Questions Answered?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Job 42:1-16


TO CHEW ON: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.... Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” Job 42:2,3

After Job and his friends had spoken, God talked. He asked Job questions.
- “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4 Simplified Living Bible)
- “Have you found the springs from which the seas come?” (38:16 SLB)
- “Do you know where the gates of death are”? (38:18 SLB)
- “Where does the light come from and how do you get there?” (38:19 SLB)
- “Who gave the heart wisdom? Who gave knowledge to the mind?” (38:36 SLB)

...and on and on.

Do you know the answers to these questions? What would you have said if you were Job?

Actually, Job didn’t have much to say. “I am nothing,” he said. “How could I ever find the answers?” (Job 40:4 SLB).

By questioning Job this way God wasn’t asking him questions because He didn’t know these things. He was showing Job (and us) that as the creator of the world, He sees the big picture of beginnings and endings. He understands more than we do.

God didn’t tell Job (and He often doesn’t tell us) the reason for his suffering. But He did help Job understand he could trust an all-wise God to have plans that are good, and to make them happen in the best way.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that You know all things and can do all things. Amen

Job--recovered and wealthy again - Artist unknown

MORE: A Happy Ending
What finally happened to Job? Read the end of Job’s story in Job 42:10-17. Which things are not true?

1. Job’s brothers, sisters and friends came to visit and brought gifts.
2. Job never got better.
3. Job had more children.
4. Job became rich again with more sheep, camels, oxen and donkeys.
5. Job lived 140 more years.
6. Job was never a grandfather

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scriptures marked Simplified Living Bible (or SLB) copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Simplified Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.

Why? Why?? Why???

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Job 2:1-13

Job and his friends - Artist unknown

TO CHEW ON: "When Job’s three friends Eliphaz... Bildad... and Zophar... heard about all the troubles that had come upon him they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him." Job 2:11

At the next heavenly council meeting, Satan suggested that God should take His protection away from Job’s body. If he got sick, Satan was sure Job would curse God.

God gave permission. Soon Job was so ill his friends who came to comfort him hardly recognized him.

Job’s friends thought it was his fault he was sick. When Job insisted he hadn’t done anything wrong, they argued, “God always punishes sin. This sickness is your punishment for something bad you did. Confess your sin and you’ll get better.”

Finally a young friend, Elihu, spoke. He said maybe Job’s sickness wasn’t because of something bad he did. Maybe God was just trying to teach Job a lesson.

Of course none of this talk made Job feel any better. But he kept on trusting God anyway. Job said, “But he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to trust You even when things in my life don’t make sense. Amen.
 

SECOND HELPING: No Answers
1. Tell about a time you suffered because you did something bad.
2. Tell about a time you suffered and you didn’t have a clue why.

Sometimes we just don’t have answers. In those times, we can keep on coming to God with our mixed up feelings and questions, just like Job did.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Job's very bad, terrible, no good day

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Read Job 1:6-22



TO CHEW ON: "At this Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: '. . . The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.'” Job 1:20,21

Sometime after the flood, a man named job and his family lived in the land of Uz. Job was a happy man. He had a wife and a large, healthy family. He was also rich with donkeys, sheep, oxen, camels, and servants. Then one day his good life fell apart. Match Job’s possessions with what happened to them: (Job 1:13-18)


What a horrible day for Job! One after the other, his servants came to him with news of robbers, fire, wind, calamity and death.

It wouldn’t surprise us to see Job feel sorry for himself, or full of fear, or angry enough with God to curse Him. But though Job was shocked and grieved (and did show his feelings by tearing his clothes and shaving his head - like the people of his time did), he didn’t curse God for his troubles. What did he say instead (Job1:21)?

PRAYER: Dear God, help me praise You when bad things happen, just like Job did. Amen.

SECOND HELPING: Behind the Scenes

Before any of this happened to Job, we get a peek at a heavenly meeting (Job 1:6-12).
Draw the two characters who said the things in the speech bubbles.






Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.