Too often in conversations about suffering, a particular biblical story is not consistently discussed. The Book of Job is a story detailing the life of a man who was not a distinguished figure in the church facing persecution. He was an ordinary man, albeit rich in possessions and faith. The Bible describes Job’s financial stature as a notable person in his eastern region. He had a large family of a wife, seven sons, and three daughters. In his possession were also vast amounts of land and animals (Job 1:2-3). Of all that he possessed, his greatest asset was his faith.
“There was in the land of Uz a man named Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and feared God, and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1)
Job’s ability to believe was so impressive that it attracted the attention of God and Satan as well. In this first chapter of Job, we read an account of God questioning Satan about his plans. Satan confesses to wandering the Earth, and God asks him if the Devil has considered Job. The question sets Job up for an intense season of suffering, breaking him down physically, emotionally, and even spiritually, but never abandoning his faith. All of this occurs as a test, permitted by God to show Job’s faith to Satan (Job 1:11-12).
Job’s story continues to be relevant to Christians today because of his ability to believe despite suffering. His season of loss is a reminder that no possession or relationship on this Earth is guaranteed to last forever. Not even our health. Job found himself losing everything he owned, everything except his faith. However, Job’s story is not limited to suffering or keeping faith in the midst of trials. There are several different lessons that we can draw from, but first, we need to understand the purpose of the Book of Job and why it was included in the Bible.
Who wrote the story of Job and why is the Book of Job included in the Bible?
The Bible is written by many different people, including prophets and kings. There are even unknown authors of certain passages. As for the Book of Job, the author is not clear. There is no indication of the author within the book itself, and Job’s death is mentioned in chapter 42, the last chapter of the book. There is speculation among the academic community that Moses wrote the book, but there is no conclusive evidence.
Even without an author, the inclusion of the story in the Bible informs us that there is something God wants to extract from His word (2 Timothy 3:16). In addition to the author’s speculation, some believe that the inclusion of the Job story is meant to answer the question of why innocent people suffer. At the end of the book, no answer is given as to why the innocent suffer, but there is a solution, trust.
The idea and the word trust appear several times throughout the Bible pronounced by different people. The idea is also present here when Job experiences suffering and seeks God’s help. With this greater understanding, we can analyze the 5 story of Job.
5 important things to know about the story of Job
1. Job suffered when he was innocent
Job did not commit any sin that led to his suffering. Rather, Job’s suffering occurred when God allowed Satan to test his faith. Why did Job have to suffer at all? The same question has been asked over the centuries after events like school shootings or natural disasters. Why do innocent people suffer seemingly for no reason? And Job was so afflicted by his problems that he cursed, not God, but the day that he was born.
“After this, Job began to speak and cursed the day he was born. was born.” (Job 3:1)
This was not an inconvenience that Job experienced. Life as he knew it was turned upside down and turned into something that brought him intense pain. Job represents the truth that innocent people suffer, but at the end of his story he also shows that God is in control all the time. God allowed Satan to attack Job spiritually, emotionally, and physically, but never to the point of death (Job 2:6). God was in control.
2. Job questioned God
As shown in the Psalms, which follow the Book of Job, prayer is shown to be a communication with God that is deep, intimate, and honest. As Christians, we can talk to God about the things that are going well in our lives, and also about our problems. Job did not hide his problems from himself and spoke openly.
“If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
Guardian of humanity?
Why have you made me your target? ,
so that I have become a burden to you?”
(Job 7:20)
In his anguish and confusion, Job sought to have a dialogue with God as a means of understanding his situation. We are like Job when we experience suffering. We can ask God questions like “How long?” or “Why is this happening to me?” Although not immediately, God answers Job later in the book (Job 38). God also answers our prayers, right on his own time. In the way God responds to Job, he makes it clear that though we may ask, our sense of understanding will never fully comprehend God and his ways. Still, He is trustworthy.
3. Job’s loved ones did not help
Job’s wife was the first to reveal her lack of faith in God. “His wife said to him, ‘Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!’” (Job 2-9)
Job’s response shows how much faith he had despite her doubts. “’You speak as a foolish woman speaks,’ he told her. ‘Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?‘ In all this Job did not sin in what he said” (Job 2:10). Job poses an excellent question to consider. If God promises salvation in the form of heaven, why do some expect life to be only good?
When presented with the story, Job’s three friends bear witness to his suffering. They come to mourn over him (Job 2:13). As the Book of Job continues, each friend has a chapter in which he converses with Job. Job is then given a chapter where he answers. The friends’ attempts to “help” go so wrong that God ultimately feels disappointed in them (Job 42:7). God was so upset that he made them offer sacrifices as repentance. The reason for this is that the friends blamed Job for his suffering, unbeknownst to them, God allowed Job to suffer despite being a righteous man.
His friend Eliphaz was the first to blame Job. “Consider This: Who perished being innocent” (Job 4:7)? Their relationship helps us see how we as believers seek advice from others. While people may mean well when giving their advice, no one can really understand how God works in our lives and should not speak on his behalf. Furthermore, suffering must be experienced even by the innocent, like Job, not because someone has committed an offense against God, but because suffering is a part of life.
God used Job’s suffering to build him up and show the devil that Job would keep his faith.
4. Job was restored
“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortune and doubled his former possessions.” (Job 42:10)
In the end, Job gained more than he lost. And he was restored in all aspects of his life: health, family, finances. God showed favor to Job as long as he remained faithful in his belief. This information is important because these details reflect the loving nature of God. God’s love was present despite the uselessness of Job’s friends, wife, and harsh circumstances.
God does not allow sadness because of suffering. He allows us to experience trials to make us better people and expose the weak areas in our lives. Job was able to learn more about God during his struggle and further increase his trust in the Lord. Job’s suffering also allowed God to affect Job’s friends. They initially blamed Job and learned that Job had done nothing to deserve his suffering, thus showing them a side of God that they were previously unaware of.
5. Job kept his faith
Throughout the entire book, Job prayed, fought, and finally won. He never stopped having a relationship with God. He also did not curse God as his wife encouraged him to do in the second chapter. Job’s unwavering faith offers proof that no matter what life’s circumstances, keeping faith is always a possibility. Whether we are in distress spiritually, emotionally, or physically, we can keep our trust in God. At some point he will rid us of our problems and make us better from the experience.
a modern job
As we read and learn from Job, we can be sure that suffering comes to everyone, sinner or innocent. Jesus was the only person without sin and even He knew suffering. While we may encounter our own unexpected problems like Job, his story reminds us that even when we don’t understand why we can trust God. That confidence is not limited to circumstances, nor to the “advice” of other believers. Trust is not an explanation of why Job suffered, or why we suffer. However, the idea of trust gives us a solution to endure suffering.
No one can fully understand God, and that gives us more reason to pray. And as we pray and as we wait, we know that God will eventually make us better than when we started. Job proved it.
further reading
Biblical story of Job
What is the story of Job?
Sources
- OverviewBible.com, ‘Who Wrote the Bible?’
- ThomasNelsonBibles.com, ‘Who Wrote the Book of Job? ‘
- Britannica.com, ‘The Book of Job’