What can you learn from the oldest book in the Bible? Here’s a brief rundown of a Job that addresses the unspeakable suffering we experience and observe in life.
The story of Job is one that most people would rather not dwell on. The story focuses on a loyal and obedient servant of God who begins the story regarded as a righteous man, prosperous with a large family. In Job1, is stated “that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.”
He then suffers through immense suffering where step by step, everything except for his life is taken away from him. First was his external possession, including his family of “…seven sons and three daughters were born to him.” -Job 1:2
This famous passage comes from Job 1:21
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away.
Blessed be the name of Yahweh.”
Spiritual, mental and physical pain are taken to extraordinary limits. He then begins to suffer attacks to his physical body taking a vicious toll and with agonizing pain.
While suffering, he is visited by several pious ‘friends’, who largely regard Job as someone who was paying a price for past or current sins, not really showing much compassion given the man had just lost all his many children and property.
If only he turn away from sin! His friends would admonish him. Even his wife even taunted him to curse God for all his or their pain and misery. Suffering from diseased pain Job has this interaction:
8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the wickedly foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept calamity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. – Job 2: 8-10.
Job’s friend preach at Job, chapter after chapter. One of Job’s friends, Bildad the Shuhite preached this little guilt trip, one of many throughout the Book of Job:
“…If your sons sinned against Him,
Then He sent them into the power of their transgression.
5 If you would seek God earnestly
And plead for the grace of the Almighty,
6 If you are pure and upright,
Indeed now He would rouse Himself for you
And make your righteous abode at peace.
7 Though your beginning was insignificant,
Yet your end will increase greatly. – Job 8:4-7
Little did they know God allowed Satan, who was roaming the world seeking to spiritual devour humanity, continue his affliction of Job in effort to get Job to curse God and turn away from obedience and faith in God.
Eventually, dragged to the edge of death and loss of hope, Job bitterly laments to God his own life, “Let the day perish on which I was to be born…” (Job 3:1) begin a long lament.
Job ponders the age old question in not a few words. Why must he suffer so miserably, why must he live to suffer so greatly.
After everyone has had the time to vent their uncompassionate and self-righteous advice and woes, God condescends to answer his faithful servant’s groaning, in a very God-like way. In effect, God tells Job you can not really understand the depths and heights of God’s glory. Asking the question of God is kind of futile, the truth is larger than mortal man can comprehend.
Not exactly comforting words from God but Job does come to a a sense of resignation, but he remained faithful despite all.
God wins the bet against Satan. God’s glory prevails.
God will not lose anyone He has chosen or called to salvation.
No matter how much suffering God’s people endure in this life, we can trust God’s sovereign nature. We can trust God’s goodness and certainly God is supremely trustworthy to abide by his gospel for salvation.
It certainly is possible any of us can lose every worldly thing, even our health, we possess in light of the sovereignty of God. Ultimately the wages of sin is physical death itself.
With a broad view of God’s glory, given by God, Job answered Yahweh with a profound humility and repentance,
2 “I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things too marvelous for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will ask You, and You make me know.’
5 I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my eye sees You;
6 Therefore I reject myself,
And I repent in dust and ashes.” – Job 42:2-6
The tragedy of recent events and perhaps losses in your own lives underscores reality and how we best come in humility and with repentance before the glory of God.
War, corruption, suffering, and death. And yet God’s grace abounds in more ways, in our joy and in our suffering.
Coincidentally, we as Christian’s can begin to strengthen ourselves spiritually, preparing to not cling to the world, and to stand fast upon God’s promises, being able to release all worldly lusts in order to become God’s messenger.
The story of Job helps us trust in God’s grace in salvation and in restoration of all good things that were broken by sin.
For a one minute explanation of the Gospel from the late Pastor John MacArthur, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCP9UcC7BzE
For a review of the Ten Commandments: https://www.challenyee.com/the-ten-commandments/
All quoted excerpts have footnotes removed, usually from Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), sometimes from New International Version (NIV), on rare occasion the Amplified Bible (AMP).
* …our eventual deaths, unless we are Raptured.
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25 March 2024