desert and smashed the house to smithereens. It collapsed on them and all my children were killed. When I heard this and learned that everything I had was gone, I was so upset that I tore my clothes shaved my head and fell on the ground in front of God. May he always be praised!
Host: Man – You lost everything in one hour and you still are praising God?
Doris: Yeah, can you believe that. What an idiot!
Job: Well yes, the Lord blesses and sometime the Lord takes things away but still I think we should praise him.
Host: Say what are those spots all over you. You didn’t mention anything about them.
Job: Oh yeah – Well see a few weeks after the disasters, these sores broke out all over me. It must be stress or grief or something. They are really painful and I’ve been scraping them because they itch like crazy. The only thing that helps a little is this medicine.
Job: (Job turns and addresses his wife) Do you have my sore medicine?
Doris: (gives calamine lotion to Job)
Job: Excuse me for a minute. (Job gets up and moves out to the side but still in front of the audience. There he sits on the floor and begins to put more medicine on his sores).
Host: (addressing Doris) So Doris, why do think all of this happened?
Doris: Well I think I agree with Jobs friends. Over the past couple months a few of them have come over and tried to convince Job that he must be guilty of some hidden sin and God is punishing him for it. I mean he must have sinned because God doesn’t let stuff like this happen to the innocent. Maybe if he admits his sin to God and repents of it then maybe God will stop messing him up and I can have my credit cards back.
(Doris moves over to speak to Job)
Doris: It must be that video you didn’t return! You know, the one about the big boat. You kept it didn’t you.
Job: (wearily holding his head in his hands) No, No I returned it on time.
Doris: Well then it must be the way you treated you servants. That’s it, isn't it. You’ve been treating them unfairly and paying them less than minimum wage.
Job: No, No, I have treated them all fairly and paid them well for their work.
Doris: Are you sure? – (Doris thinks for a minute then with new anger says) I've got it! You been lusting over those girls on the TV. You’ve been watching that new show, Beach Watch, haven’t you. You beast! (Doris strikes Job with her purse).
Job: No! I have not been watching Beach whatever and stop hitting me. I’m in enough pain already.
Doris: (Moves away, still thinking and tapping her foot)
Job:. (looking at Doris) I know you and my friends think I have sinned greatly to deserve this but I didn’t... (Job pauses and looks up) Oh God what is it I have done? Why have you allowed all this to happen to me. Have I become a burden to you? Have you stopped forgiving me when I do sin? What did I do! Have I not been a righteous man. I have not put my trust in money. I have not rejoiced over my enemy’s destruction. I don’t understand! Why is this happening ?. (Job pauses and speaks directly to the audience) .. You know, if my misery could be weighed it would weigh more than all the water in the ocean. I feel so bad that I just want to die. Everybody shuns me now. Adults, children and even my wife is against me. Oh well I guess it doesn’t matter for I will soon l be dead.
Doris: Well then if you are not being punished for being sinful, just do what your friend Bill said and go tell God he’s wrong. Take your case directly to him and explain how pure and upright you are. Then He will restore you and I can have my servants back.
Job: (looking at Doris) No Doris, God is not like a man that I can go and confront him in court. He’s God!. Maybe if I knew where to find him, but if I go to the east he is not there and if I turn to the west I cannot find him. Maybe if I could see him then I could explain, but if I really saw him I’m sure I’d be too afraid to speak.
Host: Job, no one is pure and blameless before God. You and I are not perfect. In fact all people are sinners compared to God. No one can stand before him and claim he is right and God is wrong.
Job: If only there were someone to arbitrate between us. Someone who could understand both God and me. Someone who could comfort me and remove Gods judgement from me. Then, I would not be so afraid. Then I could take my case to God. (pause) But as it stands now, I just cannot. (Job looks down again shaking his head).
Doris: Well then , I can see that there really is no hope for you. Its just like that Zophar guy said to you last night, God may have been on your side once, but now he has abandoned you. Wise up! Admit it! God doesn’t care about you anymore. You are suffering the fate of the wicked no matter what you say. You sit here still holding on to your integrity, I think you should just curse God and die.
Job: You are talking like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from God and not trouble.
Doris. You know, you’re a real loser. And I’m not going to hand around to see what God does to you next. You know he might even get me.
Host: (looks at Job and speaks quietly ) Hmmm .. maybe this cloud does have a silver lining.
Doris: (outraged) Well, I’m out of here! Mr. Host please send me back to my time this minute. I’m going to go find that young smart guy Eli.
Host : (takes Doris to the portal and sends here back in time)
Job: (addressing audience) You know, despite what has happened, I really want to believe that my Redeemer lives and in the end he will stand upon the earth. I want to be sure that even after my skin and bones have been destroyed that I will gain a new body and see God. (pauses) Mr. Host, people of this church, do you know if its true?
(Soneone from the group) tells Job about Jesus (let it occur free form)
Job: I'm so glad to hear that. Thank you! That helps a lot. Now I can trust that my intercessor is in heaven right now, pleading for me. One day I will see him with my own eyes. How my heart yearns within me! I can’t wait.
Job: (Job stand, leaves character and addresses the group). I would like to ask you all a question. (pause) If you met God face to face and found that you didn’t’ like him, would you still follow him? …(pause)… you see I would. In fact even he kills me yet I will have hope in him.
Job: (turning to Host) Mr. Host, can you return me to my time now? I need to go find Doris and try to convince her not to think the way she does about God.
Host: Sure, Say goodbye everyone: (host returns Job through the portal)
Closing Message:
Host: (host then returns then delivers final message to the group)
- Tell group what really happened in Heaven (Job 1:1-12)
- Tell group what happened after Job returned to his time and God met with him (Job 39-42)
- Challenge the group on what they will do when they face adversity.
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