“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller

Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to wicked people. 

 Words rarely explain suffering, but the Book of Job Biblesplains it.  It doesn’t try to avoid or rationalize it away. Innocent suffering is very UN-Proverbs-like.

 Why doesn’t God give us what we deserve or need? 

John Calvin preached 159 times on the book of Job in 1554-55 during his weekday sermons. Imagine each day at lunchtime you wander into Calvin’s church for over a year and listen to this theatrical drama set in the “land of Uz” where God and Satan seem to have a heavenly casino bet on Job. Who will Job follow if Satan has his way? God allows Satan’s power over Job (minus death) and the wager begins. The suffering starts right away on the upright Job with fire and his family dies –sickness sets in.  He still sticks with God. 

“In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.” Job 1:22

 Many of the 159 sermons were on Job’s three friends – they were the Proverbs-type: God-fearing upstanding men who thought Job had sinned and they tossed him under the bus. 

Job becomes forlorn like we do when our friends judge us wrongly. God comes to him in a whirlwind asking a question: 

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.”  Job 38:4 

God then gives a National Geographic Special in words for three chapters: 

Stars, planets, mountains and scenes of majesty!  

In this long book, I find two utterances of Job remarkable: 

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I will see God.” Job 19:25 

Job had a living principle of grace in his heart. The Spirit of God assured him that a Redeemer was living,-to vindicate him- but not yet seen. Divine or human. 

“I know that you (God)  can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted…but now my eyes see you.” Job 42:2,5 

No wonder Calvin preached 159 sermons on this book. 

Job was looking for answers, but found God’s presence. 

Innocent suffering is painful and bewildering.

Job ends with the reader knowing that humanity will not know all the details and Cosmic Conflicts will be a mystery, but trusting The Redeemer is the only strength and defense. 

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:19 

Prayer: 

Father, May I be humble and steadfast as Job returning every thought to your unfailing love.  I give praise and thanks for my Redeemer, your Son, My Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.