When I ask people what they would like to read in the Bible, many times they will come up with the Book of Job. I’m not exactly sure what it is about the book that attracts us to it, but there certainly is an attraction to it.
The book itself is somewhat shrouded in mystery. We don’t know who the author was. We don’t know much even about the time period or the place that it was written in. And yet, what we do know – connects with us. We know that Job lived a life of suffering even though he felt that he was innocent of any crime that would necessitate such suffering.
That’s probably where we are as well. We know that we are sinners, and will fully admit that we are. However, when we find ourselves in the midst of suffering, we like Job cry out that the punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime. We wonder about God’s sense of justice and if He really is present with us. But even more than that, we wonder about the “why” of our suffering.
There is no doubt that we live in a world that is suffering because of sin, and there is no doubt that our response to that suffering is often an exclamation of “no fair!” The Book of Job helps us in this suffering, perhaps not showing us an answer to “why” as much as an answer to “how” we suffer well on this side of the Resurrection, pointing us to a God who is with us even in our suffering.
If you’re one of those people who has been interested in the Book of Job, join us starting this Sunday at 9:30am to 10:30am as we begin looking into this ancient book and its message that is still timely today.