- Lesson 11 in the Connect360 unit “Praise Him in the Storm: When Life Falls Apart” focuses on Job 38:1-7; 40:1-5.
Most ancient cultures functioned under a retribution principle—the idea that good always was rewarded and evil always was punished (see Job 31:2-3; John 9:1-3). Within their belief that nothing in life happened apart from the wills and activities of divine beings, Job’s friends could not fathom a situation in which misfortune might befall someone who was innocent of wrongdoing. Even Job himself was dumbfounded by what appeared to be God’s betrayal. In the interchanges with his visitors, Job repeatedly protested his innocence and cried out to God for answers (30:20; 31:35; 34:5).
Job was in the right, from his viewpoint. He always had been diligent to atone for his family’s sins, whether deliberate or unintentional (1:5, 8). He strove for righteousness in every area of his life (ref. 31:1-34). So, he could not understand why God would turn on him and inflict such severe suffering for no apparent reason. Life just wasn’t supposed to work that way.
Job was not alone in his confusion. For centuries, people have struggled with the question of theodicy, the reason a good, merciful, all-knowing and all-powerful God would permit evil and suffering in the world. Even today, online chat boards contain posts accusing God of cruelty or malicious intent for allowing such things as childhood diseases, terrorism or catastrophic natural disasters. “If God really does exist, he should stand trial for all the suffering he has caused in the world,” demanded one post in a popular discussion forum.
For Job’s sake, and for the sake of those who would read his story, God needed to correct the flawed assumption that he must answer to us. God is not bound by human perceptions of rightness, goodness or fairness. God confronted Job with the reality of his universal sovereignty by demanding, “Just who do you think you are?” The challenge in no way compromised God’s kindness or compassion but was a wakeup call to help readjust Job’s perspective.
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