12 Lessons from the Book of Job
This winter, I was fortunate enough to be asked to teach a survey of the book of Job to our main adult class at West Side. This book is one of the richest collections of wisdom poetry in the history of the world, and its insights into the nature of divine justice and deliverance exceed all others. As usual, I feel an immense sense of gratitude for the lessons I have learned through teaching through this book as well as discussing it with others in the process. There are many more than 12 valuable lessons about God that I have learned and relearned through teaching this class. That said, I’d like to (briefly) share 12 that come to mind as we close out our look at the book of Job.
- God is deserving of respect. At the outset of the book, Job’s relationship with God is marked by sacrificial submission (1:5), the angelic hosts are beholden to Him (1:6, 2:1), and even Satan approaches Him in a posture of relative powerlessness (1:7, 2:2). His sovereignty is unquestionable and commands the respect of all Creation.
- God recognizes the faithfulness of His people. It is only because God knows the faithfulness of Job (1:8, 2:4) that Job is challenged to endure his suffering. It is also only by his faithfulness that he is able to endure it (1:20-22, 2:9-10).
- God is present in our grief. Even as Job is consumed with lamentation, he recognizes God’s overarching role in his life and in the workings of the universe (3:4 & 23). God’s light continues to shine even when we experience our darkest moments (Psalm 139:11-12).
- God is a God of universal truth, not personal truth. Job’s friends continually argue that his suffering is due to some fault of his own (8:1-7, 11:13-15, etc.). God’s ultimate rejection of this idea (42:7) demonstrates His interest in the truth rather than the opinions of men.
- God’s justice is for mankind’s benefit. Job’s cry for a mediator to contend his case before God (9:32-33) and his acceptance of any answer God is willing to give him (31:1-40) are both rooted in his trust that God’s justice is wielded for the benefit of mankind. The Bible makes it clear that this trust is well-founded (Matthew 12:1-21, Romans 3:23-26).
- God’s redemption is ultimate and everlasting. Even when confronting a fate worse than death, Job’s hope in God as his Redeemer – the only one who is able to bring him back out of his current suffering – never wavers (19:25-27).
- God is a God of gifts, not of debts. Job does find fault when he begins to demand an answer from God, acting as though the Lord owes him something on the basis of his past righteousness (23:1-7, 27:1-6). The goodness God shows to Job is not a debt He owes because of Job’s righteousness but a free gift that He offers in spite of unrighteousness.
- God’s goodness is the lens through which we understand goodness. In looking back on his past blessings and the wisdom he has gained, Job understands that they are based on the grace and wisdom of God Himself (29:4-5). Without His law we would have no law (Romans 7:7-12), without His gifts we would have no gifts (James 1:16-18), and without His love we would have no love (1 John 4:7-12).
- God is unaffected by the thoughts and actions of mankind. There is nothing that Job or anyone else can do to affect the character or position of God (33:4-7). He is the foundation of our faith and is not dependent on our belief or obedience – but our salvation is (2 Timothy 2:8-13).
- God is a God of order, not chaos. God’s survey of His creation reaches its crescendo in the descriptions of Behemoth and Leviathan (40:15-41:34), two monstrous beasts that respectively represent the extreme power and untamable chaos over which God is the sole master. Only God is able to subdue vast power, bind the chaos of the world, and bring order and peace into the lives of His people.
- God is the source of peace, abundance, and beauty. Job’s three daughters born after his restoration are given Hebrew names that correspond to symbols of these three realities (42:14). It is through submitting to the will of God that these attributes are made a part of Job’s life, as well as the lives of all who would submit to Him.
- God is in control. The ultimate cause and meaning of Job’s suffering are left a mystery to him, yet his salvation and restoration are made possible by his recognition of God’s status as God and his own status as a humble servant of the King. In his humility he finds his exaltation, and in his decision to God as his Lord he finds new reason to love Him as his Father. Thanks be to God for His justice and mercy!
“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the
steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is
compassionate and merciful.” ~ James 5:11
AUTHOR: Luke Tatum