Articles
Learning from Job
Article written by David Flatt.
The Book of Job is a familiar story. There is little background information given about the story. It involves non-Israelites. They live in a place called Uz, far away from Jerusalem. Rather than being distracted by such details, the author wants readers to focus on fundamental themes of the human experience.
The Book of Job wrestles with timeless questions. Is God just? Does God run the universe on strict principles of justice? Why do humans suffer? Everyone grapples with these big questions. We are cautioned against relying on our limited understanding. Instead, the Book of Job invites us to trust God’s wisdom.
Lessons from the Book of Job
1). Heaven and earth are connected. The opening two chapters of the Book of Job show the connection between Heaven and earth. The opening scene depicts God holding court in Heaven, a common scene of the Old Testament (i.e. Psa. 82). The Satan/accuser appears in God’s court. When asked of his whereabouts, the Satan says he had been roaming the earth. God asks him if he had considered His servant Job. Next, an agreement is made for the Satan to test Job’s faith.
We live in an age where the connection between Heaven and earth is rarely acknowledged. While there is much speculation and skepticism about such a relationship, the Book of Job leaves no doubt.
The Book of Job aligns with the rest of the Bible in depicting a spiritual battle that has spilled into the earth. The image bearers of God, humans, are in the middle of this cosmic struggle (Eph. 6:10-12). Therefore, we must align ourselves with God through faith in Christ (1 John 5:4-5).
2). Human understanding is simplistic. Satan ruins Job’s life. By the end of the second chapter, Job is grieving in ashes, having lost everything. In chapters 3-37, Job’s friends arrive and offer insight into Job’s suffering.
While Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad take different approaches with Job, their basic reasoning is all the
same: God is just; Job sinned; God is punishing Job for his sin. Later, another friend, Elihu, gives a slightly different explanation. He agrees with the premise of the other friends but adds that Job’s suffering can build character and teach him not to sin in the future.
Throughout each of the friends’ speeches, Job protests his innocence. He is deeply grieved and angry. Like the opening scene of the book, Job wants to have a trial. He wants to put God on trial. If he could only interrogate God, he thinks he could get to the bottom of why his life has been destroyed (Job 9:22-23, 27:2). Eventually, the shortsightedness of these men will be exposed.
3). The world is vastly complex. In chapters 38-41, God speaks to Job. God begins his searing rebuke by asking, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2). Then, God begins to question Job about the complexities of the world. Job has no understanding of the workings of the world; therefore, Job is not in any position to run the world.
God illustrates the complexities of the world by mentioning two fearsome creatures: Behemoth and Leviathan (Job 40-41). Similar creatures are commonly found in ancient literature. They represent chaos, danger, and death. God uses these animals to show the complexities of the world and humans’ inability to rule the world with justice. While we live in an amazing world, the world is not a place designed to shield us from suffering.
4). We must trust God’s wisdom. Job chapter 42 records an epilogue. There is a resolution to the dilemma of Job, but not what we might expect. Job admits that the answers he sought were beyond his capacity to understand (Job 42:1-3). Then, Job says what might be the most profound words of the book: “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6).
God honored Job’s struggle. God did not condemn Job for having questions and passionately seeking answers. Job’s sin was thinking he could put God on trial and demand answers to his questions.
Also, God rebuked Job’s friends. The Bible says that God’s anger burned against Eliphaz and the other friends. Their simplistic reasoning was wrong. God told them, “You have not spoken of me what is right” (Job 42:7). Job and his friends learned to recognize the limits of their understanding and trust in God’s wisdom.
Conclusion
The Book of Job has captivated readers for generations. The book wrestles with big questions that are basic to human existence. Job shows us how to seek understanding and comfort when we are deeply hurting.
Many generations after Job, Christians were being persecuted. To help give them perspective on their trials, James wrote, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord… You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:7, 11).
Job was resilient. Against the pressure of his wife, he never cursed God. He remained faithful. In time, God blessed Job with a new life. As wonderful as it must have been, Job had to learn to live with the loss of his first life. Through faith in God’s wisdom, he found a way. The book of Job invites us to trust in God’s wisdom.
