Saturday, December 3, 2011

The Book of Job and False Assumptions about Suffering

In one horrific moment, Job loses everything. His children and servants die, and his livestock is carried away by thieves. Even his wife tells him to curse God and die. And yet, he still maintains his integrity and faith in God. He is proven to be a righteous man.

Why then, would such tragedy befall him? This is the age old question of "why do bad things happen to good people?" But it is also deeper than that. Job legitimately thinks that God is punishing him. And, though perplexed and in despair, he accepts this apparent judgement.

It is this faulty assumption that drives the whole book. Not only does Job think this, but his friends do as well. And in an attempt to help him recover from his horrible circumstances, they actually condemn him based on their flawed perception.

Of course, as readers we know that this  is not God's doing at all. We are aware that it is simply the attempt of Satan to derail Job's faithfulness to God. But Job and his friends are going based on what they know, and from the information that is available to them, it seems entirely logical to conclude that the tragic events of Job's life are being directed by God.

If their understanding were accurate, then the assumption this is an act of divine punishment is a logical conclusion.

But the whole irony of the situation is that these horrific things are happening to Job because he is righteous. The reason that this started to begin with was that the enemy wanted to show God that Job's faith in Him was temporal, and only based on the blessing he had received. Satan saw that Job was righteous, and sought to undermine his integrity.

What is more, the very reason God allowed the enemy to attempt such a thing was that He knew it would end in failure. God knew Job would maintain his integrity, continue to live a life of worship, and ultimately bring glory to His name.

Yet, neither Job or his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad,and Zophar, see what is going on behind the scenes. His friends mean to do good. But they tell him that the cause of his trials are unrighteousness, and add to his pain more by condemning him.

The mistake Job's friends make is a common one. They assume that suffering is God's punishment for our sin. And while it is true that rebellion against God results in disarray in our lives, the majority of the time that is not the reason why we go through pain. Trials and tragedy are a natural part of life, as a result of the human condition.

This knowledge allows us to see meaning in our pain, and in the pain of others, that we might miss otherwise. When we suffer, it is because God knows we can handle it. He allows it to become part of His plan, and He knows that, like Job, we will bring Him glory through it. And ultimately, pain becomes part of God's redemptive plan; in suffering, we learn to be there for others, and we find out how to truly love. In the end, it gives us the chance to build deeper character, and to become more like Christ. And it is in our times of darkness that God uses us as a light to others who are also suffering.


As for Job, we see that all ends well. God finally makes Himself known, and sets the record straight. God proves Job to be a righteous man, and gives him to the opportunity to bless his friends that had been condemning him. Finally, God restores to Job what he had lost- and even more.

And just like Job, our struggles ultimately end in triumph. Beauty comes from our pain, life springs from our grief, and we see that our suffering is a part of God's plan.

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