Explore: Is this really happening to me?

• The Explore the Bible lesson for June 2 focuses on Job 1:1-3, 8-11, 20-22; 2:7, 9-10.

This lesson begins a unit focusing on Job, a book that does not receive a great deal of attention. In fact, most people consider opening up Job in times of crisis. Within the Old Testament, Job is part of the wisdom literature, which includes reflections on the benefits of living a righteous or wise life or the consequences of living a wicked life.

As one scholar noted, Job “lives at the edge of the Old Testament,” in part because it asks questions of the wisdom themes in the Old Testament. Moreover, when people think of reading Job, they also often are looking for answers to certain questions that seem scandalous, such as “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

These types of questions do not come from an intellectual or speculative curiosity; rather, they are existential, grounded in real-life experience of difficulty and suffering. Combined with the fact that the book gives no clue as to its context (when or where it was written), it has appeal for people of all times and places as a moral theological fable about how to live in light of suffering.

Prologue

This passage could be understood as the prologue to the Book of Job—introducing us to him, his character and his suffering. In other words, we are really just setting the stage for the main event, the heart of the book, which will come in later lessons. Notice also that while most of the book is written as poetry, this passage is written as a narrative.

Job is introduced as a righteous person (v. 1) who has immense wealth—intended as a sign of his wisdom and righteousness. In fact, he offers sacrifices for his children just in case they sin against God (v. 5). This introduction gives us a portrait of a person of exceeding faithfulness favored by God in the form of wealth and family. All is well in this scene.

Job 1:6 presents a different scene—one where God assembles Satan and the angels. The story does not give us many details about how God interacts with Satan. In fact, Satan serves a specific purpose in the story, one bound up with the meaning of his name—the accuser. God presents Job to Satan as a “blameless and upright” person, to which Satan replies God has protected him from financial and personal harm, calling Job’s righteousness into question (v. 10).

Job’s worst day

In response to this challenge by Satan, God removes any protection over Job’s wealth, leaving only one restriction: “On the man himself do not lay a finger” (v. 12). What follows is the worst day in Job’s life. In short, he loses his wealth and his family in a series of somewhat humorous accounts from messengers whose final words are “and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” (vv. 15-17, 19).

Notice, however, that Job does not sin after these immense losses. He mourns, yet praises God at the same time (vv. 20-21). The text highlights this by explicitly stating: “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” (v. 22).

A new accusation

Chapter 2 brings back our heavenly scene, but with a new accusation from Satan. God praises Job’s faithfulness despite his losses, to which Satan declares Job has retained his health. In the face of this new challenge, God allows Job’s health to be threatened as long as his life is spared (v. 6). Now sores covering his entire body bother Job, presenting a pitiful scene.

Even his wife, who presumably was as righteous as Job, sees death brought about by cursing God to be a preferable option for her husband. Job refuses to follow her advice to “Curse God and die!” (v. 9). As in chapter 1, the text underscores Job’s actions are upright and faithful: “In all this, Job did not sin in what he said” (v. 10).

Job’s embrace of suffering and affliction through this part of the story is encouraging. It also might be seen as disturbing, especially since the reader is aware of the cosmic drama that produced Job’s troubles. To some extent, it is difficult to avoid seeing Job’s situation as the result of some sort of wager between God and Satan. This is part of the struggle in interpreting the Book of Job.

Job’s three friends

The chapter concludes with the arrival of three of Job’s friends: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. As the text states, they have come to “sympathize with him and comfort him” (v. 11). These friends and their interactions with Job will contribute significantly to the heart of the book, but it is important to point out here that their first act of comfort is to sit with Job for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking to him at all (v. 13).

As anyone who has experienced loss knows, this ministry of presence can be quite helpful and consoling. In later lessons, we will discover if these friends succeed in offering further encouragement.