The Book of Job is a very familiar book to most people. Many through the centuries have heard of or read this great masterpiece on human suffering. Job is a book of poetry and prose, but it is listed along with the poetical books of the Bible, and its author is unknown. Though comprised mostly of poetic passages written in Hebrew, Hebrew poetry did not have the Western style meter or rhyme, rather, it was composed of parallel thoughts that are synonymous or contrasting. Only the first second, and last chapters are written in prose. Some say it is the oldest story in the Bible, most likely written sometime during the life of Abraham because there is no mention of Israel or the Law of Moses. Whether the reader is secular, Christian, or Jewish Job is recognized even by literary critics as being among the world’s most magnificent dramatic pieces.

No matter what one’s opinion of Job is, or what one’s religion is, Job deals with the question that all humans ask: why do people suffer? Though suffering is the main issue being dealt with in the book it does not encompass all of the author’s purpose. The answer to the age-old question is not specifically given in the book, but the reader is given a clue as to the dealings of God with his most faithful followers through the example of Job. One of the truths that stands out is that no matter what man thinks about his fate as given to him by God, it is not always due to the life men live.

As Andersen has pointed out concerning Job, "The problem of suffering, human misery, or the larger sum of evil in all its forms is a problem only for the person who believes in one God who is all-powerful and all-loving." All the questions such as justice/injustice, good/evil, sovereignty/freedom, innocence/guilt, and blessing/cursing – as they relate to God, man, and Satan, are all presented within the same context in the Book of Job.

As already noted the main issue in the Book of Job is suffering. This is a topic that is pertinent to all humans because all humans suffer at some point in their lives -- whether they are "good" people or evil. Given the old age of the Book of Job it is extraordinary that it is still so relevant today. Job is a righteous man who seeks God and fears God with all of his heart. He has a large family and many riches. God has blessed him abundantly. The beautiful thing about Job at the outset of the story is that he recognizes God’s grace and mercy in his life, and he gives all glory to God.

The scene changes in the book from introducing Job and his life to a scene in which God is speaking with the angels and Satan. This is the key to the book because it gives only the reader, not Job, a behind the scenes view at what is taking place. God asks Satan to consider his servant Job. He reminds him of how righteous Job is (an extraordinary concept coming from the Almighty). Satan takes the challenge because he is convinced that Job is only faithful to God because God has provided him with so much. From here Satan begins to torment Job without actually touching the man himself.

What is amazing is what begins to happen in Job’s life. Satan’s power is displayed here in a way that is frightening. In Job 1:14-15 Satan flexes his muscles by stirring up the Sabeans, and they attack Job’s oxen and donkeys and kill his servants. Only one escapes, and he informs Job what happened. In verse 16 Satan shows that he has the power to cause fire to come down from Heaven. This is an interesting occurrence because, if Satan has this type of power then why was he not able to call down fire from Heaven during the time of Elijah? What it shows is that God allows Satan his power, and He gives it to him when it will bring Him glory. Elijah’s "challenge" with the prophets of Baal brought glory to God because God’s power was displayed -- not Satan’s. At any rate, the fire destroyed Job’s sheep and the servants who attended them. In verse 17 Satan, just like he did with the Sabeans, stirs up the Chaldeans, and they destroy Job’s camels along with the servants who attended them. Finally, in verses 18-19 Satan is shown to have power over nature itself when he causes the wind to blow so hard that it collapses the house Job’s children are in, and they all die.

Satan wasted no time it seems from the time God released him to test Job, and his display of power was obviously very effective. Later, he will also have the power to afflict Job with physical diseases. So Satan’s power, as displayed in this narrative, is supernatural, quick, and very powerful; powerful in the sense that it devastates while also bringing glory to God.

Following this awesome display of power, Job, being the recipient of Satanic injustices, does not curse God. "The book shows that the sufferer can question and doubt, face the hard questions of life with faith, maintain an unbroken relationship with a loving God, and still come to a satisfactory resolution for personal and collective injustice and undeserved suffering."

If the central issue of the Book of Job is suffering then the book invariably must also have a solution to the problem, otherwise the book would just be a depressing piece of literature that has no purpose. The book and its presentation of the suffering of an innocent man "serves as a dependable, useful model for the believer of any generation in dealing with the problem of theodicy (a defense of the integrity of the justice and righteousness of God in light of the evil, injustice and undeserved suffering in the world)." Though God’s reasoning for Job’s suffering is not spelled out specifically when God speaks to Job in the end, His point is well taken by the reader -- not Job. The story of Job’s suffering is for those who read it and not necessarily for Job’s own good, though Job himself learns a thing or two. What the book is telling its readers is that there is not always a logical reason for the suffering humans must endure. Job was being used by God as an example for all mankind. He lost almost all he had, but he received all that he had lost -- along with a double portion in the end. The effectiveness of Job’s life served its purpose in at least one prophet of the Bible -- Ezekiel. It is evident from Ezekiel’s writings that Job had a profound influence on him and in the people of his day as evidenced by his inclusion among the likes of Daniel and Noah (Ezekiel 14:14, 20).

The basic approaches to explaining the central problem may be viewed in two categories according to Bullock. The first category is theological. In this view the central issue of the book is evil. But the author makes no effort to resolve this problem. Other issues stem from the problem of evil: its mystery, the prosperity of the wicked, and the suffering of the righteous. The latter begs the question of whether or not there is a moral order in the universe. So what is the resolution? Johannes Pedersen says, "Job must subject himself to the mighty will of God, trusting to the fact that man has his righteousness and God his; and when they do not harmonize, then it is not that God’s justice goes against that of man and suspends it, but that it transcends it and goes deeper than man is able to penetrate."

A second approach to the Book of Job is an existential approach. This approach advances a complementary understanding of the book. This approach plainly states that what Job has suffered is what all will or have suffered. It is a paradigm used to generalize and relate to all, regardless of time and history, who will ever live. All find their existence in Job and identify with him. "That Job launched upon a journey of faith can hardly be denied, and we can identify with his regress and progress."

What the Book of Job sets out to do is to dispel the theory that bad things always happen when people do bad things. Certainly this is what Job’s friends believed. But Job was never convinced of this fact even though he was continually pounded by these men that this was so. They seemed to ignore his long discourses so they could tell him how wrong he was about his own behavior. No matter what Job said in defense of his supposed "righteous" life his friends refused to listen. They were convinced that Job was guilty of something; his guilt was the only thing in their minds that could have brought on such suffering. This was not the answer, and Job knew it. What is admirable about Job here is that even though he was weak, depressed, and bereaved he still was not beaten down so much that he gave into the pressure of his friends. This is another great example, not of the human will, but of the power of God. It was God who was making it all happen, from Satan and the power given him to the faithful behavior of Job.

A probable apologetic for the entire story, and the solution proposed by this writer, is that God raised Job, blessed Job, and caused Job to suffer for one underlying reason: for His own glory. With God being the Maker of all things He reserves the right to do as He pleases when He pleases. Job shows how righteous he really is by not cursing God for His hardship. But there can be little doubt that Job’s faith was given to him by God Himself -- just as everything else that Job once possessed. Though he never actually states that he believes God is afflicting him for His own glory, he obviously trusts God’s actions by not cursing him. Job was confused, but he demonstrates for the world to see how a man can endure unmerited hardship without ever having known the reason for it all. This is because God never tells Job why He allows these terrible events to occur in his life. What’s more, God never apologizes either. Why would God apologize for bringing glory and worship to Himself? If that is His goal in the end then He reserves the right to use His own creation to bring about that end -- even if man has to suffer for a brief time. Of course God blesses man in the end, after he has suffered for a while, but He owes no explanation. The Apostle Paul deals with this very issue as well in Romans 9. God, in His mercy, allows man to grow -- for His own glory.

The so-called "bad" things that God allows to happen in the life of humans, as seen from the life of Job, are really a matter of perspective. "Bad" things are to be used for God’s glory and the man’s growth (which also brings glory to God). These "bad" things happen to all, but good comes out if the perspective is one where the lesson of Job is recalled. This is the solution and the ultimate reason for the book’s inclusion in the canon.

On the surface the answer given to Job in the end by God is unsatisfactory. What happened to the three men whose advice Job shunned? They were forgiven, but where did they go, and what did they do with the information God gave? What about Elihu? He was not rebuked but ignored. Did these men hear God’s voice when He spoke to Job? The answer appears to be in the affirmative, but was anyone given any real answers to why all of it occurred? It appears only the reader can see behind the scenes and understand why God did what He did in the life of Job. The answer to the questions and to the complaints can only be seen in God’s justice and in His sovereignty. Difficulties come into the lives of all men and women. God does not show favoritism, and He does not apologize. When one considers who God is and comes to grips with His form of justice, which is mercy, then there is no "bad" thing that can happen in the lives of His people. Difficult situations are put in the lives of men to bring glory to God. As James puts it, "Consider it all joy, brethren, when you face trials of many kinds..." (James 1:2). These trials are all a matter of perspective, but this view can only come from the lessons learned from the life of Job and God’s dealings with him. Once the perspective is right the answers God gives to Job in response to his complaints are holy, merciful, and acceptable -- all to the glory of God.

The Book of Job shows that it is wrong to assume the events in life are fair. Satan is not fair, and he rules the fallen world. The fact that worldly wisdom cannot answer Job’s complaint reveals Satan’s rulership. God is in control, however, as seen clearly in the Book of Job. A personal relationship with Him gives man meaning and purpose in the fallen world where injustices prevail. Obviously, human troubles are not always the result of sin in one’s life. Job proves that, and no matter what the world may say God does not work that way in all situations. Even the blind man in John 9:2-3 was not born that way out of sin: "And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus answered, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." God works through physical ailments, among other situations, to bring about his glory. This is the underlying theme found in the Book of Job. The book is an old book, and it has been read by many through the centuries. God includes it in order to bring glory to himself.

Andersen, F., 1976. Job: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove: Intervarsity,

pp. 64-65.

Bullock, C., 1979. An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books. Chicago: Moody Press, pp. 69-110.

Pedersen, J.,1926. Israel, Its Life and Culture, 2 vols. London: Oxford University, 1-2:373.

Waters, L., "Reflections on Suffering from the Book of Job," Bibliotheca Sacra, 154:436-51.

Zodhiates, S., The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible (NAS).