The Study Of Job: Why Do The Righteous Suffer? Series

Much of the book of Job is made up of the speeches of Job’s three friends and Job’s replies to their speeches. Finally, Elihu, a young man, began to speak. The Bible says he was angry at Job because “he justified himself rather than God” (Job 32:2). Elihu was also angry at Job’s three friends because they had condemned Job, but had found no answer for his suffering. Elihu also believed that Job had sinned. He thought he was speaking for God. However, he really did not know any more than Job’s three friends.

After Elihu had finished, God spoke. God did not tell Job that He had allowed Satan to afflict him. He simply challenged Job with His great wisdom. God’s wisdom was much greater than that of Job and his friends. If they could not answer questions about how God does things in His creation, how could they understand human suffering?

When Job heard God speak, he realized he had no right to question God. He repented of having questioned God in any way. God then told the friends of Job that He was angry with them. He told them to ask Job to pray for them. The Lord then blessed Job again. He gave Him twice as many possessions as he had before. God also gave Job another family of seven sons and three daughters. Job lived one hundred and forty years after this.

There are many helpful lessons we can learn from the book of Job.

First, we can learn that God is the Creator of all things. His wisdom is far above anything that we can ever understand. Because He is the Creator, God has no obligation to explain any of His actions to man.

Second, we can learn that if one truly has faith in God, he will remain faithful to God no matter what happens. He may not understand what is happening, or why. But he will trust God because God loves us and knows what is best for us (Romans 8:28).

Third, we can learn from the book of Job that innocent people suffer in this life along with the wicked. Natural disasters such as floods and famines affect everybody. Accidents can happen to anyone. Sickness comes to rich and poor, young and old, evil and good. Finally, death will come to everyone. These things are a part of the lives of all who live on this earth. They do not mean that a person is good or bad, but simply that he is a human.

Fourth, we can learn that Satan does not have unlimited power over us. God is stronger. He will not allow Satan to cause us to do anything that we do not want to do. God will not allow Satan to take away our power to choose between right and wrong.

Fifth, we can learn that Satan may use other people to discourage us. In Job’s case, Satan used his wife and his three friends. We must always put God first, even before our closest friends and relatives (Matthew 10:37).

Sixth, we need to have patience as Job did. We must learn to endure the hardships of life (James 5:11). We must remember that in the end, God’s people will win.

Seventh, we can learn from the book of Job that life on earth is very brief. It is filled with many troubles (Job 5:7; Job 7:6; Job 8:9; Job 14:1,2; James 4:13-15).

Job is a wonderful book. It has many lessons for us today. We need to read and study it and apply its lessons to our lives.

Special thanks to IBTM for these wonderful studies.