Job was a very rich man, and although he did not belong to the people of Israel, he worshiped the Lord and was a truly good person. But Satan talked to God and accused Job of serving God only because God was blessing him. God agreed to let Satan take away Job's wealth, his children, and finally, his health, to see whether Job would stay faithful to God. Job did remain faithful.
Then three of Job's friends came to comfort him. they believed that health and prosperity were signs of God's blessing. And because Job had lost both his health and his prosperity, the three friends insisted that God must be punishing Job for some sin. Job answered that he was innocent, and this meant that they were wrong. Job and the friends argued back and forth, with neither side really proving the other wrong, although, at the end of the argument, the friends gave up.
Job was suffering deeply, and several times during the argument he asked God to appear and explain the reason for his suffering. Then, after the friends stopped speaking, Job decided that human beings cannot find the kind of wisdom that gives answers to the deep questions of life. Only God has that wisdom. Job ended his speeches by swearing that was innocent of doing wrong.
At this point, a young bystander named Elihu began talking. He repeated some of what had already been said, but he also criticized both sides of the argument. Elihu finished with a poem praising God's care for nature.
God finally did appear to Job, but he did not explain Job's suffering. Instead, God showed that the many things he does cannot be understood by humans; humans cannot do what God does. God criticized Job for talking so much when he knew so little, but he also said that Job had remained his faithful servant. And so, at the very end, the book tells how God blessed Job and made him twice as wealthy as he had been before.
Job never did understand why he suffered; he felt bitter, but he never rejected God or turned away from him. Job was convinced that someday, God would rescue him:
I know that my Savior lives,
and at the end he will stand on this earth.
My flesh may be destroyed,
yet from this body I will see God.
Yes, I will see him for myself,
and I long for that moment! (19.25-27)
Here are 16 Lessons from the Book of Job
Overcoming Adversity
1 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 1.20-22
Job's life was in ruins, His financial security had come crashing down four times in a row. His family had been destroyed in a natural disaster. Everything that had made his life happy had been wiped out.
Job's response was twofold. He grieved heavily (v.20) like any normal person would. Then he worshiped God. It is only when we acknowledge the power of God that we can put life in perspective. God never promised us an easy life, but he does promise to be with us always (Mather 28.20)
Comfort for Those Who Hurt
2 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 2.11-13
When a friend is suffering or a family is grieving, we rarely know what to say. The sincere words of compassion we use can sound hollow and meaningless. Job's three friends heard of his suffering and came to visit, and they did a remarkable thing. Rather than filling the air with small talk and idle chatter, they sat with Job in silence. For an entire week, they remained by his side in support of their friend.
We can learn an important lesson from this. Job's friends brought comfort... until they opened their mouths (Job 4)
Many Miracles
3 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 5.9, 10
God's miracles are "more than we can count." there are real miracles all around for those who can see them - the movements of the heavens, the beauty of the earth, the gift of life, the wonder of friendship. These are all miracles.
We are surrounded every day with marvelous gifts from God, yet we often call them "ordinary." look for his gifts in your world today.
I Give Up
4 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 6.8-10
Job was filled with anguish. He knew that he was blameless and full of integrity. And yet his suffering was unyielding. God seemed to be against him and he didn't know why. He had been betrayed by his fair-weather friends who turned against him when the heat was on (vv.15-17), In his pain, Job wanted to give up, be released from his circumstances, and die.
When the stress of life overwhelms despite your efforts to live the kind of life that pleases God, you must not think that he is no longer on your side. We may not comprehend the ways of God (Ecclesiastes (11.5) or figure out why he allows certain things to happen. However, we can be confident that in the end God himself will bring us out of despair and make us complete, steady, strong, and firm (1 Peter 5.10).
Despair in the Midst of Suffering
5 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 7.1-21
Life is hard. There's no getting around that fact. When the circumstances of suffering build to a crescendo, despair comes crashing in. It seems there is nowhere to turn. The family is powerless, and God seems absent.
Job cried out his distress in a way that echoes our own. His pain was unbearable, he couldn't sleep, he felt hemmed in, and he had come to the end of his rope. But wait - this is not the end of the story. While Job raged, God listened quietly waiting for his opportunity to answer Job's cries. It is okay to express our anguish to God as long as we remember to give him time to respond.
Everyone Needs a Mediator
6 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 9.33
One of the big differences between games played in the backyard and those played on a professional field is the presence of the referee. This person acts as a mediator between players and enforces the rules of the game. In his despair, Job cried out for someone to stand between God and himself. He wished for someone who could plead his case before the Almighty - a referee.
But there was no one who could represent Job, and he certainly could not think of anyone who could represent God. however, we are blessed to know that Jesus Christ, God's Son, is our Mediator (1 Timothy 2.5; Hebrews 12.24). His death on the cross stands between the judgment of God and the sins of humanity. It is because of his death and resurrection that we can make our lives right with God. Job's hope of a mediator had become our reality.
God Watches Over Us
7 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 10.9-12
Often Job is characterized as a complainer who was merely venting his anger and frustration at his friends and at god. Hidden within Job's complaints are faint glimmers of hope that shine brightly through the background of his despair.
Here Job recognized that God did care for him. He has been a vital part of our lives since our conception. We may not understand the why of our circumstances, but it is a good idea to stop for a moment and reflect on the kindness and care that God has shown to us to this point. It is only because of his compassion for us that we have all we need.
Secret Sins
8 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 11.13-15
We all have secret sins - those things in our lives that we don't want anyone, especially God, to know about. The good news is that we don't have to struggle to hide those sins anymore. God already knows them. He knows exactly what our secret sins are.
When we surrender our hearts to God and "turn to him in prayer," he will be quick to forgive all our sins - even those we wish he didn't know about! He will graciously replace our shame with confidence so we might live with strength and fearlessness.
Unwavering Trust
9 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 13.15
The saying goes that "those who are strong are only strong in God, and those who are strong in God rise above all the circumstances of human life." The daily disciplines of the Christian life develop our character and strengthen our capacity for enduring the trials of life.
Was Job less spiritual because his property was gone; less genuine because he had lost his social standing, or prayerless because he was no longer wealthy? No! his ability to withstand the suffering that Satan had thrown at him arose not through a single act or one effort. Rather, Job's character had matured over many years of faithful service to God through a lifestyle of prayer and obedience to him (Job 1.1, 5)
Job's amazing declaration of unwavering trust in God is a powerful inspiration to anyone ready to give up on God. The true believer walks by faith, and not by sight. Job's trust was not based on the seen, but on the unseen. His possessions, children, and friends were gone, yet he still says, "The Lord alone gives and takes. Praise the name of the Lord!" (Job 1.21). This is faith, not sight.
How We Die
10 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 14.1-14
There is a lot of talk today about "dying with dignity." It runs rampant among the courts, the talk shows, and the best-seller lists. Unless our death is sudden and unexpected, we will all face the moment when we realize that our life on earth is over. And most of us have a concern about "dying well."
Is there a secret to dying well? It truly is no secret because it was revealed long ago - for our dying hand to be in the grasp of the living Christ is the secret to dying well. Not the lack of pain, not the presence of family and friends, and not the compassion of a kind doctor. It is love of God that puts the fear of death in its place.
A Bed of Darkness
11 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 17.11-15
These words were spoken in a moment of deep depression. Job's emotions went back and forth from faith to bleak despair.
We can think of our lives as slender candles. Once the wick has been consumed there is no more time remaining. Those who have spent their lives with no regard for God and eternity are making a bed of darkness for themselves. This is also true for those who are obsessed with making money and spending it on themselves.
What kind of hope is that? Rather than trivialize our lives, let's concern ourselves with eternal matters. Begin today to prepare for yourself a bed of hope.
Finding God
12 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 23.3
Life only has meaning when we focus on God. He is not always easily found because he does not reveal himself on billboards along the road of life. Sometimes his presence is a mystery that surrounds us, causing us to peer this way and that, looking for evidence of him (v.8).
When our eyes are looking for God, our attention is pulled away from ourselves. Our petty concerns fade into the background and the glimpse of God scatter the shadows from the corners of our souls.
The Silence of God
13 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 26.14
"Why doesn't God speak to us anymore?" is a question that had plagued many of us. What we need to realize is that his words are written upon the pages of his creation, and his syllables are spoken by ten thousand voices. it is our ears that are deaf and do not listen to his sweet voice. It is our eyes that are blind to the words written in the sky. It is the heart of humanity that is dull and sluggish in the presence of the living God.
We must stop to peel the scales from our eyes and remove the plugs from our ears in order to train our hearts to hear the whisper of God's voice. Then we can truly begin to seek the face of God and hear his voice.
Fool's Gold
14 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 28.12-24
Money has become an idol for many people today, but such idolization is meaningless in the eyes of God (Ecclesiastes 6.2) There are seven different Hebrew words for gold, and at least four of them appear in this chapter. The gold discussed in these verses is a refined gold gathered as a treasure.
Money can buy many things, but it can't buy the jewels of peace, love, joy, or happiness. With god, our wealth is of no concern. Everyone is treated equally before his throne. The foolish person does not mind being trapped in the world of financial gain, whereas the wise person abides in the freedom of God's wisdom.
The Light of God
15 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 37.19-24
The great German teacher Neander once said, "I see before us a deep abyss, but above it shines a bright light. It is the dawn, or is it the evening twilight?" Today we stand before the godless abyss of our society. The clouds of unbelief are rolled back and we begin to see a glimpse of the light of God.
Does the light grow dimmer with each passing day because of our sins? Or does it become brighter, exposing our hidden sins? May our eyes be opened to the brilliance of God's glory and his compassion on us.
Job Meets God
16 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 38.39-42.6
Until this time, Job's knowledge of god was based on what he had heard from others. Now God unveils as much of himself as Job's senses can bear - the beauty of nature and the wonders of the animal kingdom. The animals listed by God all have a love for freedom. Although some are predators, others can be domesticated. Such is the depth and breadth of God's creation.
From the stars in the heavens to the insects crawling beneath our feet, God puts all this in place. How can we complain about trivial problems before such a mighty God? He doesn't want our worry; He doesn't want our worry; he wants our worship.
As Job realizes that he has "talked about things . . . beyond my understanding" (42.3) he is ashamed of his former pride. This kind of humility is the first way we are affected when we come to know God as he is. Humility and rising above personal suffering is the key to a greater understanding of the power of God.
Promises for Us
Job's life had become a battlefield on which God and Satan did combat. The outcome depended on Job, who didn't know anything depended on his response to a series of personal tragedies. Satan proposed the wager our of total confidence in his experience with human nature. God accepted the wager because he knew Job's enormous trust in him was something Satan could not understand.
Faith and doubt waged war for Job's soul. They war in us, too. Every temptation to sin, every opportunity to help someone else, every ethical choice, every conversation is a skirmish that claims some of the terrain of our souls for light or darkness.
Job never knew why his well-ordered life ripped to shreds. He raged at God because he couldn't find out why, but he didn't turn against God. Job shows us how to keep the faith, no matter how grim the circumstances of life may be. Sometimes the stakes are enormous, In the unseen world, Satan and the armies of darkness will be defeated because of our faith.
For Consideration
- How can a person maintain faith in God in the face of apparently meaningless suffering?
- How could you relate to people who are suffering in order to comfort and encourage them?
- What do you think happened within the heart and mind of Job because of his suffering?
