Job and suffering

When trials come one after the other, or when they are particularly severe, it is natural to ask questions. And if we believe in the sovereignty of God in these things, we should. Scripture does not discourage such questions; instead, it points us to God’s purposes.

So why does God allow trials?

1. Sometimes it is for testing.
We see this in the life of Abraham when God asked him to take his son and sacrifice him (Genesis 22:1–2). We see it again in the early history of Israel, after they had crossed the Jordan and entered the promised land. God said He left enemies among them to test and try them, to see what they would do (Judges 3:1–4).

2. Sometimes it is to draw His people out to prayer.
We see this when Israel fought against Benjamin. They asked God whether they should go up, and He told them to go (Judges 20:18). They went — and were defeated (Judges 20:21). So they prayed and fasted, asked again, and once more God told them to go (Judges 20:26–28). This time they won (Judges 20:35–36).

3. Sometimes it is because of sin.
Think of the sin of Achan (Joshua 7), or Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–10), or the Corinthians who became sick because of how they approached the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:30). In those cases, prayer wasn’t the answer — repentance was. Later, when Joshua fell on his face to pray, God told him to get up (Joshua 7:10). It wasn’t the time to pray; there was sin in the camp that had to be dealt with.

4. Sometimes it is to exhibit one of the trophies of His grace.
This was the case with Job (Job 1:1–22). God used Job’s trial to demonstrate to Satan and to a fallen world the faithfulness of His servant.

5. Sometimes it is to display the glory of God.
We see this in the case of the man born blind:  “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:1–3).

6. Always it is for good.
It is always “for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)."

Notice that nowhere in Scripture is it simply said, “Satan is to blame.” When disaster comes, it is natural to blame the enemy. We know we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12). So we quickly assume Satan is behind it - and sometimes he is, at least in part. We see this clearly in Job (Job 1:6–12). But we also see that even when Satan is active, he is completely at God’s disposal.

Consider what the first chapter of Job tells us.  The story begins well. Job seems to have a good life. More than that - he is a righteous man: perfect, upright, fearing God, and shunning evil (Job 1:1). If you didn’t know the story, you would not expect what comes next. Normally we assume that people reap what they sow. Job worked hard and served God - surely God would honour him. After all God says, “He who honours Me I will honour” is a promise (1 Samuel 2:30).

As the psalmist observes, sometimes the wicked flourish while the righteous suffer (Psalm 73:3–12). Things can feel backward, and in this story, what happens next seems to defy expectation.

In the first chapter we are taken behind the scenes. A day comes when the “sons of God” present themselves before the LORD (Job 1:6). Whether we take this to be allegorical, as Matthew Henry did, or literal, the message is the same: God is on the throne. He is King. Angels - good and bad - answer to Him. They are not roaming freely, doing whatever they please. They go out to do His bidding and return to give an account (Zechariah 6:5–8).

John Gill explains:

“They may be said to go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth into the several parts of all the world, to do the will and work of God assigned them (Zechariah 6:5–8). And then, having done their work, return again, and present themselves before the Lord, to give an account of what they have done, and to receive fresh orders from Him, being ready to do His pleasure in everything He shall command them, which is what is here supposed.”

And Satan was among them. Why? Because he too must answer to the King, and he too must ask permission before he can act (Job 1:7).

Matthew Henry observes:

“He knew very well whence he came, and with what design he came thither — that as the good angels came to do good, he came for a permission to do hurt. But he would, by calling him to an account, show him that he was under check and control.”

Satan may be a roaring lion, but he is - as John Bunyan pictured him - a chained lion (1 Peter 5:8).

Notice that it is God Himself who draws Satan’s attention to Job: “Have you considered My servant Job (Job 1:8)?" What a thing for God to say! Wouldn’t you love for Him to call you “My servant”? The Bible says that He is not ashamed to call us brethren (Hebrews 2:11).

Here, though, something more is said. God points out Job’s piety and hatred of evil. In other words, He notices - and He is pleased. We should covet this, to be noticed by God for our devotion.

But Satan replies:

“Does Job fear God for nothing? Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face (Job 1:9–11)."

Satan’s accusation is that Job’s loyalty is only mercenary - that he serves God only because he has been blessed.

But notice how completely helpless Satan is: nothing can happen unless God puts forth His hand. Nothing will touch Job apart from God’s say-so (Job 1:12).

Satan is suspicious. While 1 Corinthians 13:7 tells us that love ‘believeth all things,’ Satan does not. God, however, intends to demonstrate the power of His grace in Job’s life. If Satan could prove Job a hypocrite, it would be a great victory for him, and the world often assumes the same - that believers are faithful only when life is easy. Yet what a powerful testimony it is when, in the midst of affliction, God’s people remain steadfast and true!

So God gives Satan permission to attack Job’s possessions, but not his person (Job 1:12). Notice that the sovereignty of God extends even to the particulars: Satan can only go so far, and no further.

If Satan were God’s rival, as some imagine, he would not present himself with the other angels. He would not obey God’s commands.  But what do we find in the book of Job?  He appears with the other angels, answers, and takes his orders from God.

This can feel uncomfortable, because God’s level of involvement is hard to understand. We know He is not the author of sin (James 1:13), yet He is clearly sovereign over what happens here. And that is exactly the point: God wants us to see that He is in control.

Whatever affliction comes, God prescribes the limits - how far, how long, how deep.

So God allows Satan to afflict Job.  And after losing so much, Job responds with words that have echoed through the centuries:

“Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21)."

Notice what he does not say: “Satan did it.” Job looks only to God’s hand.

John Gill comments:

“Blessing, honour, and glory are to be ascribed to Him continually, in every state and condition of life.”

Matthew Henry adds:

“He hath still the same great and good thoughts of God that ever he had.”

Job recognized God’s right to give and to take away, and he worshiped.

So how, then, should we respond when trials come?

First, examine ourselves. God chastises those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). At the same time we should be careful not to imitate Job’s friends, who wrongly blamed him. Instead, we ought to seek God together, asking: Is this for testing? Is this meant to draw us to prayer? Is it, like Achan, because of sin in the camp? Or is this like the man born blind so that "the works of God should be made manifest (John 9:1-3)?"

Second, respond with worship. Like Job, we ought to acknowledge that the Lord has done it (1 Samuel 2:6), and we should bless and adore Him in every circumstance, confident that His character never changes.

Thomas Brooks reminds us:

“God knows the best time to hand out mercies. He never delays the giving in of this mercy or that deliverance or the other favour but upon great and weighty reason.”

Conclusion

God has not changed. He still loves His bride. He is still faithful, gracious, and full of compassion (Lamentations 3:22–23). We can weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice, all the while confident that God is working for good (Romans 8:28).

And if He takes something away, He will give us more of Himself.

So whatever we face let us say with Job: “Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21)."

* This post is adapted from a sermon I preached several years ago.