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June 2, 2025

Bible Survey: Job

by Jason Neill

Scripture reading: Job 1-2; 38-42

Job: A Man of Integrity and Endurance

I must admit that Job is a painful book for me to read. I suppose I feel that way because I empathize with him and his circumstances. The opening of the book says he “was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil” (1:1, NLT). That is quite an introduction to a biblical character. He stayed away from evil, that’s impressive. Despite that integrity, he experienced some horrific losses. But before I get ahead of myself, let me share some introductory information.

We are privileged to catch a glimpse behind the spiritual curtain in chapters 1–2. God and Satan have a conversation about Job—specifically, God calling attention to Job’s character. He really stands out as a follower of God! Satan chimes in and claims that the only reason Job serves God is because of the benefits he receives; Job has ulterior motives.

To put that claim to the test, God allows Satan to put Job through difficulty, hardship, and loss. Job passes the first round of tests. Satan then claims that if he’s given a second chance to put Job through the wringer, he can persuade him to curse God. Satan is given permission to do so, but Job never curses God.

Meanwhile, Job’s three friends come to see him. Shocked by his physical condition and recognizing how much pain he’s experienced, they sat with him and refused to say a word for seven days. Unfortunately, that’s where the support from his friends ends. The rest of the book is a series of debates Job has with his friends regarding why he is experiencing such difficulties. His friends claim he must have sinned, but Job maintains his integrity. At one point, he asks his friends to point out a specific sin he committed, and he promises to deal with it. Sadly, although they can’t think of any, they hold firm to their position that Job must have sinned.

The book ends with God stepping onto the scene to carry on a conversation with Job. Interestingly, God doesn’t provide direct answers as to the why of Job’s plight but instead asks Job a series of questions. The conclusion is that God is sufficient for Job amid his suffering, even without knowing the why.

Authorship and Date: The author of Job is unknown. Jewish tradition regards Moses as the author; however, some have proposed that Job himself wrote the book. The likely date of composition is between 2000 and 1800 B.C.

Jesus in Job: Job said during his suffering, “If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength” (Job 9:33, 35, NLT). Job wants someone to stand in for him—someone who understands both him and God. Jesus of Nazareth is that person. The New Testament calls Jesus our High Priest and Mediator (see 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:14–16). He fulfills that role because He is both man and God.

Application: Suffering is part of life. I wish it weren’t, but that’s just a fact of life. I think it’s interesting to note that throughout Job’s 42 chapters, the “why” question is never directly answered. Fortunately, we have the benefit of knowing that the cause behind Job’s suffering was Satan (see Job 1–2). However, when we look at our own lives, we can’t always be certain of the cause behind our pain.

Nevertheless, we should take away from this book of Scripture the important lesson that God is sufficient for us during our pain and suffering. Thinking about my own life, I can’t recall many—if any—times when I was given the “why” behind my suffering. I did, however, always find that God was sufficient for me as I ventured through the storms of life. He was the one who got me through!

The same is true for you!