But it can also be a great headache. I'll explain.
Job famously begins with Satan approaching God and God allowing him to bring suffering upon Job. Job then proceeds to experience some of the most horrible suffering of any human being in history - seemingly for no reason at all other than the fact that he was an upright, godly man.
Beginning in chapter 3 and following, Job enters into a back-and-forth dialogue with three of his friends. The three friends take turns trying to help Job understand the reason behind his suffering. Most of the time this just exasperates Job even more.
In my experience reading Job there are two things that make the book one of the more confusing parts of the Bible. Here I'll present the first, and in the next post, Lord willing, I will present the second.
Suffering Without Reason
The first is that Job seemingly suffers for no reason at all. In fact the only reason that can be drawn out of the first couple chapters is that Job is an extremely upright and God-fearing man and this is why God asks Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?" (Job 1:8)
At the end of the book, beginning in chapter 38 God finally speaks up after 36 chapters of waiting and listening to Job and his friends banter on about why they think Job is suffering. Here we expect God to finally say, "Job, I know this was hard, but here's why it happened." But that's not what he says! Instead he recounts the mysteries of creation and causes Job to see how small his own knowledge is compared to the unfathomable-ness of God.
So what can we learn from Job's suffering? Is there a reason to it all?
Well first, we learn that suffering isn't always the result of some sin we've committed or some unwise decision we've made. The first two chapters of the book make it clear, Job did neither of these things. He was upright and godly and even "blameless" and yet he still suffers an extraordinary amount.
This is important to remember when counseling someone who has just suffered a great tragedy or hardship. It's also important to remember when you yourself face hard trials. Sometimes suffering just happens. That's the sin-cursed world we live in.
But we're still left with the question of why Job suffered. What was the reason?
Well we know for one that God wanted to use Job's example to encourage millions of Bible readers throughout history who experience suffering in this world. The book of Job has been a comfort to many, many people.
But there was also a reason for Job himself.
God wanted Job to love Him simply for who He is, and not for any of the good gifts that God had given him.
In fact, Tim Keller claims that this is the very reason why God does not give Job a reason for his sufferings.
The expanded life with God that Job eventually receives can come to him only by God's not telling him why he suffered. God would have been cooperating with Job's impulse for self-justification had he given him those reasons. Instead, the experience of suffering leads Job to the place where he loves and trusts him simply because he is God.Francis Anderson adds...
It is one of the many excellences of the book that Job is brought to contentment without ever knowing all the facts of his case... The test would work only if Job did not know what it was for. God thrusts Job into an experience of dereliction to make it possible for Job to enter into a life of naked faith, to learn to love God for himself alone... He does not say in the end, "Now I see it all." He never sees it all. He sees God (Job 42:5). Perhaps it is better if God never tells any of us the whole of our life-story.
Look for Part 2 later this week.
[The quotes above were taken from ch. 14 of Tim Keller's excellent book Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering]
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