In this session we continue into chapter 2 of Job, with Francis Chan and the RightNowMedia study. This weeks goals are…

• To know the way we respond to suffering reveals our view of God, therefore a faithful response honors God and comforts the hurting.
• To know that we are part of a larger cosmic story centered on God, not ourselves.
• To feel comfortable allowing the mystery of our suffering to coexist with faith.
• To come alongside suffering friends as companions, comforting through our presence before using our words.

What is your favorite era of history to read or learn about?

History can be a fascinating study. Even when we examine cultures far different from our own, we discover a startling fact: we are all connected. Humanity shares remarkably similar experiences—our joys, pains, struggles, and hopes—no matter where or when they lived. And our stories are intricately connected. The past influences the present and our lives will influence the future.

In our session today, Francis Chan will show us the way our suffering points us to the story God is writing through all of humanity. The way you respond to God in your part of that story matters.

¹ Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ³ And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” ⁴ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵ But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” ⁶ And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

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.

Job’s Three Friends
¹¹ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. ¹² And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. ¹³ And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
Job 2:1-13 ESV

A few things to think about as we watch this weeks video session:

• Who is the central figure in the story of Job?
• What is the point of our existence?

View Session 2: Job 2:1–13 (10 minutes).

As chapter two opens, we find ourselves back in God’s courtroom, watching a follow-up dialogue between God, the “sons of God,” and Satan. Satan’s first accusation was proven wrong, but the Accuser was not done with Job. He claimed that physical suffering would induce Job to curse God. God agreed to allow Job to be tested again. What is your reaction to the conversation between God and Satan? If you could ask God any question about his decision to allow Job’s suffering, what would you say

Many people understand Job 1–2 as a historical event in which Job was a real man. Job’s suffering seems unfair and cruel and can cause some to question if God is truly faithful to those who worship him.

The book of Job is wisdom literature, a genre that allows Job’s story to be read as a parable. The long cycles of speeches from Job’s friends were constructed carefully in a poetic, organized fashion, unlike normal human conversation. The “heavenly courtroom” scenes, which no human could have observed and recorded, are less confusing when understood as literary devices that set the stage for exploring the experience of suffering.

Remembering the genre of Job can help readers focus on the main point of the book, rather than worrying about how Job’s ten new children (42:13) were meant to make up for those he lost.

Whether he is a literary character or a real man, Job’s story teaches the same truths about God and our suffering.

Job’s grief was compounded by physical suffering. He was afflicted with boils that caused him pain from head to toe. Pain can dominate our senses and our thinking, making it difficult to focus on anything around us. How do you respond to others when you are in pain? Do you think clearly and behave normally? If you had the choice, how would you prefer to handle relationships on days when you physically hurt?

Job’s all-encompassing suffering can be difficult to identify with. In modern terms, Job’s trials might be like losing your bank account and retirement in a stock market crash, then coming home to find your family had been killed in a fire that destroyed your house and belongings. To top it all off, the next day you find out you have cancer but no way to treat it, leaving you to suffer in agony. In what ways does putting Job’s losses in modern terms impact the way you see his story? What—if anything—would you be saying to God if you were in this scenario?

In his agony, Job mourned. In verse 8, the word “sat” indicates that he took up residence, or stayed for a long time, in his grief. How well do you allow yourself time to acknowledge your deep hurts? In what ways have you felt pressured to move on from, or get over, grief before you were ready? What value do you see in resting in the painful present?

Despite all that has happened, Job rejected the idea that God owed him health and happiness, and he did not curse God. Francis described his attitude as accepting that “the world does not revolve around me.” What is your typical view of God when suffering comes your way? How have you approached God during past difficulties?

Job’s wife couldn’t believe he was still honoring God. Job called her words—“Curse God and die!”—that of a fool. He says in verse 10, “Should we only accept good from God and not adversity?” Job and his wife’s responses are models of wisdom and foolishness in suffering. But while we want to be wise, Job’s acceptance of suffering is not easy to emulate. In what circumstances have your expectations of God not been met? What does it look like to accept God’s actions, even when they are not what you want him to do?

Job balanced two difficult truths in his pain: he acknowledges the world is not right while also recognizing God’s goodness and sovereignty. It is difficult to hold those two truths in tension without allowing one to dominate the other. When we ignore that the world is broken, we may also ignore the suffering of others. When we ignore God’s goodness, we are left in a broken world with no hope of rescue. What is your typical reaction to pain? How do you reconcile a good God with painful times?

When you’ve suffered, to what extent were you able to hold onto the truth of his goodness?

When our loved ones suffer, we are called to respond. Job’s friends heard of his adversities, and traveled to “sympathize with him and comfort him.” What do you need from your friends when you are mourning or suffering? What did it look like when someone comforted you effectively?

Job’s friends began with a right response to mourning. First, they showed up. Second, they joined Job in his grief. Third, they didn’t speak. While they were with Job, weeping alongside him, they gave him time and space to lament in his own way. Which of these three responses is most meaningful to you in your grief? Do you feel like their response is helpful? Why or why not?

Watching our loved ones suffer is difficult and, in our helplessness, we might want to pull them out of grief. We may encourage them to not feel so deeply, to find a silver lining, or to look to the future—anything to numb or distract them from pain. Everyone grieves differently, and avoiding or justifying grief—even with Bible verses—is not often comforting. Rather, our well-intentioned excuses for suffering often dismiss pain, invalidate grief, or even gloss over what God might be doing in our suffering. There is a time when it is good and right to mourn, as difficult as it may be. Often our presence is the most critical comfort we can give. When someone you love is in pain, what does your first impulse to help look like? In what ways can your response look more like Job’s friends?

If you are currently suffering or know someone who is, what could a faithful response to your pain or theirs look like?

LAST WORD

Job didn’t know the “why” of his suffering, but he had a choice in how to respond. His faith guided his actions—he did not just praise God during the good times but trusted his sovereignty even when the world seemed to fall apart.

In Job chapter 2, we see models of faithfulness in Job and his friends. When we suffer, or when we encounter others in pain, may the examples of Job and his friends lead us to an honest, humble faith. The world is broken, but God is still good.