Developing a Right Perspective of Suffering
Developing a Right Perspective of Suffering
Introduction to Job
How do we view suffering in light of God’s promises to protect us? Why do the righteous suffer? If God is loving, why does he seem silent in the face of our suffering? These are the questions that are raised by the book of Job. Yet when we dive into the book, we soon become lost in the discussion.
To the modern reader, the book of Job remains an enigma. We understand and identify with the depth of Job’s suffering and the frustration Job has with his three friends. However, while reading Job, we often get lost. We are familiar with the first two chapters, which deal with the calamity of Job and the enduring nature of his faith. We resonate with the final chapters where God speaks with great eloquence concerning his exalted power. We find hope in the final chapter, which provides the happy-ever-after ending. But as we read the interaction between Job and his friends, we become lost and confused. Therefore, we will slow down a bit in our devotional and take a closer look at the book to gain not only a better understanding of it, but also to see how it relates to our lives today and the struggles we face. While we may not be able to understand the depth of Job’s calamity, we can connect to the reality of suffering and the personal and inward pain and confusion it brings.
To understand the book of Job, we need to recognize that it is part of the wisdom literature in the Old Testament. The wisdom literature of the Bible encompasses the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, several of the Psalms, and the book of James in the New Testament. While the legal literature (the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy) deals with the specific commands of God, as recorded to provide the moral standard that God requires, wisdom literature examines the moral order that God has established in creation to govern the universe. It seeks to provide practical guidance for a successful life in light of the moral order established by God. Wisdom was meant to be both practical and pragmatic rather than theoretical. To achieve success in life, a person needs to live in accordance with the moral order that God has established. Thus, Proverbs point to the fact that success in life comes when we live according to the moral order established by God. Therefore, we read in Proverbs 3:5-6 the assurance that if we “trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge Him, then he will make your paths straight.” The key to a happy and blessed life is living in accordance with the moral order that God established in creation.
But life does not always work the way we believe it should. There are times when the righteous are not blessed, when the wicked seem to prosper, and our paths are not straight. Instead of experiencing a blessed life, we find ourselves facing trials, adversity, and problems. In a broken world, cancer strikes the righteous with impunity while the wicked seem to enjoy a carefree life. This leads us to the paradox of faith in which the promises of blessing for obedience are not realized. Both Job and Ecclesiastes seek to answer the same questions: “What happens when the promises of wisdom fail? Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper? If God is the controller of history, then why do bad things happen to them?” In many ways, it is not Job that is on trial throughout the book; it is God himself, for if God is God, then why does he allow us to suffer?
As we go through life, we are often faced with the same questions. We obey God and follow His word, yet we still face suffering and trials. Simply put: Bad things happen to good people! This leads us to the question: Why do we suffer when we have done everything right? In the end Job provides the answer. The answer lies in the sovereign purpose of God. God is God, and that is all we need to know.
Introduction to Job
How do we view suffering in light of God’s promises to protect us? Why do the righteous suffer? If God is loving, why does he seem silent in the face of our suffering? These are the questions that are raised by the book of Job. Yet when we dive into the book, we soon become lost in the discussion.
To the modern reader, the book of Job remains an enigma. We understand and identify with the depth of Job’s suffering and the frustration Job has with his three friends. However, while reading Job, we often get lost. We are familiar with the first two chapters, which deal with the calamity of Job and the enduring nature of his faith. We resonate with the final chapters where God speaks with great eloquence concerning his exalted power. We find hope in the final chapter, which provides the happy-ever-after ending. But as we read the interaction between Job and his friends, we become lost and confused. Therefore, we will slow down a bit in our devotional and take a closer look at the book to gain not only a better understanding of it, but also to see how it relates to our lives today and the struggles we face. While we may not be able to understand the depth of Job’s calamity, we can connect to the reality of suffering and the personal and inward pain and confusion it brings.
To understand the book of Job, we need to recognize that it is part of the wisdom literature in the Old Testament. The wisdom literature of the Bible encompasses the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, several of the Psalms, and the book of James in the New Testament. While the legal literature (the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy) deals with the specific commands of God, as recorded to provide the moral standard that God requires, wisdom literature examines the moral order that God has established in creation to govern the universe. It seeks to provide practical guidance for a successful life in light of the moral order established by God. Wisdom was meant to be both practical and pragmatic rather than theoretical. To achieve success in life, a person needs to live in accordance with the moral order that God has established. Thus, Proverbs point to the fact that success in life comes when we live according to the moral order established by God. Therefore, we read in Proverbs 3:5-6 the assurance that if we “trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge Him, then he will make your paths straight.” The key to a happy and blessed life is living in accordance with the moral order that God established in creation.
But life does not always work the way we believe it should. There are times when the righteous are not blessed, when the wicked seem to prosper, and our paths are not straight. Instead of experiencing a blessed life, we find ourselves facing trials, adversity, and problems. In a broken world, cancer strikes the righteous with impunity while the wicked seem to enjoy a carefree life. This leads us to the paradox of faith in which the promises of blessing for obedience are not realized. Both Job and Ecclesiastes seek to answer the same questions: “What happens when the promises of wisdom fail? Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper? If God is the controller of history, then why do bad things happen to them?” In many ways, it is not Job that is on trial throughout the book; it is God himself, for if God is God, then why does he allow us to suffer?
As we go through life, we are often faced with the same questions. We obey God and follow His word, yet we still face suffering and trials. Simply put: Bad things happen to good people! This leads us to the question: Why do we suffer when we have done everything right? In the end Job provides the answer. The answer lies in the sovereign purpose of God. God is God, and that is all we need to know.
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