Session 1: The Battle

Session Overview

Creedal Statement

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell [to the dead]; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Apostles’ Creed

Key Elements

• Key Passage: Job 1:1–2:13
• Scripture Memory: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence? Psalm 42:1–2

Introduction

See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:11

Faith is the mother-grace, the root-grace, the grace from … which all others flow. John Bunyan, Christ a Complete Saviour

Everyone is searching for the good life! The pursuit of a life of fullness, meaning, and blessing is observable in every phase of human development: the needy cries of an infant, the fanciful dreams of a child, the teenager’s attitude of invincibility, the optimistic confidence of a young family, the midcourse correction of a middle-age couple, the restless longing of the retiree, and the reflective pose of the seasoned elder. In each phase of life, we have an eager determination—in fact, an instinctive drive—to discover, enjoy, and maximize all that is good in life. Our longings and desires for the good (and the best) in life set each of us on a quest for blessing. Even those who have tragically abandoned hope in life itself know that a good life should exist, for this is the dreadful reason for their painful despair. All may not achieve the same status in life, but the inner desire for the good life exists within each of us.

This all-present longing for blessing is met with an equally universal experience of pain and suffering. The pursuit of a life of significance, good fortune, and personal well-being is frustratingly elusive. For most of us, life is a struggle, fraught with experiences that breed restlessness and burden. Rather than basking in blessing, many face their life’s circumstances in a mode of survival—just trying to get by. As we experience tragedy, hardship, and affliction, it seems like a fierce enemy is opposing us. When put under life’s inevitable strains, the relationships we value most undergo tension, stress, and trouble. Even when we experience good in this life, our own souls are plagued with discontentment and dissatisfaction. Truly, the quest for the good life is a battle. As you consider your present life, perhaps you can relate to the struggle for good, the strain for blessing, and the fight for meaning. Thankfully, God is fully aware of our circumstances, and he has given us the Scriptures as a guide through life’s struggles—a blueprint for faith in God.

Each person’s life story begins in the middle of a cosmic narrative that has been unfolding for generations. The unfolding story of the world—the story behind it all—is faithfully recorded in an inspired book where God has revealed his truth to humanity: the Holy Scriptures. As we read this holy and inspired record, we quickly learn that our story intersects with the Bible’s story. In the world as we know it, we are familiar with pain, toil, and difficulty. While we experience life’s challenges, we have an inner sense that life is not the way it is supposed to be. One story in the Bible helps us make sense of the struggle and suffering we experience in life. In Job 1:1–2:13, the Bible records the story of a righteous man named Job. He experienced the blessings of the good life but met horrific suffering and loss. These painful, bitter, and disquieting experiences sent Job on a journey to learn about the character of real blessing, the truth about God, the nature of the spiritual realm, the importance of human relationships, and the essence of faith.

To understand the foundations of the Christian faith, we must understand that God is aware of and engaged in the struggles of our lives. The true God is a God who will use and repurpose our struggles to draw us to himself. As we understand the nature of genuine faith, we learn that God can transform our hardships into a life of blessing and eternal well-being far beyond anything we could have dreamed. To journey with Job, a man familiar with struggle, we also learn important fundamentals of the Christian life and faith. In many ways, Job’s life is a mirror of our own. Through his personal saga, Job not only shows us glimpses of the good life, a painful battle with the enemy, and a tiresome struggle with hardship, but he also exemplifies what it looks like to devote ourselves to God in the midst of personal hardship. Unexpectedly, we see that God himself is worthy of our deepest trust and fullest loyalty. To be sure, if Job is drawn to faith in God in light of his circumstances, this same God is surely worthy of our consideration no matter our circumstances. So, as we prayerfully listen to the story of Job’s life, let us heed the example of his faith.

Biblical Interpretation: Hearing the Word

Study the Text: Christian disciples ground themselves in God’s inspired word. In this movement, you will study the details of the biblical text in order to accurately understand what God’s word says.

Observation Questions

Read (or listen to) the whole passage of Scripture. Discuss the questions below for each section of the story. Pay attention to the details of the text to recall what the passage is saying. Use the focus verses to guide your conversation.

Storycraft

Theological Dialogue: Discussing the Plot

Explore the Text: We grow as Christ’s disciples when we root our lives in the truth. In this movement, you will explore the important teachings of this biblical passage.

Discussion Questions

Have someone in your community share their summary of the biblical story. As a community, discuss the following questions together.

Biblical Commentary

Read the following commentary of the biblical passage. Use this explanation to help gain a better understanding of the biblical narrative and important biblical principles that the passage teaches.

Passage Introduction

Key Idea

God is calling us to a life of faith in a broken and sinful world.

Passage Overview

All of us have experienced loss in life. Job’s life, suffering, and sustained faith provide a model for all of us who battle with pain and suffering. Part of grief and healing involves learning to vocalize our pain. One way that Christians have sought to do this is through a spiritual practice called lament. A lament seeks to express the struggles, sorrows, and suffering of our lives in a way that aids the grieving process and acknowledges trust in God. A typical lament has at least these four components: a cry to God, an expression of loss, a request for help, and a desire to trust. Job’s lament not only aided him in expressing his heartfelt loss but also served as a means to strengthen his faith in God. Ironically, it is often through the caverns of loss that we come to meet God in the light, learning who he really is. Read the following commentary as a guide to the meaning, teaching, and application of this key biblical text.

Passage Outline

1. Job Life and Prosperity (Job 1:1–5)
2. First Heavenly Gathering (Job 1:6–12)
3. Job’s First Testing (Job 1:13–19)
4. Second Heavenly Gathering (Job 2:1–6)
5. Job’s Second Testing (Job 2:7–9)
6. Job’s Friends Visit (Job 2:11–13)

Faith in a Broken World

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:11

His faith upholds him under all trials, by assuring him that every dispensation is under the direction of his Lord; that chastisements are a token of his love; that the season, measure, and continuance of his sufferings, are appointed by Infinite Wisdom, and designed to work for his everlasting good; and that grace and strength shall be afforded him, according to his day. Thus, his heart being fixed, trusting in the Lord, to whom he has committed all his concerns, and knowing that his best interests are safe, he is not greatly afraid of evil tidings, but enjoys a stable peace in the midst of a changing world. John Newton, Of the Practical Influence of Faith

Introduction

For Job, it truly was the best of times and the worst of times. However high and marvelous his prosperity soared, when tested, his suffering was equally low and excruciating. He not only experienced great material prosperity, but he was also afflicted with brutal physical anguish. While he knew the deep companionship of family relationships, Job was also deeply troubled by the grief and pain of loss. Job carried a reputation of honor and dignity, but he was eventually reduced to the lowest level of humiliation and shame. Though he maintained the devotion of a loyal worshiper of God, Job also faced some of the most soul-wrenching and faith-stretching questions that afflict the human heart.

In Job 1:1–2:13, the Bible records the true events of Job’s blessings and burdens. In many ways, Job’s story is humanity’s story. In one sense, Job’s story is utterly unique: he lived in a unique time, he underwent unique tests, and he endured unique hardships. His pain and suffering reached volcanic proportions. However, in another sense, Job’s story is our story—the story of every man and woman. He longed for the good life, he became the target of a brutal and unforgiving foe, he felt the painful weight of suffering and loss, and he experienced the challenge of faith—entrusting oneself to God. The questions addressed in Job’s narrative are the same questions that pulse through our spiritual veins: What is the good life? Why is there evil in this world? How long must we suffer? Where will I place my trust? Job’s difficult experiences force us to honestly face the challenges of our own lives. As we read Job’s story, we find ourselves as characters in the same unfolding drama that this ancient saint inhabited: a drama that describes the battle for the good life, the perfect character of a good God, the lamentable rebellion of evil, and the conquering power of a humble life of faith.

The world as we know it is a battered cosmos—a world embroiled in a serious conflict between God’s eternal goodness and the dark forces of evil. We lament this bad state of the world because we have an ancient and primeval memory of a world in perfect order, a world without suffering, pain, regret, or death. We somehow know that the world is not the way it is supposed to be. We know that every act of disobedience—the defiant cry of a child, the gluttonous indulgence in food, the reckless experimentation with sex, the tiresome wager with falsehood, or the enraged revenge on another’s life—is somehow connected to a larger, more original, revolt that ruptured God’s good creation. As we encounter the world’s deep-seated fracture—whether the monstrosity of the tragic or the subtlety of the surreptitious—there is a protest that arises in our souls.

Job’s story provides an answer to this protest: regardless of how good God’s blessings are, God himself is the ultimate good. Only in God is there rest from our burdens and healing from our suffering. God is the beginning point of our faith because he is the pinnacle of all that is good. In fact, God is the clue to unpacking the longings and hopes that we feel, the cipher to decrypt the riddle of the broken and painful lives that we experience, and the only foundation upon which we can build the good life. In short, God is the Ultimate Reality that makes sense of all other realities.

Though the events of this story occurred many millennia ago, the plot of Job’s life could not be more relevant to our own contemporary lives. While Job is a story about Job and about us, it is, more importantly, a story about God. It tells of God’s incredible goodness, his eternal perfection, and his mighty power. It reveals that, although this world—God’s good world—was intended to be enjoyed forever, something has gone terribly wrong at the hands of humans (and by the cruel scheme of a sinister foe). Nevertheless, God proves his love to fallen creation and his faithfulness to his redeemed people. Truly, God is trustworthy and good. Amazingly, God demonstrates his goodness through our sufferings. God is calling us to trust him in faith, and he often uses our hardships to beckon us to a life of devotion and worship. The narrative Job 1:1–2:13 poses pointed questions that probe the human heart: Do we love God sincerely? Or, do we feign acts of devotion to God in order to get good gifts from his hand? In the face of struggle and hardship, will we cling to God in faith (Job 1:5, 20–22) or accuse him as a culpable and blameworthy deity (Job 1:5, 11; 2:5; 9)? Job’s story is an invitation to trust God in a sinful and broken world. As we study this true and inspired narrative, a genuine faith is not only what Job displayed, but what God wants us to discover as well.

All Well and Good: Acknowledging the Battle for the Good Life

Biblical Narrative (Job 1:1–5)

Job experienced the full blessings of the good life. In the short introduction to this biblical narrative, we read about a man who enjoyed the kind of life that many long (and only dream) to possess. Importantly, the generic nature and unspecified timing of the narrative—“there was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job” (1:1) and “one day” (1:6; cf. 1:13; 2:1)—uphold his life as relatable and relevant to common humanity. As this narrative opens, we learn important details of Job’s life, character, relationships, and faith that are worthwhile and important for disciples in all generations and cultures.

Job was a man of integrity who exemplified godly character. He is described as “blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil” (1:1). Core to his character was a godly lifestyle, a commitment to God, and an aversion to evil. Job also enjoyed material prosperity. His wealth is attested in the fact that he owned a great quantity of livestock—“7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkey”—and had “a very large number of servants” (1:3; cf. 1 Samuel 25:2). Job’s material wealth, however, was not the height of his blessing. The relational harmony of Job’s family made his life full and abundant. Job had “seven sons and three daughters” (1:2) who lived together in frequent festivity and fraternal concord. Regularly, the family would gather together and enjoy food, drink, and fellowship: the “sons would take turns holding feasts in their homes” and during these feasts, “they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them” (1:4).

Adding to the richness of his life, Job was a man of dignity who had a great reputation. Job was “the greatest man of all the people of the East” (1:3; cf. 2:13 where it says that Job’s suffering was also “very great”). Most of all, Job was a pious man of sincere faith who cared about the godliness of his children. After the feast days, Job would intercede on behalf of his children for their spiritual well-being. To atone for the sins of his children (sin perhaps committed during the festive gatherings), Job would “send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them” (1:5). This habit—an activity that was described as Job’s “regular practice”—testified to a parent who maintained a relationship with God as a thing of great importance. A diligent father seeking to cover the sins of his children, Job knew that the good life was incomplete until one’s relationship with God was in order.

Biblical Principles.

Job as a General Representation of Humanity. Even though the unique circumstances of Job’s life and the vast quantity of his blessings may seem very different from our own, his life mirrors ours in many ways. Remember, the generic references in this narrative to characters, time, and locations—for instance, “there was a man” (1:1), “one day” (1:6; cf. 1:13; 2:1), “the people of the East” (1:3)—depict Job as a sort of “everyman,” a figure who captures something true and universal of human experience. Although many may not experience success in the specific ways (and intensity) that Job enjoyed, Job’s successes and prosperity represent longings common to the human heart. In this way, Job represents the quest of every man and every woman for the blessings of the good life. Since Job’s life narrative functions in this way, we can easily compare (and contrast) our life story with that of Job’s, learning about the true essence of a blessed life. Importantly, Job is a mirror to our hearts, revealing those things that we consider best, highest, and greatest.

Relationship with God. Although Job enjoyed many good things, his highest good was a healthy and holy fear of God (1:1). The nucleus of all Job’s blessings was his pious faith and commitment to God. The whole of his blessed life was built upon a foundation of wholehearted and godly devotion. In fact, as this story will show, Job’s fidelity to God was so precious that when every other blessing was removed from this life, his faith in God still represented a sufficient cause to call his life blessed. Job treated God with reverence, trusted him in faith, lived before him in reverence and respect, and considered him all-sufficient. His faith caused him to live a life of full obedience to the Lord. His obedience established an enduring character of godliness and holiness (1:1, 5). His holy character and godly discipline mobilized him to be an advocate and intercessor for others (1:5–6). Job’s faith-based relationship with the Lord was the crowning jewel of his life.

Fullness in Life. Naturally, we long to enjoy good things in life. Along with Job, we seek those things which make life meaningful and full. Job enjoyed material wealth, social honor, religious devotion, and meaningful relationships. In our own quest for a rich and satisfying life, these same blessings have great appeal, even though we are thousands of years separated from the life of this ancient saint. Living in a fallen and broken world, the good and beautiful enjoyments of life pique our imaginations of a perfect and untarnished world. Does such a world exist? Has it ever existed? If so, can the world be remade, restored, and repaired? As we will soon discover, God’s first work of creation was to make a world that was blessed, full, and flourishing (cf. Genesis 1:1–2:3). Thankfully, one day God promises to restore this world to a perfect and unblemished state. In the meantime, the intermittent and partial blessings we experience in this life give us a foretaste of that fuller good we will endlessly enjoy when God repairs the world in the life to come.

The ultimate question in life is not what is good, but what is the highest good. Some chase after money, seeking to fill their life with wealth and possessions. Some scour the world for fame, hoping the opinions of others or the applause of the crowd will make their lives meaningful. Others hunt for amusement under every technological rock and media crevice, seeking to escape their own circumstances or live in an alternate reality. Still more seek every opportunity to satisfy the cravings of the flesh, hunting for a life of pleasure and gratification. Although Job enjoyed many of these blessings—wealth, fame, festivity, and pleasure—this tested and proven devotee did not allow these temporal gifts to replace his enjoyment of the gift-giver, God himself.

Chasing fleeting fancies of life is sure to leave one disappointed and devastated. The shelf-life of the good things in this life is all too short. However, when the unchanging and eternal God becomes one’s highest good—one’s summum bonum—no disaster can ever steal away a person’s joy. Attaching ourselves to a good God is to ensure our experience of enduring blessing. God is certainly pleased when we enjoy the temporal pleasures of this life. But these good things only deliver their proper joy when they are subordinate to God’s role as the ultimate joy of our hearts. Amazingly, God has created us to ascend through earthly pleasures (and as we will see, through great suffering) to find God as our ultimate joy. The core of the good life is captured in the refrain, “God in the highest.”

A Costly Wager: Waging the Battle of Life in the Spiritual Realm

Biblical Narrative (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–6)

Subsequent scenes in Job’s life resonate with many facets of our own personal stories. Even when one achieves some measure of the good life, wickedness and evil threaten to destroy God’s good gifts. In the present narrative, the beauty and blessing of Job’s life were suddenly toppled by a sinister attack from the enemy. We learn that “one day the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord” and at this time “Satan also came with them” (1:6). The gathering of the sons of God, Satan, and God is a celestial scene which may have been some sort of heavenly assembly during which God met with his angelic court. A created angelic being who rebelled against God but was also subservient to God, Satan showed up for the meeting. God asked Satan from where he had come. Satan told God that he was “roaming through the earth” and “walking back and forth in it” (1:7). In this statement, Satan admitted that he was a malicious and prowling creature who sought to do harm.

After Satan announced his sinister activity, God did something that might seem quite bewildering. God presented Job as a specimen of spiritual maturity. He asked Satan if he “considered My servant Job” because “there is no one on earth like him” (1:8). The quality of Job’s life character and faith devotion was honorable. Drawing attention to Job’s righteous character, God repeated the qualitative assessment that the introduction of this narrative made about Job: he was “a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil” (1:8).

Having already learned about Job’s character, this repeated commendation of Job’s pious life upheld Job as an exemplar of stellar faith and also a potential target of Satan’s attack. An adversary of God and God’s people, Satan was suspicious of Job’s religious devotion coexisting with great blessing. Satan questioned God’s claim of Job’s integrity. He asked if Job really did “fear God for nothing” (1:9) or if Job only served God because God had “placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns” (1:10). Satan accused God of securing Job’s religious devotion only because God had “blessed the work of his hands” and because Job’s “possessions [had] increased in the land” (1:10). In essence, Satan brought an allegation against the sincerity of Job’s faith—which was also an allegation against God’s integrity—that piety was purchased at the price of blessing, comfort, and ease.

After Satan’s accusation, this enemy brought a wager to God. Faced with our own hardships and suffering, we should be challenged by Satan’s confrontational words to God as a convicting challenge to our hearts. Satan suggested that if God destroyed Job’s blessings and removed the hedge of protection around him, Job would “surely curse [God] to [his] face” (1:11). In this verbal slander, Satan suggested that Job’s faith was not genuine. Amazingly, God permitted Satan to test Job. God allowed Satan to do anything against the blessings that Job enjoyed, but Satan was not allowed to harm Job in any way (1:12). Intent to vindicate himself, torment God’s devotee, and assault God’s character, Satan “went out from the presence of the Lord” (1:12). The evil adversary who sought to afflict God’s servant was determined to prove that Job’s faith and devotion were only superficial veneers.

Before we explore what kind of havoc Satan brought upon Job in this first encounter, we want to observe Satan’s second meeting with God. Because of the cyclical nature of the story, we briefly skip ahead to this second conversation with God because both sections of the account are incredibly parallel. On “another day” (2:1), sometime after Job endured his first bout of painful loss (cf. 1:13–19), God was again meeting with his heavenly court. As before, “the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord” and “Satan also came with them to present himself before Him” (2:1). Also, similar to the first heavenly meeting, God asked where he was coming from and Satan replied (also like before) that he was roaming and prowling on the earth (2:2).

Again, God offered Job as a specimen of integrity to Satan, only this time asserting that Job “still retains his integrity, even though you [Satan] incited Me against him to ruin him without cause” (2:3). Satan intensified his allegations against Job and God. The relentless enemy claimed that “a man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life” (2:4). Challenging God with an arrogant spirit, Satan instructed God, “stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face” (2:5). In essence, Satan insinuated that if Job experienced physical pain himself, he would surely curse God and abandon his religious devotion. God gave Satan permission to test Job again and repeated a limitation that this time Satan could have free rein to afflict Job as he saw fit, but he “must spare his life” (2:6). Again, Satan went out of God’s presence to persecute God’s faithful servant (2:7).

Biblical Principles.

Spiritual Realm. These two parallel scenes of Job’s narrative (1:6–12; 2:1–6) help us understand the reality of the spiritual realm. Although we live in a physical, material world, not everything that exists is physical and material. There is a real God who exists, and he cannot be seen by the human eye. There are also spiritual beings who live in the world. Identified as “the sons of God” (1:6; cf. 2:1), these spiritual beings are likely angelic beings created by God to do his bidding as servants and messengers. The heavenly gathering could be understood as a sort of “assembly of accountability” where created beings gather to report their activities to their Maker. Even when not gathered before God, all the activities of the spiritual realm are subject to God’s judgment and evaluation. The world in which we live is an interlocking world of spirituality and materiality, God enthroned above it all as ultimate and sovereign. We live as disciples of Christ in a world where spiritual forces are at work. In humility and faith, we do best when we surrender ourselves to the authority (and protection) of the one who created all, material and spiritual.

Satan. Although evil and sinister, Satan is no less a created being (1:6; 2:1). He inhabits God’s creation as one of God’s creatures. Elsewhere, we learn that Satan was created as a good angelic being who rebelled against God in pride (cf. Isaiah 14:18–23; Ezekiel 28:1–26; Luke 10:18; Revelation 8:10; 9:1; 12:1–17). An enemy of God, Satan is also no less subservient and accountable to God, required to answer God’s examining questions (1:7; 2:2). Satan’s character and activity are opposite to God; in fact, we learn that Satan opposes God (and God’s people). Satan’s very name connotes the idea of an adversary or accuser. Clearly from this passage, we see that Satan opposes God with the weaponry of manipulation, accusation, deceit, and affliction.

Like a prowling predator or devious spy (1:7; 2:2), Satan resorts to underhanded schemes that violently assault the people of God and perpetrate evil in the world. He aims to harm, discourage, and derail people from the life of faith. He is evil in his intent, a destructive marauder of all that is good in the world. Satan is the quintessential foe of God and the good life. In this biblical narrative, Satan challenged God, accused God’s faithful follower, and suggested that Job’s piety was a sham (1:9–11; cf. 2:4–5). But Satan cannot inflict destruction or harm without permission from God. Satan is limited in his power, presence, and activity, even as Job’s story conspicuously shows. While it remains a mystery why God allows Satan to wreak any havoc in the world, it is clear that Satan, although powerful and deceitful, is on a restrictive leash (1:12; 2:6). Disciples of Christ must be watchful and alert to the fact that a fierce enemy seeks their destruction, but faithful followers of Jesus need not fear Satan in terror or panic.

Character of God. These two scenes also help us learn some basic truths about the character of God. God celebrates all that is aligned with him. God’s commendation of Job’s character highlights the fact that God is blameless, upright, and without sin (1:8; 2:3). Clearly, this passage reinforces the fact that God has full authority over his world and the beings who inhabit it. God orchestrates the events of human history while not violating human agency. As such, all creation is accountable to God: the sons of God, Satan, Job, and even natural forces (1:6–8, 13–19; 2:1–3). This authority is manifest in God’s supreme sovereignty over all things. Not even Satan can do that which God forbids (1:12; 2:6). The life of faith is lived in the context of a material-spiritual world in which a fierce enemy aims for our destruction, but a good, righteous, powerful, and sovereign God calls us to submit to him. Just like the sons of God gathered before God’s presence, God wants faithful disciples to live their lives coram deo, constantly in the presence of God.

In the Heat of Our Moments: Enduring the Battle of Trials

Biblical Narrative (Job 1:13–19; 2:7–9)

After these two scenes of a heavenly assembly, the narrative records two episodes in which Satan inflicted painful suffering upon Job and his family. As we reflect on our own suffering, we can relate to Job’s unthinkable trials. After the first heavenly meeting, Job experienced a horrific cascade of tragedies in one day (1:13). At a time when Job’s children were feasting—“eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house” (1:13)—a messenger told Job that “the Sabeans swooped down” (1:15) and stole his oxen and donkeys (1:14). These raiders also murdered Job’s workers when “they put the servants to the sword” (1:15). Only one servant escaped the raid to report this tragedy to Job (1:15).

While this messenger was still speaking, another messenger reported to Job that “the fire of God fell from heaven” and “burned and consumed the sheep and the servants” (1:16). The destruction was so severe that this one messenger was the only one who escaped to bring this news to Job. While this messenger was still giving his report, a third messenger came and told Job that an enemy people, the Chaldeans, raided his flock of camels and killed his servants (1:17). These assailants “formed three bands, raided the camels, and took them away” and also “put the servants to the sword” (1:17). Like the others, this messenger was the only one to escape the attack. Culminating this calamitous day, a fourth messenger told Job that “a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house” (1:19) where his sons and daughters were feasting (1:18). The messenger told Job that this forceful windstorm caused the house to collapse, killing all of his children. So comprehensive was the tragedy that this messenger was the only survivor of the disastrous event. In one day, Satan robbed Job of his possessions, killed his children, destroyed his wealth, and ruined the life of festivity that Job and his family enjoyed.

After Satan’s second conversation with God, Satan’s targeted attacks on Job became personal and physical. Wanting Job to defect from his faith, Satan “infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head” (2:7). The sores and boils were so painful that “Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes” (2:8). In addition to Job’s loss of possessions, family, and wealth, Job’s physical health was ruined, his reputation was decimated, and a home of feasting had become a house of mourning. Sitting in the ashes, Job’s life of mirth and merriment had collapsed into grief and misery. Harmony and peace had unraveled into discord and chaos. Even Job’s wife turned against him, urging him to abandon his faith in God (2:9). An adversary and cruel foe, Satan had brought Job from fullness of joy to the ash heap of sadness.

Biblical Principles.

Relating Our Suffering to Job’s. Job’s two bouts of affliction (1:13–19; 2:7–8) are recorded in the Bible for our encouragement, endurance, and instruction. All humans experience trial and hardship. Job is upheld as a sufferer who can relate to all other sufferers. When we observe Job’s suffering and loss, we cannot help but reflect on our own. We can empathize with Job, and Job could likely empathize with us. Even though the unique details of our stories differ, the emotional distress, the mental anguish, and the physical torment are a shared experience in suffering and loss. Job lost his material wealth (1:16–17), his closest relationships (1:18–19; cf. 2:9–10), his physical health (2:7–8), and his great reputation (2:8). Many people can relate to experiences where they have undergone similar kinds of loss. Some may have experienced greater suffering than Job. Job’s suffering was so great that people could no longer recognize who he was (2:11–13), and his own wife encouraged him to forsake God (2:9). The toll of suffering had disfigured and defaced Job. Similarly, our own suffering shapes, affects, and changes us in many ways.

Different Kinds of Suffering. In this account, Job experienced a variety of hardships: destruction (1:16), raid (1:14–15, 17), theft (1:14–15, 17), murder (1:15, 17), catastrophic tragedy (1:18–19), physical ailment (2:7–8), and shame (2:8). It is important to notice the “texture of trauma” that Job endured as it helps give vocabulary for us to describe our own experiences of loss and suffering. Like raiders who swoop down to attack a vulnerable victim, suffering can be sudden and unexpected (1:15, 17). As we go about the normal events of our lives (1:15), painful hardship can rush upon us like a surprise attack. Like an enemy who violently attacks its target (1:15, 17), hardships can violently assault and ambush us. In general, suffering is a violent blow against humanity. Specifically, suffering is a brutal strike against our life and livelihood.

Part of Job’s experience of suffering was being the victim of theft. The robbery of his livestock (1:14, 17) resonates with our own experience of trial and tribulation. Many have been prey to acts of thievery. But even if one has not had possessions stolen, a general way of describing suffering is akin to the experience of loss. We live in a world where the people, possessions, and positions we enjoy can be taken, stolen, robbed, or wrongly taken away by others. Part of this loss is felt in the fact that we live in a natural world that groans under its sinful and broken condition. Sometimes, our loss is the direct result of an enemy’s attack. Job lost his livelihood, workers, and family to the powerful force of a heavenly fire (1:16) and a fierce windstorm (1:18–19). Similarly, many have experienced the harsh realities of natural disasters or tragic catastrophes. Such forces of nature can bring a destructive end to the life that we previously enjoyed. Many around the world have endured such disastrous events. The various ways in which we suffer can seemingly (or actually) demolish our lives. We suffer much like a house of feasting collapsing and becoming a pile of rubble (1:19).

Job’s physical affliction—being covered head to toe with boils (2:7)—resonates with those who undergo sickness and disease, particularly with some who cannot find any relief from their pain (2:8). As Job sat in the ash heap (2:8), his experience of suffering connects with those who endure great emotional, mental, and social affliction. In addition to the intrinsic pain of suffering are the common byproducts of shame, humiliation, and marginalization. The fact that Job’s own wife encouraged him to defect from his faith—“curse God and die” (2:9)—should encourage those who have endured painful dysfunction and difficulty in their closest human relationships. No one is immune to suffering. The recorded detail of Job’s suffering aids each person in describing, naming, and lamenting his own grief. Such is an important work. Although we experience immense and unspeakable hardship in life, the power of faith in a good and sovereign God means that all is not lost in our valleys of suffering. Through faith, our trials (rather than defining us) can be transformed into triumphs of devotion to God!

Never Stop Believing: Embracing the Battle of Faith with God’s People

Biblical Narrative (Job 1:20–22; 2:9–13)

Job’s response to his trials is worthy of reflection and emulation. After Job lost his wealth, servants, and children in the first cycle of suffering, “Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head” and then he “fell to the ground and worshiped” (1:20). Tearing his clothes and shaving his head, he enacted his grief and loss. Falling down to the ground and worshiping, he expressed his devotion to God. Job acted in a way that communicated the deep mourning of his spirit and his sincere loyalty to God. Giving an initial commentary on his humble condition, Job acknowledged, “naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return” (1:21). Job then acknowledged God’s grace and authority in the form of a confession: “the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away” (1:21). Job’s confession turned to an exclamation of praise: “blessed be the name of the Lord” (1:21). By no means was Job a perfect and sinless man. Nevertheless, he maintained a sterling faith amid unspeakable hardship. Amazingly, “in all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing” (1:22).

After Satan struck Job with painful boils, Job’s wife accused him. She asked him, “Do you still retain your integrity?” (2:9). Overwhelmed with her loss in a way that repelled her from God, she told her husband to “curse God and die” (2:9). Eerily, the words of Job’s wife sound similar to the words of Satan (2:9 cf. 1:11; 2:5). Still resilient in his faith toward God, Job confronted his wife’s disbelief. Job said that she was speaking “as a foolish woman speaks” (2:10). Job asserted that real faith receives blessing and difficulty from God’s hand (2:10). Consistent and faithful, the account records that “in all this, Job did not sin in what he said” (2:10; cf. 1:22).

The news of Job’s suffering had spread. Three of his friends—“Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite” (2:11)—had become aware of Job’s hardship. Each of these friends “came from his home” and “met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him” (2:11). Even in suffering, Job’s blessings were noticeable in the friendships that he had. Although these friends could see Job “from afar,” they “could barely recognize Job” (2:12). So great was Job’s suffering, his affliction took a physical toll on his figure. Compassionate and moved with pity, Job’s friends “began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head” (2:12). In this act, they expressed a sense of concord with their friend and shared his grief. In a show of true friendship, the three companions “sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights” (2:13). During this week-long period of grief, “no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense his suffering was” (2:13). Although the friends could not fix Job’s problems, they (at least, at this moment) lovingly entered into his hardship in a display of communal devotion.

Biblical Principles

Genuine Faith in God. Faith cannot be proven genuine until it encounters difficult circumstances. Job’s trials forced him to wrestle with the reality, goodness, and authority of God. His triumphant faith in God allowed him to maintain the core and foundation of the good life in the midst of unspeakable suffering. For Job, this foundational core to a life of blessing was his faith and devotion to God. So it is for us. Certainly, Job was honest about his human condition, humble state, and painful loss. He expressed his suffering in lament (1:20), he acknowledged his unworthiness and poverty before God (1:21), and he understood his own susceptibility to temptation and sin (1:22; cf. 1:5). While he acknowledged his grief, Job declared his dependence on God (1:21). Job was convinced of God’s integrity. For Job, God was worthy of worship (1:20), sovereign over all (1:21), and innocent of any evil (1:22). God’s integrity was the foundation of Job’s integrity. In Job’s rejection of his wife’s foolishness (2:10), Job based his faith upon wisdom, a practical way of understanding reality and navigating the perplexities of life. The climax of wisdom is sincere and unalloyed trust in God. For Job (as for us), no other foundation than faith in God can allow us to endure and persevere through suffering.

Like Job, we need to learn to see God before our struggles arise, understanding who God really is in his good and perfect character. But we also need to learn to trust God in our struggles. God is fully aware of all that is going to happen to us. He allows us to endure hardship to reinforce our faith and draw us closer to himself. Additionally, Job’s story encourages us to hope in God beyond our struggles. God is in charge of the entire universe, and no event happens in our lives without God’s permission. God has the last word in all the happenings of the world, even as the book of Job will eventually deomonstrate (cf. Job 38–42). The temporary affliction we endure is part of God’s larger cosmic plan of redemption in his world. All this reminds us that the battle for the good life will ultimately be defined by the sincerity of our faith in God.

Christian Community. While each person is responsible for their faith in God, the Christian life is a community venture. God brings us into relationship with other believers in order to discover and deepen our faith in God. Devotion to God is intensely communal. The visit of Job’s three friends emphasizes the community aspect of the good life. Some of the most precious gifts we enjoy in life are the relationships we have with others. Although many of Job’s friends will speak with him and about God inappropriately throughout the book of Job (cf. Job 3–41), their silent presence with Job at the end of this narrative shows their solidarity, compassion, and empathy with their friend. Initially, they visited Job to “sympathize” and “comfort” him (2:11). They entered into his grief and lament (2:12), recognizing his great loss and affliction. They entered into his journey of sadness as they sat the ground with him for seven days in silence (2:13). While some of the great pain in life comes when relationships are strained or broken, some of life’s greatest joys come from the camaraderie and companionship of healthy relationships, especially relationships that support one another through suffering in this broken world. In the battle of life, God wants us to discover the true essence of the good life: pursuing faith in God together with other faithful companions.

Conclusion

God wants the good life for his people. Considering the current condition of the world and the sinful state of humanity, we struggle to possess the good life. As we consider the blessing and prosperity that Job enjoyed at the beginning of this story, we can all resonate with our deep longing for a full and flourishing life. Similarly, like the two episodes of affliction that Job endured, we can also relate to different kinds of suffering and hardship. These experiences help us to understand the nature of God and the spiritual world. There is a battle between a good and sovereign God and an evil and rebellious enemy. This battle is not between equal rivals. God is supreme over Satan and his devious schemes. God definitively and decisively defeats Satan and his schemes. In this way, afflictions (even the most horrendous tragedies) direct us to a faithful devotion to God as the core and foundation of all blessing. The torment of Job’s life and subsequent trust in God highlight that God alone is the key to a blessed life. If all is taken away, God is sufficient to make life meaningful. The test of faith is the ultimate struggle in life. Such a struggle poses the most crucial question we ask: To whom will we entrust our lives?

Many blessings exist in life. Money, possessions, relationships, family, reputation, and festivity can be good gifts from God. However, many mistakenly place their faith in the gifts of God rather than in the God who has given the gifts. Some lives are built upon the goodness of material blessings, not knowing how to find joy and meaning if such blessings were ever lost. Job’s life teaches us that the fullest life is a life that places faith in God in the midst of hardship and difficulty. Ironically, if all we do is seek God’s blessings, we will lead ourselves to utter ruin. Instead, the narrative of Job instructs us to seek after God, placing genuine faith in him where we can enjoy the promise of the good life regardless of the losses we may accrue, the spiritual battles that may ensue, or the hardships we may endure.

Session Synopsis

SESSION 1 SYNOPSIS
Embracing Faith in a Broken World	In this passage, Job embodies key aspects of the good life: a life of meaning, substance, and blessing. After two discussions between God and Satan discuss Job’s faith in heavenly assemblies, Job endured incredible suffering and hardship. In the midst of his pain and affliction, he displays a wholehearted commitment to God. A summary of this story’s principles is outlined below.
Blessed Life	A blessed life embraces genuine faith in God (1:1, 5, 8-9; 2:3, 10), displays godly character and conduct (1:1, 8, 22; 2:3, 9-10), cherishes the family (1:2, 4-5), and enjoys God’s gracious gifts with gratitude and contentment (1:2-5, 10, 21).
Suffering	Humans experience suffering in many ways. This suffering can come in the form of sudden loss (1:15, 17), violent attack (1:15, 17), natural catastrophe (1:16, 19), physical affliction (2:7-8), and interpersonal conflict (2:9-10).
God’s Character	God is sovereign and supreme over all creation (1:6-8; 2:1-3). He is righteous and holy in his character (1:8; 2:3). He is good and benevolent in all his works (1:10). God is worthy of our highest worship and most complete devotion (1:20-22; 2:10).
Spiritual Realm	There is a spiritual world that exists. There are spiritual beings who serve God’s purposes and there are spiritual beings who have rebelled against God and oppose his purposes. Satan is an evil spiritual being who accuses God and seeks to destroy God’s people (1:6-12; 2:1-7).
Faith Community	We embrace the life of faith with a spiritual community (2:11-13; cf. 2:9-10). God has designed the community of faith to encourage, comfort, and support God’s people in the life of faith (2:11).
Genuine Faith	God calls us to a life of faith and devotion. Genuine devotion to God is characterized by accurate belief in the truth (1:21), godly character and conduct (1:1, 5, 8, 22; 2:3, 9–10), wholehearted trust in God’s goodness (1:5, 11, 22; 2:5, 10), undivided commitment to the Lord (1:1, 5, 8–9, 11; 2:3), and humble worship of God (1:5, 20–21). Although we honestly express our grief, suffering, and loss (1:20–21; 2:8, 12–13), believers put their complete hope in God as their ultimate good, regardless of their surrounding circumstances.

Personal Reflection: Entering the Story

Apply the Text: God calls his people to follow what the Bible teaches. In this movement, you will discuss how to apply God’s word to your lives.

Reflection Questions

Encourage one person to share how this story has impacted. Use the reflection questions to examine your life in light of this biblical passage.

Spiritual Practice

Reflect on the following summary of core spiritual practices. Consider which spiritual practice you will perform in order to internalize this biblical passage. If you need a guide, consider working through the scripted spiritual practice on the next page as a way to internalize the truth of the story.

Personal Lament

Take time to think through your life. Consider the losses and hardships that you have endured. Try to write a lament in the form of a prayer to God that includes the four movements in the following guide.

Cry Out to God

Call out to God, acknowledging his presence and seeking his help.

Express Your Loss

Name and describe the painful situation you have experienced.

Request God’s Help

Ask for God’s intervention in your predicament or hardship.

Confess Trust in God

Assert God’s faithfulness and your commitment to trust him.

Ministry Practice: Rehearsing the Script

Minister the Text:God wants us to use his word to edify the Christian community. In this movement, you will utilize this biblical passage to minister to other believers and build them up in their faith.

Reflection Questions

Look at the infographic below. Use the questions to think about how to minister this text to other believers.

Missional Outreach: Publicizing the Truth

Witness the Text: In word and deed, God calls his people to testify about the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. In this movement, you will utilize this biblical passage to reach out to unbelievers.

Reflection Questions

Look at the infographic below. Use the questions to think about how to use this teach to reach out to unbelievers.