The Book of Job: God’s Answer to the “Problem” of Suffering

A question that skeptics often put forward in the debate about the existence or nonexistence of God is the reality of human suffering in the world. In Christopher Hitchen’s book, “God Is Not Great,” part of Hitchen’s argument against the existence of God is the lack of divine intervention in human suffering and the sufferings that have been inflicted on those who claim to be religious. This question is not however, limited to atheistic or agnostic worldviews. I’ve encountered this question more frequently from church goers and other religious groups than I have atheists. The objection encapsulates an incredibly dangerous perception in the human heart. It is a mindset that will keep you from ever knowing the love and forgiveness of God, and therefore keep you out of heaven. The proposal of this objection reveals the person asking it is undergirded by this perspective – I deserve better than this. This is the perception at the heart of the objection to suffering. The reason I find it so dangerous is that it is the very opposite of the heart perception of a repentant person. I will demonstrate what I mean by the story of the two thieves Jesus was crucified with – Luke 23:39-43

³⁹ One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³ And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” ESV

We are not told what these men stole, but they lived in a day where thievery was a capital offense. One of the thieves shouted at Jesus angrily for not saving them. The way Luke records this thief’s words and delivery conveys interesting information. It seems the man really believed Jesus was the Christ. He is not mocking Jesus, but rather he is frustrated by the fact that he believes Jesus has the power to deliver them from their current situation and yet Jesus was not so doing. Or perhaps he means that if Jesus were truly the Son of God, he would deliver them from their current situation. Either way you perceive it, this captures this attitude of I deserve better than this. The other thief rebukes his fellow criminal and his words are also telling. He says we are justly condemned – we deserve this. Both convicted of the same crime, both condemned to the same fate, yet one is saved while the other is not. This story illustrates something about salvation. Unless in your heart you believe you deserve to be condemned, you can’t be saved.

Now, some will argue that my illustration is applicable to thieves, but many believe they have never done anything that puts them into this category of just condemnation. Why should “good” people suffer? In fact, this is the way the objection is more often phrased in religious circles. It is asked as, “why do bad things happen to good people?” There is a book in the Bible that answers these objections, but many are not familiar with it. It is one of the most practical and informative books for life, but it’s written in Hebraic poetry that sometimes resembles Shakespeare, and it gets rather long in places. I’m referring to the book of Job.

Introduction to Job – Job 1:1-7

“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. ² There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. ³ He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. ⁴ His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed^] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.” ESV

The first detail in the description of Job is that he was blameless and upright. He feared God and he avoided evil. He was the most righteous of all people. He was so concerned about his family’s standing with God that he made regular offerings to intercede on his children’s behalf before the Lord. Job represents the best most spiritual person. If any person thinks they deserve good based on their behavior, Job was better than them. This is important to note for what is going to follow in the story.

The first of Job’s suffering – Job 1:13-22

“¹³ Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵ and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants^[c] with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁶ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁷ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁸ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

²⁰ Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” ²² In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” ESV

We can’t measure each person’s suffering. There are people born with HIV through no action of their own. Young girls in impoverished places of the world are sold by their parents to a life of prostitution so their family can eat for a few days. Most would say that those people have it worse than the majority, but what is true is that every human suffers at times in life. That’s life. I don’t think there’s any more difficult thing to go through than the death of a child. Job lost all ten of his in one day. Losing all of his material possessions was one thing, but to lose all of your children would be crushing. Yet Job responds proving his character. He grieves and he doesn’t complain to God. Now, I left out V6-12 of the story. Those verses explain why this is happening to Job. But in life, we don’t usually get a why answer when we suffer. We have no idea if there is any purpose to our suffering. We just know that the suffering hurts.

Job’s suffering continued – Job 2:7-10

“⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ⁸ And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.

⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” ¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” ESV

Finally, Job’s health is taken from him. He is struck with “loathsome” (causing hatred or disgust) sores from head to toe, and he is resigned to sitting on a garbage heap and scraping his sores with a broken piece of pottery. Even still, Job doesn’t get angry with God. He is resigned, for the moment, to his situation.

Job’s friends’ interpretation – Job 4:7-9

“⁷ “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished?
Or where were the upright cut off?
⁸ As I have seen, those who plow iniquity
and sow trouble reap the same.
⁹ By the breath of God they perish,
and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.” ESV

Job has three friends who come to “comfort” him. We find out there’s a fourth later. The first friend to speak is Eliphaz and he summarizes the group’s perspective with the statement I quoted. Like every person, the friends were trying to make sense of what they had seen happen to Job. These men’s assumption was that Job was receiving punishment for some sin he had committed. I can’t imagine a less comforting statement from a friend than to be accused that my sin is the cause of my ten children’s death. Nevertheless, it is the argument that ensues between Job’s friends and him that eventually brings out what God wants to teach every person through Job’s suffering.

Job’s complaint – Job 23:2-7

² “Today also my complaint is bitter;
my hand is heavy on account of my groaning.
³ Oh, that I knew where I might find him,
that I might come even to his seat!
⁴ I would lay my case before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
⁵ I would know what he would answer me
and understand what he would say to me.
⁶ Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?
No; he would pay attention to me.
⁷ There an upright man could argue with him,
and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.” ESV

Job says that if he could have an audience with God, he could acquit himself by the uprightness of his behavior and speech. The trials of his suffering have finally squeezed out the same perspective on suffering that I defined earlier – I don’t deserve this. Job’s confidence in that sentiment was based on his behavior. And truthfully, of all people, Job had reason to be confident in his righteousness. This leads us to the answer to our questions about suffering.

God’s Answer – Job 38:1-13

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

² “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
³ Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶ On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸ “Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
⁹ when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
¹⁰ and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
¹¹ and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

¹² “Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
¹³ that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
and the wicked be shaken out of it?” ESV

God never actually answers Job’s question. Job never gets the explanation that we do having the benefit of the whole book to read. God simply asks Job to answer questions. His point is this – Job 40:1-2

“And the Lord said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” ESV

If you do not have the ability to do what God has done, nor understand how he has done what he has, who are you to question what circumstances he puts you in? In the story, Job repents immediately, and God vindicates him before his friends who wrongfully accused him of sin. Later, God gives him 10 more children and restores his possessions doubly. The picture to us is that salvation comes through acknowledgment of our true desserts. There is a pastor of a church that supports us who has a beautiful way of doing this. When you ask him how he’s doing, he replies, “I’m better than I ought to be.”

Our circumstances can make us very bitter. A lot of pain in life, like the thief’s pain on the cross, is self-inflicted. But there are some who suffer at the hands of others or natural disasters, or health conditions they are born with. No one likes to suffer, so we ask why me? Why this? As the days go by with no change, people succumb to bitterness and rail at the one they believe can deliver them but isn’t or think if he was really there would. Freedom comes when we, like the repentant thief, rightfully condemn ourselves and can say, I’m better than I ought to be.