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An Interactive, Book-by-Book Bible Study for Adults
Job, Ecclesiastes
Making Sense of Life
Study Guide
Summer 2013
Becoming a Christian
You won’t find it on a map, but the way to salvation
does exist. “The Roman Road” is explained in the Book
of Romans in the Bible, and it tells how to become a
Christian and go to heaven when we die.
The road begins at Romans 1:16: “For I am not
ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for
salvation to everyone who believes.” God is the source
for our journey to heaven. He gives power for salvation to all who believe.
We need God’s power because we have a problem
with sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “Sin” means missing
the mark or missing God’s intended destination for
us. None of us can reach that destination on his or her
own because everyone is a sinner.
When we work, we earn money. Sin earns wages as
well—wages of death. Because God loves all sinners,
He has provided another route: “For the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
The way to salvation is found in Romans 10:9: “If you
confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe
in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you
will be saved.” We need to confess our sin and ask
God for forgiveness. To confess Jesus as Lord involves
agreeing with God about your sin and your need for
salvation. You must repent of your sin, turning away
from the direction in life in which you are going. To
“believe in your heart” is to place your faith in Jesus,
trusting that He died on the cross to pay for your sins.
“But God proves His own love for us in that while we
were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
If you would like to have salvation in Jesus Christ, sincerely pray a prayer like this one: “Dear God, I confess
to You my sin and need for salvation. I turn away from
my sin and place my faith in Jesus as my Savior and
Lord. Amen.”
Share your faith in Jesus with a Christian friend or
pastor. Becoming a Christian is your first step on the
lifelong road of spiritual growth and service God
desires for you. Follow Christ in believer’s baptism by
immersion and join a local church.
©iStockphoto.com
D I S CO V E R Y
S T U DY
G U I D E
Contents Summer 2013
LESSONS FROM
JOB & ECCLESIASTES
Unit One: Why Me?10
June 2
Is This Really Happening to Me? Job 1:1–2:13
11
June 9
Was It My Fault?
Job 3:1–14:22
17
June 16
Who Said Life Would Be Fair?
Job 15:1–21:34
23
June 23
Whom Can I Trust?
Job 22:1–28:28
29
June 30
What Do I Do Now?
Job 29:1–31:40
35
July 7
Am I on the Right Path?
Job 32:1–37:24
41
July 14
What Am I Supposed to Learn? Job 38:1–42:17
47
Unit Two: Is It Worth the Effort?
54
July 21
Can I Find Meaning?
Ecclesiastes 1:1–2:26
55
July 28
Why Do I Feel Empty?
Ecclesiastes 3:1–5:7
61
August 4
Am I Headed for Failure?
Ecclesiastes 5:8–6:12
67
August 11
Can I Keep on Going?
Ecclesiastes 7:1–8:17
73
August 18
Is There Any Hope?
Ecclesiastes 9:1–10:20
79
August 25
What’s the Answer?
Ecclesiastes 11:1–12:14 85
special articles & features
Becoming a Christian
Make the Most of Discovery Study Guide
Being Present Without Being Present
The Blessings of a New Group
How to Start New Groups
The “Fool” in Wisdom Literature
Memory Verse Cards
Map
2
4
53
91
92
94
97
99
DDI SI SCO
COVVE ERRYYS ST TUUDY
DYGGUUI D
I DE E
3
3
Make the Most of Your Explore the Bible
Discovery
Study Guide
There’s a fresh, new look in Discovery Study Guide.
We have enhanced the features you’ve come to rely
on for a personal and practical study of the Bible
and we’ve added new elements as well.
Here are some ways to help you make the
most of Discovery Study Guide.
WEEK OF JUNE 2
Unit One
Is This Really Happening to Me?
Will Your Faith Survive Hardship?
“When
peace, like a river,
attendeth my way, when sorrows like
sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou
hast
taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.”
—Horatio G. Spafford
Job 1:1-3
1 There was a man in the country of Uz named Job. He was a man of perfect integrity, who
feared God and turned away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 His estate
Job 1:8
9 Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for
nothing? 10 Haven’t You placed a hedge around
him, his household, and everything he owns? You
have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch
out Your hand and strike everything he owns, and
he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Job 1:20-22
Key Words
the country of Uz—a large territory in the
area of northern Saudi Arabia or southern
Jordan, more recently referred to as Edom
Job—an actual person, referenced by the
Old Testament prophet Ezekiel as well as New
Testament writers, who lived about 2000 B.C.
perfect integrity—“blameless and upright”
(NIV); “perfect and upright” (KJV); “blameless—a man of complete integrity” (NLT)
feared God—reverence and awe that results
in respect and devotion rather than simply
attempts to avoid reprisals
20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his
head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
† 21 saying: Naked I came from my mother’s
womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord
gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of
Yahweh. 22 Throughout all this Job did not sin or
Satan—an angel who rebelled against God
and became the accuser of the people of God
blame God for anything.
the work of his hands—Psalm 90:17 draws
a connection between the projects we undertake and their success as a blessing from God.
Job 2:7,9-10
7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected
Job with terrible boils from the sole of his foot to
the top of his head.
.......................................
9 His wife said to him, “Do you still retain your
integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 “You speak as a
foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we
accept only good from God and not adversity?”
Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.
10
“Does Job fear God for nothing?”—“Would
Job worship you if he got nothing out of it?”
(GNT); “Why shouldn’t he respect you?” (CEV)
tore his robe, and shaved his head—typical expressions of grief in Near Eastern culture
integrity—the Hebrew word tumma, meaning wholeness or completeness; also used in
Proverbs 11:3 curse God and die—Job’s wife
believed cursing God would result in immediate death and an end to Job’s suffering.
† Memory Verse
E X P LO R E T H E B I B L E
translation to the one
used in Discovery.
included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large
number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east.
Job 1:9-11
D I S CO V E R Y S T U DY G U I D E
11
week of June 2
Consider This:
REFLECT & RESPOND:
Having It All
What correlation, if any, do you think exists between
the evident blessings in Job’s life and his practice of
righteousness?
As caring, Christian parents, the Millers suffered as their teen children struggled
in life. Totally out of character, their daughter became pregnant. She eventually
married her boyfriend and gave birth to a healthy baby boy. But soon after her
son was born, the young mother was diagnosed with cancer and died within a
few short months.
Meanwhile, the Millers’ teenage son wrestled with an addiction to drugs so
strong its grip was recognizable even to a casual observer. After intense intervention by another Christian, however, the son surrendered his life to Christ. A
vibrant faith replaced his drug habit. He, too, married and became a young father. Then one day their son died in a mining accident, leaving behind his young
wife and toddler.
Why so much tragedy in one family? Why would God seemingly dangle the
rewards of a life of faith but then allow them to be snatched away?
If you know someone like the Millers, whose tragic circumstances seem to
defy God’s grace in their lives, do you struggle to make sense of it?
What do you do to restore your faith in God’s goodness?
12
4
E X P LO R E T H E B I B L E
In verse 3 Job is described as “the greatest man among
all the people of the east.” Because there is no further
explanation, one can assume he became a legendary figure on the landscape because of both his material wealth
and his rich character.
Can you think of people who are well known not just
for their material wealth but also their spirituality?
Keeping It All
Read Job 1:8, paying particular attention to who initiated the conversation.
God directed Satan’s attention to Job, sounding on
casual reading a little like a proud father as He attests to
this particular son’s trustworthiness. As Job’s saga
P E R S O N A L D I S C O V E R Y
continues, however, it becomes clear that God had
• In what tangible ways do you expect God
a much larger purpose than bragging rights.
What significance did God’s calling Job a “servant” have as the event unfolds?
Although God loves each one of us simply because
He created us, He has a plan and purpose for our
lives. Up to this point Job had been outwardly
to bless you for your faith?
• If you must choose between material
wealth or great faith, which would you
choose and why?
D I S CO V E R Y S T U DY G U I D E
E X P LO R E T H E B I B L E
• R eview Key Words.
Mark additional words
in the Bible passage that
need clarification.
• R ead Consider This
and respond to the
questions.
• R ecord your own
thoughts, reflections,
and responses in Reflect
and Respond as you
study the lesson.
The Book of Job details the story of a man who seemed
to have everything in life—including, eventually, more
than his fair share of suffering. As you read Job 1:1-3,
think about what strikes you as the most compelling:
any one of the unique blessings in Job’s life or the sum
of all of them?
Most people would agree that the most significant characterization of Job points to the fullness of his life. Job
was not a man dabbling at living well according to both
earthly and heavenly standards. He was excelling at it.
Look at the Key Word definition for “integrity” (p. 11).
Job’s character was without reproach. He feared God and
actively turned away from evil.
Perhaps you know someone whose sufferings compel you to question
why. Consider the Miller family. Their tragic circumstances set them apart.
in your Bible.
• C ompare your
Background Passage: Job 1:1–2:13
Lesson Passages: Job 1:1-3,8-11,20-22; 2:7,9-10
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? No one else on earth is like
him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and
turns away from evil.”
BEFORE
• Read the lesson passage
13
(Complete the lesson in
one day or work through
a section each day. Either
approach is fine.)
• S pend time pondering
your response to the
Personal Discovery
questions.
• C onclude your study by focusing on the
Intentional Living:
Job’s faith in God survived the challenge of multiple losses in life. He not only held firm to his relationship with God, but he served as an example of faith to Satan, his wife, and believers to come,
including you. What about your faith? When adversity strikes—because it will at some point in
your life—you choose whether you will allow disappointment to diminish your relationship with
God or use it as a springboard to grow closer to Him. Although you may never understand it in this
lifetime, God may have a plan and purpose far greater than your actual sufferings.
What concrete steps can you take when you face a difficulty that will help you grow in your relationship with God?
Intentional Living ideas on the final page
of each lesson.
DURING
• B ring your Discovery with you to the group
Bible study.
• P articipate in the group experience by adding
Record any new insights into suffering gained from reading this passage.
to the discussion of the Scripture and its
implications for your life.
Do you know someone in your church experiencing a trial? Contact them to share a word of encouragement. You don’t have to look far in the world to find catastrophe. What needs are you able
to meet today?
➲
Coming Next Week:
Want to learn how to be a friend to the
suffering? Read Job 4–13, and you
will learn what NOT to do.
16
• Record additional thoughts and ideas gleaned
from others in your Bible study group.
•U
se the space in Intentional Living to record
prayer concerns, ministry and mission ideas,
and other responses to the truths of the lesson.
E X P LO R E T H E B I B L E
• T ake note of Coming Next Week to begin
M E M O R Y V E R S E S F R O M E AC H W E E K ’S L E S S O N • B E G I N C U T T I N G F R O M R I G H T E D G E
✂
thinking about the next study.
July 21
Ecclesiastes 2:24
There is nothing better for man than to eat,
drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that
even this is from God’s hand.
July 28
Ecclesiastes 5:1
Guard your steps when you go to the house
of God. Better to draw near in obedience
than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, for they
ignorantly do wrong.
August 4
Ecclesiastes 5:10
The one who loves money is never satisfied
with money, and whoever loves wealth is
never satisfied with income. This too is futile.
June 2
Job 1:21
AFTER
•U
se the weekly Memory Verse cards and
Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and
naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives,
and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of
Yahweh.
feature articles to enhance your Bible study
and highlight life application.
June 9
Job insights
13:23
• Review
gained and prayer requests
How many iniquities and sins have I committed? Reveal
to
me
my
transgression
and sin.
shared.
June 16
Job 19:25
But I know my living Redeemer, and He will
stand on the dust at last.
August 11
Ecclesiastes 7:14
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the
day of adversity, consider: God has made the
one as well as the other, so that man cannot
.
discover anything that will come after him.
June 23
Job 28:28
He said to mankind, “The fear of the Lord is
this: wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.”
For Leaders:
Make a Bigger Impact in Your Class
August 18
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hands find to do, do with
all your strength, because there is no work,
planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol
where you are going.
June 30
Job 31:14
What could I do when God stands up to
• FREE teaching plans writtenjudge?
exclusively
for Him when He
How should I answer
calls me to account?
Discovery Study Guide
(www.lifeway.com/explorethebible)
August 25
• QuickSource
(www.lifeway.com/explorethebible)July 7
Ecclesiastes 12:13
When all has been heard, the conclusion of
the matter is: fear God and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity.
Job 33:14
For God
speaks time and
again,(www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator)
but a person
•B
iblical Illustrator and Biblical
Illustrator
PLUS
may not notice it.
Teaching Plans written
specifically for Discovery Study Guide are
available as a FREE download at
www.lifeway.com/explorethebible.
July 14
Job 42:3
You asked, “Who is this who conceals My
D II S
S CO
CO V
VE
ER
RY
Y S
ST
TU
U DY
DY G
GU
U II D
DE
E D
counsel with ignorance?” Surely I spoke
about things I did not understand, things
too wonderful for me to know.
55
Discovery Study Guide
Volume 6, No. 4 Summer 2013
PRODUCTION TEAM
DWAYNE McCRARY—Team Leader
PHILIP NATION—Director, Adult Ministry Publishing
FAITH WHATLEY—Director, Adult Ministry
Special thanks to Judi Hayes for her help on this issue.
Send questions/comments to
Editor, ETB Discovery
One LifeWay Plaza
Nashville, TN 37234-0175
Or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com.
Printed in the United States of America
EXPLORE THE BIBLE: Discovery Adult Study Guide (ISSN 1552-7212) is published quarterly by
LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville,
TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President, © 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern
Baptist Convention.
For ordering or inquiries VISIT www.lifeway.com, or WRITE LifeWay Church Resources Customer
Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address
changes E-MAIL [email protected], FAX 615.251.5818, or WRITE to the above address.
For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, E-MAIL [email protected], FAX
615.251.5933 or WRITE to the above address.
Shades of Summer
S
ummer. Just the mention of the word
brings a smile to most of our faces. We
have more sunlight to get things done
outside. It’s the time for vacations,
reunions, and early morning runs. Unfortunately, in
all the summer fun, many of us focus on the things
of summer and ignore God.
I need to view yard work as a gift from God that
can be enjoyed. I need to enjoy my early morning
run as a blessing He allows. I need to celebrate the
gift of family, thanking Him for each relationship. I
need Him to remind me that He is in control when
We believe the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture
of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. The 2000 statement
of The Baptist Faith and Message is our doctrinal guideline.
my plans get changed.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian
Standard Bible® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used
by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally
registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
My prayer is that these studies in these two books
Suggestions for pronouncing Bible names are from That’s Easy for You to Say: Your Quick Guide
to Pronouncing Bible Names by W. Murray Severance, copyright © 1997 by Broadman & Holman
Publishers. Used by permission.
Printed in the United States of America.
AMP—Scripture quotations taken from The Amplified® Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964,
1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.lockman.org)
CEV—Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by
American Bible Society. Used by permission.
ESV— Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright
© 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.
GNT—Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second edition). Copyright © 1992 American
Bible Society. All rights reserved.
KJV—King James Version
Message—The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001,
2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
NASB—Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963,
1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission (www.
lockman.org).
NCV—Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
NIV—The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NKJV—Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
NLT—Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All
rights reserved.
Cover Photo by iStockPhoto.com
All interior images in Discovery Study Guide are © iStock Photo.com
of wisdom will remind all of us of our need for God
in the middle of all of our summer activity.
May God show you (and me) His character as we
examine Job and Ecclesiastes.
In His service,
G. Dwayne McCrary
Team Leader—Ongoing Adult Curriculum
[email protected]
Download FREE teaching plans for Discovery online at
www.lifeway.com/explorethebible.
66
LORREE TTH
HEE BBIIBBLLEE
EEXXPPLO
Again
I saw under the
sun that the race is not to the
SWIFT, or the battle
strong, or bread
to the Wise, or riches to
to the
the discerning, or favor
to the skillful; rather,
TIME & chance
happen to all of them.
—Ecclesiastes 9:11
D I S CO V E R Y S T U DY G U I D E 77
Job,
Ecclesiastes:
Making Sense of Life
But I know my living
Redeemer,
and He
will
stand on the dust
at last.
– Job 19:25
F
ew books of the Bible rival
Job and Ecclesiastes for
their compelling ability to
delve into complex questions of life and faith. Job
gives believers practical wisdom wrapped
in profound mystery. Although Job, a
righteous and wealthy patriarch, lived
about 2000 B.C. in a land called Uz in the
northern peninsula of Arabia, his story
grabs people’s attention like a contemporary parable. Even if you never simultaneously lost all your possessions, family,
and the goodwill of your friends, the
likelihood that you have suffered in some
way is high. You may think your suffering
is undeserved. You may even be right.
Job’s story captivates for its high drama:
Not only was he a man who lost everything—then had it spectacularly restored
twofold—but the reader learns from the
spiritual conflict taking place behind
the scenes. In Job you get a fascinating
glimpse of the ongoing rivalry between
God and Satan. In Job you find God’s
longest discourse.
When God interrogates Job with 70
hard-hitting questions, his inability to
respond accurately—or respond at all—
defines the book: When all is said and
done, God is sovereign. Although Job’s
8
E X P LO R E T H E B I B L E
personal story had a tidy ending, it leaves
readers questions without answers: Why
does God allow the righteous to suffer?
Could the most inglorious forms of suffering truly be His will?
Considered one of the most misunderstood books of the Bible, Ecclesiastes is
neither a license to throw caution to the
wind and find fulfillment in hedonism or a
gloomy warning to give way to pessimism
and fatalism.
From Job, however, we learn the secret
to enduring life’s trials: submisInstead, Solomon’s writings are a
sion. Job was a man of faith
guided tour into finding the
who believed in God at the
perfect balance you need to
When
all
is
said
and
beginning of the story and
lead fulfilling lives. Solodone,
God
is
sovereign.
still believed in Him at the
mon introduces the reader
end of the book. That sufto the certainties and unfering may be a rare opportucertainties of life with candor
nity to test one’s faith, draw closer
and realism but never without
to God, and share in the sufferings of
hope. Ecclesiastes points to the challenges
Christ may be the lessons of Job. If those
of life and its joys with equal emphasis
who read Job’s story grasp that’s all there
and draws the ultimate conclusion: It is
is to it—but that’s enough—then Job’s
impossible to find true joy or fulfillment
suffering has not been in vain.
outside of God.
In the Book of Ecclesiastes, believers
probe the nature of life along with its
author, Solomon. King of Israel and son
of King David, Solomon lived about 450
B.C. Ecclesiastes offers readers the benefit
of Solomon’s deep wisdom, divinely gifted
by God in answer to prayer at the beginning of his reign. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon
explored the meaning of life from the
viewpoint of someone who has vast and
diverse experience.
_________________________________
Meet the Writer: Kima Jude and her pastor-husband live in
Beavercreek, Ohio. She writes: “I was raised as a Southern Baptist
in West Virginia, but Christ radically changed my life as a young
college graduate looking for truth. I decided to follow Him then, and
I haven’t looked back.” Kima likes to point out that she has explored
the country via churches her husband has served in Kentucky,
Florida, Arizona, Alabama, and Ohio. Currently they are in a new
church plant in Dayton, where her husband serves as pastor and
Kima serves the church in a variety of gap-filling capacities. Kima
and her husband have four young adult children.
D I S CO V E R Y S T U DY G U I D E 9
Unit One
“When
peace, like a river,
attendeth my way, when sorrows like
sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou
hast
taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.”
—Horatio G. Spafford
10 E X P LO R E T H E B I B L E
WEEK OF JUNE 2
Is This Really Happening to Me?
Will Your Faith Survive Hardship?
Background Passage: Job 1:1–2:13
Lesson Passages: Job 1:1-3,8-11,20-22; 2:7,9-10
Job 1:1-3
1 There was a man in the country of Uz named Job. He was a man of perfect integrity, who
feared God and turned away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 His estate
included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large
number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east.
Job 1:8
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you consid-
ered My servant Job? No one else on earth is like
him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and
turns away from evil.”
Job 1:9-11
9 Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for
nothing? 10 Haven’t You placed a hedge around
him, his household, and everything he owns? You
have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch
out Your hand and strike everything he owns, and
he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Job 1:20-22
Key Words
the country of Uz—a large territory in the
area of northern Saudi Arabia or southern
Jordan, more recently referred to as Edom
Job—an actual person, referenced by the
Old Testament prophet Ezekiel as well as New
Testament writers, who lived about 2000 B.C.
perfect integrity—“blameless and upright”
(NIV); “perfect and upright” (KJV); “blameless—a man of complete integrity” (NLT)
feared God—reverence and awe that results
in respect and devotion rather than simply
attempts to avoid reprisals
20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his
head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
† 21 saying: Naked I came from my mother’s
womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord
gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of
Yahweh. 22 Throughout all this Job did not sin or
Satan—an angel who rebelled against God
and became the accuser of the people of God
blame God for anything.
the work of his hands—Psalm 90:17 draws
a connection between the projects we undertake and their success as a blessing from God.
Job 2:7,9-10
7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected
Job with terrible boils from the sole of his foot to
the top of his head.
.......................................
9 His wife said to him, “Do you still retain your
integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 “You speak as a
foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we
accept only good from God and not adversity?”
Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.
† Memory Verse
“Does Job fear God for nothing?”—“Would
Job worship you if he got nothing out of it?”
(GNT); “Why shouldn’t he respect you?” (CEV)
tore his robe, and shaved his head—typical expressions of grief in Near Eastern culture
integrity—the Hebrew word tumma, meaning wholeness or completeness; also used in
Proverbs 11:3
curse God and die—Job’s wife believed
cursing God would result in immediate death
and an end to Job’s suffering.
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Consider This:
Perhaps you know someone whose sufferings compel you to question
why. Consider the Miller family. Their tragic circumstances set them apart.
As caring, Christian parents, the Millers suffered as their teen children struggled
in life. Totally out of character, their daughter became pregnant. She eventually
married her boyfriend and gave birth to a healthy baby boy. But soon after her
son was born, the young mother was diagnosed with cancer and died within a
few short months.
Meanwhile, the Millers’ teenage son wrestled with an addiction to drugs so
strong its grip was recognizable even to a casual observer. After intense intervention by another Christian, however, the son surrendered his life to Christ. A
vibrant faith replaced his drug habit. He, too, married and became a young father. Then one day their son died in a mining accident, leaving behind his young
wife and toddler.
Why so much tragedy in one family? Why would God seemingly dangle the
rewards of a life of faith but then allow them to be snatched away?
If you know someone like the Millers, whose tragic circumstances seem to
defy God’s grace in their lives, do you struggle to make sense of it?
What do you do to restore your faith in God’s goodness?
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week of J une 2
REFLECT & RESPOND:
Having It All
The Book of Job details the story of a man who seemed
to have everything in life—including, eventually, more
than his fair share of suffering. As you read Job 1:1-3,
think about what strikes you as the most compelling:
any one of the unique blessings in Job’s life or the sum
of all of them?
Most people would agree that the most significant characterization of Job points to the fullness of his life. Job
was not a man dabbling at living well according to both
earthly and heavenly standards. He was excelling at it.
Look at the Key Word definition for “integrity” (p. 11).
Job’s character was without reproach. He feared God and
actively turned away from evil.
What correlation, if any, do you think exists between
the evident blessings in Job’s life and his practice of
righteousness?
In verse 3 Job is described as “the greatest man among
all the people of the east.” Because there is no further
explanation, one can assume he became a legendary figure on the landscape because of both his material wealth
and his rich character.
Can you think of people who are well known not just
for their material wealth but also their spirituality?
Keeping It All
Read Job 1:8, paying particular attention to who initiated the conversation.
God directed Satan’s attention to Job, sounding on
casual reading a little like a proud father as He attests to
this particular son’s trustworthiness. As Job’s saga
P E R S O N A L D I S C O V E R Y
continues, however, it becomes clear that God had
• In what tangible ways do you expect God
a much larger purpose than bragging rights.
What significance did God’s calling Job a “servant” have as the event unfolds?
Although God loves each one of us simply because
He created us, He has a plan and purpose for our
lives. Up to this point Job had been outwardly
to bless you for your faith?
• If you must choose between material
wealth or great faith, which would you
choose and why?
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13
P E R S O N A L D I S C O V E R Y
• How do you think God would evaluate
your faith?
• Consider the possibility of God bringing
you to Satan’s attention. How does that
make you feel?
• When bad things happen to you, do you
tend to blame God, yourself, someone
else, or the world in general? Why?
• Imagine the worst possible calamity in
your own life. Do you think it would cause
you to doubt God or strengthen your faith
in Him?
blessed by human standards in remarkable ways
but according to God’s design and pleasure. Now
Job was about to discover a larger purpose for his
life.
When you consider your life circumstances,
what credit do you give God for your place in
life, good or bad?
Losing It All
Read Job 1:9-11. Summarize Satan’s challenge to
God on his handling of Job and consider whether
there might be any truth to it.
In verse 9 Satan confronted God with a key question: “Does Job fear God for nothing?” As you recall,
Job was described in verse 1 as a man “who feared
God.” In this verse, however, Satan suggested that Job’s
“fear” was without basis because he had not personally
experienced anything but good things from God’s hand.
One commentary said that Satan accused God of “buying” Job’s worship with all the wealth, good fortune,
and blessing God bestowed on Job. Satan insisted that
Job worshiped God only because of what God did for
Job rather than because of who God is.
When you share Christ with others, do you emphasize the blessings from God or the joy of knowing
Him?
In verse 10, Satan acknowledged that all of God’s
blessings on Job’s life came from God’s hand. Not only
did God protect Job, but He made him prosper. Satan
proceeded to issue God an indirect challenge by suggesting that if God removed the blessings on Job’s life
Job would abandon his faith and curse God.
If you’ve known people who turned away from God
during a crisis or tragedy, what reassessments did
you make about their faith?
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week of J une 2
Keeping What Counts
REFLECT & RESPOND:
Read the background passages in Job 1 and 2 before you
read Job 1:20-22. Try to put yourself in Job’s shoes as
you read.
In quick succession Job lost almost everything he had:
oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, all his servants, and all
his sons and daughters. Job didn’t have time to absorb
the news of one loss before receiving the announcement
of another.
Think about a time in your life when bad news followed bad news. How did your response change from
one event to the next?
Job’s response is both surprising and heartening: In
the midst of his grief, he worshiped God. Job acknowledged God’s sovereignty and right to determine how he
would be blessed in life and refused to blame God for
his hardships.
Job’s test, however, was not over. Next Satan took away
his health. Read Job 2:7,9-10. This time put yourself in
the shoes of Job’s wife.
In verse 9, Job’s wife expressed the temptation that Satan
desired all along: to curse God. Important to note here is
that Job’s wife suffered along with him. She, too, lost almost everything she had, and while her words acknowledged God’s power, they also attested to her lack of faith.
Job, however, still clung to his. While he did not sin by
blaming God for his problems, he was willing to accept
His sovereignty over them.
What value can you find in accepting adversity as
something from God’s hand?
P E R S O N A L D I S C O V E R Y
• Why might it be important for you to
praise God even when you don’t feel like it?
• If you struggle at genuine worship of
God when you’re suffering, where or to
whom can you go, or what tools could you
employ to help you get to the point of
praising Him?
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Intentional Living:
Job’s faith in God survived the challenge of multiple losses in life. He not only held firm to his relationship with God, but he served as an example of faith to Satan, his wife, and believers to come,
including you. What about your faith? When adversity strikes—because it will at some point in
your life—you choose whether you will allow disappointment to diminish your relationship with
God or use it as a springboard to grow closer to Him. Although you may never understand it in this
lifetime, God may have a plan and purpose far greater than your actual sufferings.
What concrete steps can you take when you face a difficulty that will help you grow in your relationship with God?
Record any new insights into suffering gained from reading this passage.
Do you know someone in your church experiencing a trial? Contact that person to share a word of
encouragement. You don’t have to look far in the world to find catastrophe. What needs are you
able to meet today?
➲
Coming Next Week:
Want to learn how to be a friend to the
suffering? Read Job 4–13, and you
will learn what NOT to do.
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