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Job
Vital statistics
The Lord Challenges Job
In the face of God’s fearful challenge, Job could only humble himself:
God's Challenge
First, Job's Ignorance (38:1-40:2)
He was absent at creation
He cannot explain the forces of nature
Job's Response
Job admits his ignorance and become silent (40:3-5)
Second, Job frality (40:6-41:34)
He cannot overrule God's ways
He cannot control forces of nature
job confesses his presumption and repents (42:2-6
The sources of suffering
When suffering or troubles happen, do they always come from Satan? In Job's story, his series of tragedies did come from Satan, but this is not always the case. The chart above demonstrates the four main causes of suffering. Any one of these or a combination of them may create suffering. If knowing why we are suffering will teach us to avoid the cause, then the causes are worth knowing. However, it is most important to know how to respond during suffering.
Advice from Job's friends
Overwhelmed by suffering, Job was not comforted but condemned by his friends. Each of their views represents a well-know way to understand suffering. God proves that each explanation given by Job's friends has less than the whole answer:
The Blueprint
Biographical Sketch of Job
A spiritually mature man (1:1, 8; 2:3)
Father of many children (1:2; 42:13)
Owner of many herds (1:3; 42:12)
A wealthy and influential man (1:3b)
A priest to his family (1:5)
A loving, wise husband (2:9)
A man of prominence in community affairs (29:7-11)
A man of benevolence (29:12-17; 31:32)
A wise leader (29:21-24)
Grower of crops (31:38-40)