The Book of Job is a real account of a real person who experienced real trials. It is a demonstration of the fruit of the Spirit of patience (endurance) and the building of true character. Job suffered so that God’s people today might learn how to be patient in suffering and endure to the end.
Job’s Prosperity
The account begins with Job as the greatest man in the East. He was "perfect and upright"—not sinless, but mature in character and "straight" in conduct. He possessed integrity, raising his ten children well and offering sacrifices for them. He acknowledged that his vast wealth was a gift from God and used it generously for others.
Job’s Adversity
In a single day, four frightened messengers reported the total destruction of Job's world: his livestock were stolen, his sheep were struck by lightning, and all ten of his children were killed in a windstorm. Job knew what had happened, but he did not know why. As Ecclesiastes 9:12 says, no man knows when his hour will come.
The Heavenly Courtroom
The author allows us to see behind the scenes in the throne room of heaven. We see that God is sovereign in all things; even Satan can do nothing to God’s people without His permission. God found no fault with Job, but Satan—the "Accuser"—questioned Job's motives, claiming he only feared God because of his prosperity. The fundamental reason for Job's suffering was to silence these blasphemous accusations and prove that a man would honor God even after losing everything.
- Job was a "steward" of his prosperity. Are you holding your blessings with an open hand?
- Satan's attack was really an attack on God's worthiness. How does your response to trials testify to God's worth?
Next Up: Job’s Fidelity—how he responded to his losses and the second challenge of the accuser.