When we have nothing to hold onto, hold onto God.

Suffering due to sin—Psalm 38:1–5

Suffering due to spiritual growth—Romans 5:3–5, James 1:2–4

Suffering due to persecution—Matthew 5:10–12

The Christian doctrine of suffering explains, I believe, a very curious fact about the world we live in. The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstacy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home. —C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, pg. 116

Job is an uncategorized suffering.

Job-like suffering is actually a matter of saving our souls by delivering us into and sealing us in the only kind of relationship with God that will make us happy in heaven, one in which we love God for no reason external to Himself.” —Eric Ortlund, Suffering Wisely and Well: The Grief of Job and the Grace of God, pg. 45

Job 1–2—satan is accusing God of unjustly blessing someone who would curse Him if there was cause.

Even when it does not seem so, you are safe with God.

What we experience is not always reality.

Let the problem of pain remind you of the providence of God.

Job 3

Three speech cycles

Eliphaz—4–5, 15, 22
Bildad—8, 18, 25
Zophar—11, 20

Elihu—young, zealous man who corrects Job and the three friends—33–37

Job responds eight times to his “friends”—6–7, 9–10, 12–14, 16–19, 21, 23–24, 26–31

Job 19:23–27 demonstrates Job’s unwavering faith in hopes of a redeemer who will stand upon the dust of the grave and vindicate Job in the very end.

Go’el—Kinsmen redeemer functions in four ways:

1. Blood Avenger
2. Redeem from slavery
3. Redeem property
4. Perpetuate family name

Don’t be quick to place blame.
*Don’t pretend to have all the answers.*
Weep, hug, pray, and seek understanding. (Romans 12:15)

Chaos is present in the world, but God is in control.

The serpent and the waters represent chaos—Genesis 1:2, Psalm 74:13–14, Isaiah 27:1, Genesis 3:15

Job 38–41—God responds to Job and demonstrates to Job that the world is wild, but God oversees everything, and He has chaos on a short leash.

—Behemoth represents death.
—Leviathan is satan.

The story of Job is an outcropping of that great struggle begun in Genesis 3:15 where God Himself takes the initiative: ‘I will put enmity’, and predicts the result: ‘He will crush your head’. This culminates in the revelation that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ will destroy the works of the Devil. —Robert Fyall, Now My Eyes Have Seen You: Images of Creation and Evil in the Book of Job, pg. 189

Revelation 12:7–10, 13:1, 20:13–14, 21:1

Job 42—Job finally sees God for who He really is. Job intercedes for His friends. God restores Job, who goes on to live a long, full life.

The world is worse than we know.
*God’s plan is more marvelous than we realize.*
When suffering, remember all that Jesus suffered to save you.