By Travis Lauterbach

An interesting thing about Job is that he didn’t know what the reader of the book knows.

He didn’t know “why” he suffered as he did. He didn’t know that Satan was rebelling against the Lord, using Job as a personal example. He didn’t know that Satan was attacking him with the direct purpose to make him lose his faith in God.

Job believed his horrible suffering came directly from the Lord. Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

God did allow these bad things to happen, but Job had no idea of the circumstances.

Neither did his three “friends.” They were convinced that Job committed some sort of sin for which he was being directly punished. They tried to tell Job not to be so insistent in declaring his innocence and to admit whatever wrong he had done.

Job maintained that he didn’t do anything that directly brought these sufferings upon him.

In maintaining that he didn’t commit a sin for which these things were the punishment, Job started to go a bit too far. In chapter 31, he began to speak as if he was completely sinless.

Not long after, God spoke to Job. God questioned him in order to teach him, God rebuked his “friends,” and God blessed Job. The Lord gave Job twice as many possessions as he had before. The Lord also gave him another seven sons and three daughters.

Job remained faithful under the temptation of the devil.

It’s good to see in Job a picture of Jesus. Even though Jesus was sinless, He bore the sins of the world and suffered God’s wrath upon the cross. When Jesus died, the devil may have thought He’d won.

Nevertheless, the same Redeemer whom Job looked forward to seeing with his eyes, was raised on the third day.

This event has sustained the hope of Christians through the ages.

As the hymn based on Job’s experience and Jesus’ resurrection sings: I know that my redeemer lives; What comfort this sweet sentence gives!”