LESSON 11: Job

Job was a man who lived in the land of Uz in the southern part of Palestine. He was a prosperous individual, described as blameless and upright, a man who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). Job had a large family, with seven sons and three daughters, and he owned great wealth, including thousands of sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys. His wealth and integrity made him highly respected in his community. Job’s righteousness was not just a matter of personal devotion but was reflected in his care for others. He made regular sacrifices to God on behalf of his children, ensuring their spiritual well-being.

One day, as the heavenly beings presented themselves before God, Satan came among them. God asked Satan if he had considered Job, pointing out his righteousness and the fact that there was no one on earth like him. Satan, however, challenged the idea that Job’s faithfulness was genuine. He claimed that Job was only righteous because he had been blessed with prosperity and a comfortable life. Satan argued that if Job were to lose his wealth and health, he would surely curse God.

God allowed Satan to test Job’s faith but set limits on how far Satan could go. In a series of tragic events, Job lost everything. His wealth was destroyed, his livestock were stolen or killed, and a fierce wind collapsed the house where his children were feasting, killing them all. Despite these calamities, Job did not sin or blame God. Instead, he tore his clothes, shaved his head, and fell to the ground in worship, declaring, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21).

Satan, not satisfied with Job’s initial response, returned to God and asked for permission to attack Job’s health. God granted Satan permission to afflict Job’s body but forbade him from taking Job’s life. As a result, Job was struck with painful sores all over his body. His physical suffering was unbearable, and Job sat in ashes, scraping his sores with a broken piece of pottery.

In his distress, Job’s wife urged him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9), but Job rebuked her. He reasoned that it was wrong to accept the good from God and not the bad. He replied, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10). Throughout his suffering, Job maintained his faith. He did not go a bit away from his faith in God. Satan failed in all his attempts.

Job’s three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—heard of his suffering and came to comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him because his appearance had so drastically changed due to his afflictions. They sat with him in silence for seven days and nights, grieving with him, as no one spoke a word, seeing that his pain was so great.

Eventually, Job broke the silence and lamented his birth, wishing he had never been born. He cursed the day of his birth and longed for death to end his misery. His friends, however, interpreted his suffering as a consequence of sin. They believed that suffering was always a result of personal wrongdoing and that Job must have done something to deserve such punishment. They took turns offering explanations and advice, each accusing Job of harboring hidden sins that needed to be confessed.

Job, however, insisted on his innocence. He felt that he had lived righteously and that he did not deserve such suffering. His friends’ accusations only added to his anguish, and he longed for an explanation from God. He wanted to present his case before God, to have a trial where God could show him the reason for his suffering.

After a long series of dialogues, where Job and his friends debated the reasons for his suffering, God finally spoke out of a whirlwind. He challenged Job with a series of questions about the mysteries of creation, the natural world, and the divine order that Job could not possibly comprehend. God’s response emphasized that human understanding is limited and that God’s ways are beyond human comprehension.

God did not give Job a direct answer to why he suffered, but He reminded Job of the vastness of His wisdom and the intricacies of the universe. Job responded humbly, acknowledging that he had spoken of things he did not understand and repenting for his earlier words (Job 42:3).

God then rebuked Job’s three friends for not speaking accurately about Him. They had wrongly accused Job, and God instructed them to offer a sacrifice, with Job praying for them so that they could be forgiven. Job, now restored to a right relationship with God, prayed for his friends, and God accepted his intercession.

Finally, God restored Job’s fortunes. He blessed the latter part of Job’s life even more than the first. Job received twice as much as he had before, and his family was reunited. He had seven more sons and three more daughters, and he lived a long and prosperous life, dying at the age of 140.

What can we learn from the story of Job?

The story of Job is one of the most profound explorations of human suffering in the Bible. It does not provide simple answers to why we suffer, but it does offer several important lessons. First, Job’s story teaches that suffering is not always a result of sin, and that righteous people can suffer just as much as the wicked. Second, it shows the importance of maintaining faith in God, even when we don’t understand the reasons for our pain. Job’s declaration, “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him” (Job 13:15), illustrates unwavering trust in God despite the circumstances.

Ultimately, the story of Job encourages believers to trust in God’s wisdom and sovereignty, even when life seems unfair or incomprehensible. It reminds us that while we may never fully understand the reasons for our suffering, God is always present, working in ways that are beyond our understanding. The book of Job challenges us to trust in God’s goodness, even when our world seems to be falling apart.