Job

Job addresses humanity's most profound question: why do the righteous suffer? The book begins by presenting Job as blameless, upright, fearing God and shunning evil, blessed with wealth, family, and honor. In heaven's court, Satan challenges Job's motives, claiming Job serves God only because of blessings received. God permits Satan to test Job, first by destroying his wealth and children, then by afflicting him with painful sores.

Despite unimaginable loss, Job maintains integrity, refusing to curse God, though he questions and laments his suffering. Three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—come to comfort Job but instead accuse him of hidden sin, arguing that suffering always results from personal wickedness. They represent conventional wisdom that good people prosper while evil people suffer. Job vigorously defends his innocence while longing to present his case before God.

The friends' increasingly harsh accusations and Job's passionate responses create lengthy dialogues exploring justice, suffering, and God's ways. A younger observer, Elihu, then speaks, suggesting suffering may serve as discipline or prevention rather than punishment. Finally, God responds to Job from a whirlwind, not answering Job's questions directly but revealing His majesty, wisdom, and power through questions Job cannot answer. God's speeches about creation's wonders and mighty creatures like behemoth and leviathan demonstrate that divine wisdom infinitely exceeds human understanding.

Job recognizes his presumption in questioning God and repents. God rebukes Job's friends for not speaking rightly about Him and requires Job to intercede for them. God then restores Job's fortunes double, blesses him with new children, and grants him long life. Job illustrates that suffering's purposes transcend human comprehension, that questioning God is permitted but finite creatures must trust infinite wisdom.