Why did Job suffer?
key words
biblical reference
Job 2:11-12; 4:1-8; 8:1-6; 11:13-17; 32:1-5; 33:8 14
lesson objective
To learn that difficult situations are not always a punishment from God.
memory verse
“I can do all this through [Christ] who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
It is very likely that not many young people will face problems as serious as Job’s. However, they will experience adverse situations that are out of their control and disturb them.
Maybe some students come from divided homes and feel guilty about this. Perhaps some have suffered the death or sickness of a loved one; or possibly they are sick. Maybe some are or have been victims of abuse, and they feel inferior.
Remember that preadolescents do not always easily express their feelings and thoughts, but on the inside, they may have questions and feelings overwhelming them.
Take this lesson as an opportunity to remind them that problems are usually not a punishment from God.
On the contrary, most problems are the result of some wrong decisions. Job was not guilty of anything that caused the problems that happened to him. He encountered spiritual warfare, but he decided to continue trusting in God and to wait for his help.
Remind them that what is important is not the gravity of the problem or where it comes from, but knowing that everything can be overcome through Christ, the One who strengthens them.
biblical commentary
Read Job 2:11-12; 4:1-8; 8:1-6; 11:13-17; 32:1-5 and 33:8-14. Three of Job’s friends went to see him after they heard what had happened to him. When they arrived, it was hard to recognize him. Their friend, once healthy and cheerful, had become a disfigured and depressed man.
His friends showed their sadness by tearing their clothes and putting ashes on their heads. Then they sat with him for seven days without saying a word.
When they finally spoke, each one gave Job a different “recipe” as the solution to his problem. They did not understand why a righteous man might be suffering such a punishment. But all their ideas were wrong.
Eliphaz, the oldest and most respected, spoke first and said that people reap what they sow.
Job expressed his disagreement at those words. He assured him that he had done nothing wrong.
Bildad became angry, and said that Job was irreverent. He told him that God was just and that Job’s children had died as a result of his sin.
Zophar, also thinking that Job had sinned, told him to repent and restore his relationship with God.
Job was saddened by his friends’ attitude. Instead of comforting him, they had caused him more problems.
However, his faith was not broken, and he continued to declare that he trusted in God, despite the problems and suffering.
introduce the lesson
Where do you look for advice?
Hand out the Student Activity Sheet #324-A, and ask your class, “Who do you turn to for advice?” Listen to their answers.
Ask them to look at their activity sheets and answer the four questions, choosing one of the three options available.
Explain that sometimes we do not receive good advice because we do not ask the right people.
In today’s Bible story, we will learn about three of Job’s friends who went to him to give him advice. Pay attention to learn if the advice they give him was good or bad.
teach the lesson
Have your students sit in a circle, and review last week’s story.
Then, use the following introduction for today’s topic based on Job 2:11-12; 4:1-8; 8:1-6; 11:13-17; 32:1-5 and 33:8-14.
Job was very sad, sitting on ashes and covered with sores. Three of his friends went to visit him after they heard what had happened to him. When they arrived, it was hard to recognize him. Their friend, once healthy and cheerful, had become a disfigured and depressed man.
These friends were so sad to see him in that condition. Then they sat with him for seven days, without uttering a single word.
His friends showed their sadness by tearing their clothes and putting ashes on their heads. Then, one by one, they began to speak. Each one gave Job a different “recipe” as the solution to his problem. They did not understand why a righteous man might be suffering such a punishment. But all their ideas were wrong.
Eliphaz, the oldest and most respected, spoke first and said that people reap what they sow.
Job expressed his disagreement at those words. He assured him that he had done nothing wrong.
Bildad became angry, and said that Job was irreverent. He told him that God was just and that Job’s children had died as a result of his sin.
Zophar, also thinking that Job had sinned, told him to repent and restore his relationship with God.
Job was saddened by his friends’ attitude. Instead of comforting him, they had caused him more problems.
However, his faith was not broken, and he continued to declare that he trusted in God, despite the problems and suffering.
connect the lesson
Were they right?
Use Student Activity Sheet #324-B to review the Bible story. Ask your students to discuss the seven suggested questions in groups of three or four and write the answers in the blanks.
Then, read Job 33:9 aloud, giving time for them to write a brief testimony about Job’s life in their own words.
practice the memory verse
Have the children who are ready repeat Philippians 4:13 in unison. Ask a volunteer to explain the meaning of the verse.
wrap-up
Pray
Form a circle of prayer and intercede for the group’s requests.
Encourage
Explain to the group that sometimes unpleasant events occur to us as a result of sin and disobedience. However, sometimes we suffer without knowing an apparent reason, as was Job’s case.
Throughout Job’s story, we learned how he faced the situation and continued trusting in God, despite what happened to him.
Invite
Then, dismiss the class by singing a song. Be sure to tell something interesting about the next session to encourage the group to come.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™