Job your children are gone: What happened to them?

They were all together in the oldest brother’s house having a party when a storm came and the house collapsed and they all died.

Job your possessions are gone: What happened to them?

They were stolen and carried off by several groups of raiders and the rest was destroyed by fire, possibly from lightning.

In all this Job did not sin: Wasn’t he upset by all this?

Oh yes, expressions of grief at that time were to tear your robe and shave your head and Job did both of these things and expressed great sadness, but Job 1:22 says, ^“In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”

So Satan put boils on his skin: Why did Satan do that?

Satan, wanted to get Job to curse God.

Job’s friends saw his pain, said “Job you are to blame.”: Why did his friends blame Job for his troubles?

They did not understand. They thought Job must have done something very wrong to have all these things happen to him.

But he wasn’t: How do you know this?

From the beginning of this book we know why Job was suffering. Satan had told God that the only reason Job loved and obeyed Him was because God gave him so much and was so good to him. Satan challenged God that if all these things were taken away from Job including his health, he would not love and obey Him. So, God permitted Satan to test Job by taking away all these things.

When like Job we can’t see why there’s pain and misery: Didn’t Job find out why he went through everything?

There is no recording of God telling Job why he had to suffer all these things. Due to living in a world where sin is, we all suffer because of it. Our suffering may not have anything to do with our choices.

God wants us to be sure of His wisdom, love, and sovereignty: How does this book teach that?

When Job starts questioning God, God answers Job by clearly communicating that His wisdom is far beyond Job’s; God is the Creator who knows all and is in control. Job is not told why he suffered, but when God is done communicating His wisdom Job says that God knows things far too wonderful for him(Job) to know. Then God demonstrates His love for Job by honoring him in front of his friends, demonstrating his confidence in Job, and blessing him with even more than he had before.

Preparing: Job encourages God’s people, who are suffering, that God has purposes in that suffering. This was written to give hope to God’s chosen people who were waiting for the Savior, and those of us who are waiting for the Savior’s next return! There will finally be an end to the battle between good and evil. As we wait, we know God is full of wisdom, love, and sovereignty no matter what we are facing.

Pictures: In Job 9:33 and 34 Job is crying out for a mediator between him and God. Jesus the Savior is our mediator.