Suffering is a test. It's a test of our faith, our character, our values, and our love for God. It's a test that can make us bitter or better. It can make us bitter if we jump to the wrong conclusions about why God has allowed our pain. It can make us better if our eyes are opened to the wonder, power, wisdom, goodness, and love of God.
Job went into the fire a good and godly man. He came out better for his trouble. In this material, David Egner gives us a summary of Job's experience. We pray that through it you will come to a deeper appreciation not only of Job but of the God he learned to trust as never before.
Martin R. De Haan II
CONTENTS
How Could God Do This to Me
What Do People Say?
Chart of the Book of Job
Setting the Stage
Telling the Story
The Virtue of Job
Knowing God Through Job
God According to Satan
God According to Job's Experience
God According to Job's Friends
God According to Job's Dialogues
God According to Himself
Job, God, and Me
Is Job's God Your God?
HOW COULD GOD DO THIS TO ME?
When the telephone brings us bad news, or when the doctor's quiet voice says the words we dreaded to hear, how do we respond? Emotionally, do we become saddened, or angry? Mentally, do we become detached, or philosophic? Spiritually, are we hurt, or puzzled? Do we ponder our situation in the light of what we have been taught about the goodness and fairness of God?
In all probability, we will question why this is happening to us. After all, we've been led to believe that God is a God of love. We've been told over and over again that He treats His people right. We have heard that God wants us healthy and prosperous. So why are we getting all this bad news now? Why is He hammering us with blow after blow? We may begin to ask:
* How could God do this to me?
* Why couldn't He have waited a few more years?
* The world is full of people worse than I. Why couldn't He have hit one of them?
* I've been faithful to God. Why is He treating me like this?
These are not unusual responses. In fact, a man in the Old Testament named Job asked similar questions. Before we look into his book to see the conclusions he came to, let's look at some of the wrong answers people give for suffering.
WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY?
Why does God allow suffering? What kind of God lets terrible affliction strike good people while He lets bad people off the hook? Here are some popular explanations that express various points of view.
God Must Be Down on Me. When suffering and trouble come, some people feel that they must have done something to make God mad at them. A woman who gets bad news about cancer, for example, may say to herself, "My failures as a mother are finally catching up with me." Others may feel that they are "taking it on the chin" because God is angry at someone close to them. Or a teenage boy may say, "God gave my dad a heart attack because of something I did."
God Doesn't Care. These people react to suffering by thinking that God just doesn't care about them. They transfer their low view of themselves to God, feeling that they are not worthy of His attention. They believe that if He really is concerned about mankind, He is giving His attention to more important people. If He cared, He would answer their pleas and heal them of their disease or take away their sorrow.
God Isn't in Control. Other people believe that the circumstances of life are out of God's reach. They are convinced that even though He can control many things, God cannot keep the harmful effects of our world from reaching us. He may rule heaven, but He cannot rule earth. Their view of God's power is limited.
They conclude that there are some things He just cannot keep from happening.
God Doesn't Stop Satan. People who hold this view conclude that since Satan is the "prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2) and "the god of this age" (2 Cor. 4:4), God is only in control of heaven. Because of that, Satan can do whatever he wants with us. And because we are God's children, Satan focuses his attention on us. These people sometimes say that Satan doesn't pay much attention to us as long as we are not serving God. But if we begin to overcome sin aggressively, or if we start to have success in leading others to Christ, then Satan sends some affliction to us like he did to Job. He wants to discourage us and stop our spiritual growth.
God Isn't Fair. Some people honestly believe they are suffering because God is not treating them fairly. They are convinced that He has shortchanged them, while giving others more than they deserve. Such people are wrapped up in human comparisons. They determine who deserves what on purely human terms. "Why me?" they ask. "Why do I always have to get the short end of the stick?"
In so doing, they are accusing God of being both unjust and unfair. They are echoing the cry of the prophet Habakkuk: "Why do You hold Your tongue when the wicked devours one more righteous than he?" (1:13).
Job could have responded to his suffering in any one of these ways. In fact, at times each of these thoughts may have gone through his mind. But in the end, Job had learned to trust God while enduring the worst kinds of suffering. This should help us in our times of trouble as well.
SETTING THE STAGE
Before we can understand the experience of Job, we need to review his times and his story.
Was Job a real person? Some have said that the man from Uz was not a real person. They say he represents all who suffer. But the evidence, both from the Bible and from history, indicates that Job actually lived in the Middle East long ago, and that he did experience the things recorded in the book that bears his name.
The Bible treats Job as a real person. In Ezekiel 14:20, for example, Job was named with two other men, Daniel and Noah, as examples of holiness. And in the New Testament, James used Job as an example of patience (5:11).
Archeologists have found that there were several men of history named Job (Hebrew, Iyyob). The earliest of these lived about 2000 BC. While none of them was the Job of the Bible, they show that the name was commonly used.
What kind of man was he? Two phrases summarize what we know about Job. He was:
A good and godly man. The Bible tells us that Job was a person of strong character and unparalleled godliness. In 1:8 this is what God said about Job:
Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil ?
We are also told that Job offered sacrifices every day on behalf of his children in case they had sinned in their days of feasting (1:5). Like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he served as the family priest.
A prosperous man. The Lord had blessed Job with great wealth. He owned so many domesticated animals and had such a large household of workers and servants that he was called "the greatest of all the people of the East" (1:3).
When did Job live? It is very likely that Job lived in Abraham's time. We can conclude this because, like Abraham, he lived more than 100 years (42:16), he was priest for his family (1:5), and His wealth was in domesticated animals (1:3). Further, no mention of Israel was made, and the mention of Sabeans (1: 15) and Chaldeans (1:17) fits the time historically. All of these factors indicate that the events of Job appear to fit chronologically into the Bible at about Genesis 12.
Where did Job live? Job was from "the land of Uz" (1:1). The exact location of Uz is not known, but two are suggested. Some scholars locate Uz northeast of Palestine in the land of Aram (modern Syria). They do this because Genesis 10:23 states that Uz was the son of Aram. Further, an eastern location is supported by the fact that Job was referred to as "the greatest of all the people of the East" (1:3). Other scholars, however, citing Lamentations 4:21, place Uz south of Palestine in Edom. They also point out that Eliphaz, one of Job's three friends, was from Teman, a city in Edom.
TELLING THE STORY
Before moving on in our study of Job, let's get an overview of the story so we can see the details more clearly in their context. The events take place in two locations: in heaven and in the land of Uz. When Satan appeared at an assembly of "the sons of God" (angels), the Lord asked him where he had been (1:6,7). When Satan said that he had been roaming the earth, God asked him, "Have you considered My servant Job?" (v. 8). With attention drawn to Job's goodness, Satan then mocked God by implying that if Job had not been so richly blessed by the Lord, he never would have considered serving Him.
Testing. So God gave Satan permission to test Job. It's as if the Lord said, "Let's test your theory. Take it all away from him. We'll just see what happens." God placed Job into His enemy's hands for two cycles of oppression. First, Job would lose his possessions and his children. Then, he would be afflicted with a loss of health and a loss of his reputation in the community.
The blows fell upon Job one after another. Nothing was left. Everything he had worked for was gone. He had buried each of his children. His mind was in agony. His body was filled with pain. His heart was burdened with sorrow. And his wife, her own heart filled with grief, advised Job, "Curse God and die!" (2:9).
Although he was grieved and broken, Job did not collapse. He responded to his trouble in a way that revealed his inner character - his godliness. When crushed, worship flowed out in his words, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (1:21).
Inadequate Consolation. Three of Job's friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, came to the side of their suffering friend. A fourth person, a younger man named Elihu, listened in. These friends, however, did more than just console Job. After sitting in silence 7 days, they began to give their own explanations for his suffering. In three cycles of speeches, they assumed that Job was guilty of some terrible sin. They said that God was punishing him and that he must confess his sin before God would take away his trouble.
Hurt and frustrated, Job answered each of his critics' speeches by insisting that he was not guilty of the kind of sins they were accusing him of. When he remembered how happy he had once been, it made his situation all the more unbearable. Job cried out to God from the depths of his misery.
The Storm Rises. (Unable to stand it any longer, Elihu broke in to offer four separate speeches (chs. 32-37). As a great storm began to rise, he criticized Job's friends for accusing Job of evils they could not prove. He criticized Job for defending his own honor at the expense of God. Things were building to a climax as the storm swept in upon them.
The Voice of God. Finally the storm broke - and out of its fury came the voice of God (38:1-40:2). Job answered; then God spoke again. With a long series of penetrating questions, He called attention to His might, revealing His character to Job - majestic in holiness, limitless in power, and deserving of his trust.
What could Job do? Completely overwhelmed and filled with awe, he acknowledged God's right to be God, fell at His feet, and repented in dust and ashes, In the presence of God's creative wisdom and power, he was humbled and silenced. Even though he had not received an explanation for his suffering, his perspective had been renewed.
Restoration. In a brief epilogue, we are told of Job's restoration. His possessions were increased, he was given seven sons and three beautiful daughters, and he lived another 140 years before he died.
In the cycle of Job's suffering we can see our own response to terrible, heart-breaking calamity. Job grieved; we grieve. Job lamented; we cry out for sympathy. Job was falsely accused; so sometimes are we. Job remained strong in his faith; so can we.
Yes, we can learn from this book. We can learn about ourselves. We can learn about our own deep and powerful emotions, our own sorrow, and our own capacity to rise to great heights of faith.
Even more, we can learn about God and His role in human suffering. And, as we will see in the pages to follow, that is what will help us to understand and endure the afflictions that come into our lives.
THE VIRTUE OF JOB
To grasp the tremendous force of this book, we must keep in mind the exceptional character of Job. He was a man of virtue and integrity - a man who believed in God and obeyed Him in a way that is exemplary to every Christian.
God's Testimony. As we have already seen, God said that Job was a man who feared Him and hated evil. We also have the testimony of God (by the inspiration of Scripture) that Job did not sin in the first two rounds of his temptation (1:22; 2:10).
Job's Testimony. Job's critics accused him of being guilty of some terrible sin. Eliphaz accused him of being insensitive to human need (22:4-11). Job defended himself against these charges by citing his works for suffering humanity (chs. 29,30):
* He rescued the poor and the orphaned (29:12).
* He helped the dying and the widowed (v. 13).
* He was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame (v. 15).
* He was a father to the needy and a friend to strangers (v. 16).
* He rescued the oppressed (v. 17).
* He wept for the troubled and the poor (30:25).
He went on to name the sins he had not committed:
* Lust (31:1-4).
* Cheating in business (vv. 5-8).
* Marital unfaithfulness (vv. 9-12).
* Insensitivity to human need (vv. 13-23).
* Greed and idolatry (vv. 24-28).
* Gloating over fallen enemies (vv. 29-32).
* Hypocrisy (vv. 34,35).
Testimony of Scripture. Two passages of the Bible indicate the virtuous life of Job.
* Ezekiel 14:14,20. In these verses, Job's righteousness was compared to that of Noah and Daniel.
* James 5:11. James pointed to Job as a model of perseverance. Job stood the testing of his faith without falling.
On the basis of these passages, we must admire the outstanding virtue and integrity of Job. No wonder the Lord pointed to him as an example!
THE DISCIPLINARY PURPOSES FOR TEMPTATION
Satan's purpose for afflicting Job was to tempt him to deny the Lord. In a sense, suffering always brings with it the temptation to sin against God. But it also gives us a wonderful opportunity to testify to His greatness. In an old classic, The Argument of Job Unfolded, William Henry Green listed these disciplinary purposes for temptation:
* To drive us to God so that we will learn always to take refuge In Him.
* To train us for Christian warfare.
* To intensify our hatred of sin.
* To add to our knowledge of ourselves.
* To lead us to growth in grace.
* To wean us from love for this world.
* To heighten our future glory.
* To testify to the glory of God's grace.
KNOWING GOD THROUGH JOB
The book of Job is the inspired account of one man's intense suffering. But it is more than that. The events of earth were the counterpoint to a dramatic confrontation in heaven. The opponents were not only Job versus his affliction, but also God versus Satan.
In this sense, then, the book of Job is the record of a representative experience. Job's reputation - his faith and virtue - was severely tested. The way he handled the series of tragedies that came into his life reflected his response to God's character. In a similar manner, the way our faith survives testing gives witness to the knowledge of the One in whom we have put our trust.
Because of this, when we look at the book of Job we also see God. And what we learn about God through Job will strengthen us for the times of suffering that come our way. We will study five different viewpoints of God from the book of Job. We will see God according to:
1. Satan
2. Job's Experience
3. Job's Friends
4. Job's Dialogues
5. God Himself
As we probe the depth and reality of Job's experience we will also look deeply into God's character. And we will find that when suffering comes, He is the One who is powerful enough, good enough, and wise enough to be trusted.
1. GOD ACCORDING TO SATAN. The angels were assembled before God. For some reason, Satan was there with them (1:6). The tension was high between Satan and the Lord. In fact, the name Satan means "adversary." At issue was God's place in man's heart. Satan had been roaming the earth, and we may assume that he had observed the extent of man's rebellion. It was then that the Lord called attention to Job and pointed out, "There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil" (1:8). But Satan accused Job of following God for materialistic reasons, and he implied that God was his accomplice because He had blessed him. "Take everything away," he suggested, "and Job will curse You to Your face" (1:11).
Satan's strategy had two goals. First, he wanted to cast doubt on Job's motives for righteousness. God was "paying him off," he insinuated, like a political candidate today who trades votes for $50 bills.
Second, Satan was attacking God's right to be followed and obeyed. A follower who is bought, after all, is not a true follower at all. He is serving himself. If Satan could prove that Job was serving himself and not God, he thought he would have evidence that no one loves God for who He is. God accepted Satan's challenge and put Job into Satan's hands. The devil was free to afflict Job, but he had to stay within certain limits (1:12; 2:6). Satan must have been delighted as he left the assembly, for he was convinced that it would be easy for him to get Job to deny the Lord.
Seeing God
This behind-the-scenes interchange between God and Satan helps us see into God's character more clearly.
For example:
* God not only knows who leads a blameless and upright life, but He is also pleased to show Satan that not all of mankind follows his evil ways.
* God is still faced with rebellion. The devil is in conflict with God, and we are the battleground.
* God is our defender; Satan is our adversary.
* God is in control. To be challenged is not to be dethroned. God has given Satan room to operate - even to enter the assembly of the angels But he cannot overstep his bounds.
Practical Lessons
This exchange between God and Satan carries some valuable lessons
for us when affliction comes.
* Our suffering may be for a supernatural cause. Job did not know that God had singled him out or that Satan was masterminding the attack.
* God limits Satan. Though the devil is the "god of this age," he can go only as far as God will allow.
* God knows all about us, just as He knew about Job. We do not go unnoticed.
* God uses our suffering to show His glory. Job's response was to witness to God's grace.
2. GOD ACCORDING TO JOB'S EXPERIENCE. Let's shift our attention back to earth. An unsuspecting Job has begun the day like any other. He is unaware that Satan has been granted permission to attack him. But before the day is over, he will experience profound loss and deep sorrow.
As we look into the crucible of Job's suffering, we will see things that seem to suggest that God had changed into an angry, unjust, uncaring, and sadistic Creator.
The First Assault. A succession of messengers rushed breathlessly up to Job, each bearing bad news.
Message 1. Sabeans had swept down from the hills and stolen all of Job's oxen and donkeys. All the herdsmen except the messenger had been killed (1:14,15).
Message 2. Fire had fallen from heaven and destroyed Job's sheep and all the shepherds but the one who brought the report (1:16).
Message 3. Raiding Chaldeans had taken his camels and killed all the attendants but the one who brought the message (1:17).
Message 4. A mighty wind had struck the house in which Job's children were dining, killing everyone except the servant who came with the news (1:18,19).
Job was devastated. He had received no forewarning. The news had come to him in rapid succession. Before one messenger stopped speaking, another rushed up. All that he had worked for over the years, and all that was dear to him, was gone. His mind went numb, and his heart was filled with sorrow.
Even so, Job did not lose his confidence in God. He easily could have. How simple it would have been to change in view of his changing circumstances. How quickly and (apparently) justifiably he could have vented his anger at God and cursed His name.
But as trouble and pain rushed in like a flood, Job did not change his view of God. True, he sorrowed. He shaved his head and tore his robe to show his grief (1:20), which was the custom of his day. But he worshiped God and blessed His name, saying:
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (121).
His herds were gone and his beloved children were dead, yet he did not stop trusting God.
The Second Assault. Satan does not give up easily. He reappeared in heaven and challenged God again, implying that a person can withstand all external attack, but if he himself is affected he will fall. So he asked permission of God to attack Job again.
This time Satan attacked Job's body. He afflicted him with ugly, ulcerous sores that caused him to withdraw from everyone. His honor, his dignity, and his place in society were gone.
His wife, perhaps expressing the depths of her own sorrow, advised him, "Curse God and die!" (2:9). What more could happen to him? Why should he even continue to live?
Still Job did not deny the Lord. "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" he asked. Once more we are told, "In all this Job did not sin with his lips" (2-10). His faith remained.
Seeing God
* God has not promised us an affliction-free life.
* God may let us lose what it has taken us a lifetime to accumulate.
* The same God who sends us good may let us suffer physical or emotional anguish.
* God does not change because our circumstances change. In bad times He is still a good God.
Practical Lessons
* There is nothing wrong with grieving. Job mourned his loss; so may we.
* Job's assault came in waves, so we too may have more than one bad thing happen to us at once.
* We do not need to lose our spiritual integrity during affliction. Even Job's wife urged him to "curse God and die" yet he stood firm.
