Job Teaching Activities and Insights
- Benjamin Wilcox
- 3 hours ago
- 51 min read
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
This week is structured a little differently than most Teaching with Power weeks. Job is one sustained story and one extended examination of suffering, faith, and trust in God, so dividing it into three unrelated lessons would either create a lot of repetition or leave important parts of the story out. Instead, I’ll begin with one shared introduction to Job and then give you three different lesson emphases. The first examines whether our faith depends on immediate blessings. The second considers why good people suffer and how to trust God when a complete explanation does not come. The third focuses on what Job did to endure his burdens well. Near the end, I’ll also give you one brief shared section that completes Job’s story before you return to the application and takeaway for the emphasis you selected. Each lesson is designed to stand on its own, since I know most teachers will not have time to teach all three.
BEGIN HERE: UNDERSTANDING JOB:
Whichever of the three lesson experiences you choose this week, I suggest beginning with this shared introduction to the book of Job. Its purpose is just to help students understand who Job was, what happened to him, and why his story raises such important questions about suffering and faith. And I want to give you two options here. If your students are unfamiliar with Job or you want them spending more time discovering the story in the scriptures, use the fuller search activities. If they already know the story or you want to preserve more time for the lesson’s central principle, use the shorter visual summary. Both approaches establish the same essential foundation.
ICEBREAKER:
To begin, you could show your students a few lighthearted pictures of people having a bad day: I give you a few examples of these but feel free to add some of your own if you like. But after a few examples, you could explain that we use the phrase “bad day” to describe all kinds of experiences. Some bad days involve inconveniences that may even become funny later. But other experiences are not funny at all. Some losses are so painful that they divide life into a before and an after.
Then to transition to the story of Job you could say:
“Today we are going to study a man who experienced that second kind of suffering. In a very short period of time, nearly everything that had made his life feel safe, joyful, and secure was taken from him. His name was Job, and his story asks some of the deepest questions found anywhere in scripture: Why do good people suffer? What happens to faith when life does not go as expected? And can we continue to trust God when we don’t understand what He is allowing?”
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO JOB
The book of Job is part of the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. Rather than simply recording historical events, wisdom books use poetry, dialogue, and story to explore some of life’s most difficult questions. Now latter-day scripture speaks of Job as a real person who experienced profound suffering, but the book is also clearly written in a poetic and highly literary form. The purpose of the book of Job isn’t primarily there to tell us a story about what happened to one man. It’s an invitation to every reader to wrestle with the relationship between suffering, righteousness, and faith. That, I believe, is the author’s intent here.
The opening scene of Job presents Satan in his role as the adversary and accuser. Now, maybe some disagree, but I feel it shouldn’t be understood as a literal description of God making a wager with Satan. Instead, it introduces the central challenge of the book: Is Job faithful because he genuinely loves and trusts God, or only because God has blessed him?
Before considering that question, students first need to understand two things: what kind of man Job was and what happened to him.
OPTION 1: Fuller Discovery Approach
A caution, this fuller approach may take a significant portion of a shorter class period, so use it when establishing Job’s story is your main priority, or reduce the number of references as needed.
To begin, explain that understanding Job’s character is essential to understanding the rest of the book. You could divide the following scripture assignments among five individuals or small groups. I’ll provide a handout with the references already printed so you can cut them apart and distribute them quickly.
Invite each individual or group to read the assigned verses and identify what they reveal about Job’s character. As they report, have another student create a list on the board under the heading: WHO JOB WAS
And I’ve simplified this a little from what I included in the insight video. But the scripture assignments are:
Job 1:1
Job 4:3–4
Job 29:12–16
Job 31:24–25, 29–30
Job 31:32–33
Give students a few minutes to study. Then invite each group to read its verses and share what it discovered.
And I won’t go into all the specifics here, but by the end of the search, the board may include qualities such as: Faithful, Upright, Obedient, Compassionate, Generous, Humble, Forgiving, Honest, and Supportive of others
After the list is complete, ask:
“Based on these verses, how does the book of Job want us to see this man?”
Students will probably conclude that Job was not merely a decent person. He was remarkably righteous, charitable, and faithful.
You might then say:
“That matters because of what happens next. The book works very hard to establish Job’s goodness because his suffering would be much easier to explain if he were secretly a terrible man. But he was not. Job was among the best of men, and yet he was about to experience some of the worst things imaginable.”
JOB’S REVERSAL OF FORTUNE
For the second part of the activity, draw six arrows across the board and explain that the class is going to read several passages describing what happened to Job. You could also do this as a handout activity. For each one, students should determine how his circumstances changed. In other words, Job went from what to what?
You could write the scripture references beside the arrows one at a time and read them together as a class. When that activity is complete, you should have the following displayed.
1. JOB 1:14–17 PROSPERITY → POVERTY
2. JOB 1:18–19 A LARGE FAMILY → NO CHILDREN
3. JOB 2:7–8. HEALTH → SICKNESS/PAIN
4. JOB 2:9; 19:13–15 SUPPORT → REJECTION
5. JOB 7:4, 13–14 SLEEP → NIGHTMARES
6. JOB 29:21, 30:10–12 RESPECT→ RIDICULE
When the final arrow is complete, invite students to look at the entire board.
On one side they can see the kind of man Job was and on the other, they can see what happened to him:
What makes these two lists difficult to place beside each other?
You might conclude the activity by saying:
The book of Job places two realities beside each other. Job was a very good man, and very bad things happened to him. He did not know why. The rest of the book asks what that experience reveals about faith, suffering, and our willingness to trust God when life does not make sense.
From this point, you can move into the lesson emphasis that you’ve chosen for your class.
OPTION 2: SUMMARIZING JOB’S STORY
If your students are already familiar with Job’s story, or if you want to preserve more class time for the main truth of the lesson, you could establish the same foundation much more quickly by simply showing the two completed charts. Briefly review the first chart, “Who Job Was,” and emphasize that Job was a faithful, compassionate, generous, and upright man. Then show the second chart, “What Job Experienced,” and summarize how quickly his life changed as he lost his wealth, his children, his health, the support of those around him, his rest, and the respect he had once enjoyed. You don’t need to explain every detail or read every reference. The purpose is simply to place those two realities side by side: Job was a very good man, and very bad things happened to him. Then add that Job did not understand why these things were happening, and when he cried out for answers, heaven initially seemed silent. With that basic tension established, you can move directly into whichever of the three lesson emphases you have chosen for your class.
Emphasis #1 focuses on learning from Job’s attitude towards his suffering.
Emphasis #2 is about understanding and examines the “Why” behind suffering.
And emphasis #3 is about response. It gives students some practical and spiritual means of better carrying hardship.
LESSON EMPHASIS #1 FOR NOUGHT? (Job)
This first lesson emphasis focuses specifically on Job’s example, what his attitude towards his suffering teaches us. He really is an amazing example of faith in unimaginable circumstances.
TRUTH:
True faith and discipleship are rooted in our belief of who God is, not only in the blessings He gives.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
You may want to choose this lesson emphasis if your students would benefit from examining the foundation of their faith. It is easy to treat discipleship like a bargain with God, that if we pray, obey, and make good choices, life should work out the way we hope. But when prayers go unanswered or obedience does not produce the expected result, faith can begin to feel disappointing or unfair.
Job challenges that expectation. Satan’s accusation is that Job loves the blessings God gives more than he loves God Himself. This lesson invites students to consider whether their faith depends on favorable circumstances or is becoming rooted in who God is. It may be especially helpful for students facing disappointment, delayed blessings, or the feeling that doing the right thing has not made life easier.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
For the search activity, I would use a simple courtroom visual for this lesson. On the board, display three headings:
THE ACCUSATIONTHE EVIDENCETHE VERDICT
Explain that students are going to examine Satan’s accusation and then decide whether Job’s response proves it true or false.
The Accusation
So first “The Accusation”. Invite students to read Job 1:9–11 and look for their answers to the following two questions:
What does Satan believe is the real reason Job serves God?
What does Satan predict Job will do if those blessings are removed?
Students should recognize that Satan believes Job’s faith is entirely transactional. In other words: Job serves God because serving God has worked out well for Job. The accusation is that he would certainly turn his back on God if all his blessings were taken from him.
On the board, you might write under “The Accusation”
Job is only faithful because God blesses and protects him. Take that away and he will abandon you.
Now as I said earlier, one of the purposes of the book of Job is to get us to ask ourselves that question. So we ponder? Is Satan’s accusation true of me? Is my faith transactional? Do I only love and serve God when times are good? When my prayers are answered? If things got bad, would I abandon my faith?
At that point, ask: Do you feel it’s easier to trust God when life is going well? Why or why not?
The Evidence
Well, let’s now see if Satan’s accusation is true. Let’s watch how Job reacts and see what we can learn from his example:
Divide students into individuals, pairs, or small groups and assign one of the following passages:
Job 1:20–22
Job 2:9–10
Job 13:15
Job 27:5–6
Invite each group to consider two questions:
1. What does Job do or say?
2. What does his response reveal about the foundation of his faith?
Then open up the conversation to the class to discuss what they find.
Here are a few things they might notice:
From Job 1:20-22 Job mourns openly, but he also worships. I think that’s an important combination. He doesn’t pretend that this situation is painless. He does grieve, but he doesn’t abandon God. He accepts the fact that trials are a part of life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.
From 2:9-10 Job retains his integrity. I love that phrase. He doesn’t lose his faith. He doesn’t say, “Well, if God is going to allow this to happen to me, then forget Him and his commandments, and his gospel.” You also may want to clarify that Job isn’t necessarily declaring that God directly caused every terrible thing that occurred. His point is that faith can’t be based only on accepting life when it’s pleasant.
Job 13:15 contains probably the simplest, most direct answer to Satan’s accusation, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” Oh, I hope I can develop that can kind of faith. It’s inspiring. He’s basically saying that even though he doesn’t understand the why behind his suffering, he will still TRUST God. I may not know the reasons for this, but I know his character. Even if I die, my trust won’t.
Then 27:5-6 expresses a similar resolve. “I will not remove mine integrity from me,” he says. He remains committed to righteousness even when righteousness does not appear to be rewarding him.
So under The Evidence caption, you could write things like:
He mourned but continued to worship.
He accepted that mortality includes both good and painful experiences.
He continued to trust God.
He maintained his integrity.
The Verdict
Now we establish the verdict here with the question: Did Job prove Satan’s accusation true or false? He proved it false.
Then we write under THE VERDICT:
Job’s faith was not merely a bargain for blessings.
Then ask:
What seems to be the difference between loving God and merely loving the blessings God gives?
Allow your students to articulate the truth in their own words before displaying the central truth:
True faith and discipleship are rooted in our belief of who God is, not only in the blessings He gives.
TEACHER EXPLANATION
And here I might want to explain the following as the teacher:
One thing Job makes unmistakably clear is that righteousness does not protect a person from every form of mortal suffering. Very bad things can happen to very good people. Obedience is not a guarantee that life will always be safe, predictable, or painless. That doesn’t mean that God causes every tragedy, nor does it mean every hardship has the same explanation. Some suffering comes through human agency, some through natural consequences of our choices, and much simply comes from living in a fallen and mortal world. There may also be times when God permits difficulty for purposes we cannot yet see. But Job warns us against pretending that we always know why a particular person suffers. The book of Job does not give us one simple explanation for every instance of suffering. What it does ask is whether God will remain worthy of our trust when the explanation is not immediately available. Can we be “Job’s” when life gets hard?
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Can a person feel disappointed, confused, or even angry and still have faith? How?
What is the difference between trusting God and expecting a particular outcome from Him?
Before moving into the final application and takeaway, I encourage to use the shared ‘Complete the Story’ section near the end of this video or lesson plan.
TAKE IT TO HEART:
For the take it to heart portion you could display the following sentence:
“I will trust God as long as . . .” and give them some possible ways someone might be tempted to complete it.
· as long as my prayers are answered the way I hope,
· as long as my family is protected,
· as long as life feels fair,
· as long as obedience makes me happy,
· as long as I understand what God is doing.
But instead, we want to challenge our students to replace that sentence, or sentiment with “I will trust God because . . .” and invite them to ponder and share how we might complete that sentence with a Job like attitude. Encourage them to base their response on something they know or believe about God’s character. Things like:
· because He loves His children,
· because Jesus Christ lives,
· because He sees more than I do,
· because His promises extend beyond mortality,
· because I have felt His goodness.
I WILL GO AND DO:
Invite students to choose one simple action to better cultivate a Job like attitude in their own life.
Suggestions:
REMEMBER WHO HE IS: Write down three things you believe about God that remain true even when life is difficult.
WORSHIP WHILE WAITING: Choose one small act of faith you can continue while waiting for an answer—pray, attend church, study scripture, serve someone, or keep a commandment.
MAINTAIN ONE THING: Identify one part of your discipleship you are tempted to abandon because life has been difficult. Decide what it would look like to maintain it this week.
TRUST WITHOUT A TIMELINE: Release one personal deadline you have placed on God. Continue to pray and act, but allow Him to work according to His wisdom and timing.
TAKEAWAY:
Our takeaway slide for this emphasis reminds us that Job’s faith was “not for nought.” He was not faithful only because God had placed a hedge around his life and filled it with blessings. When the hedge seemed to disappear, when the blessings were gone, and when he couldn’t understand what God was allowing, Job still chose to trust. That doesn’t mean he didn’t grieve. It does not mean he never questioned or struggled. It means that beneath all of that pain was a relationship with God that was deeper than a bargain. At some point, each of us may face a moment when life does not unfold the way we believed it should. When that happens, I hope we can remember Job and say, “My faith is not based only on what God gives me. It is rooted in who I know Him to be.” Continue to pray. Continue to worship. Continue to maintain your integrity. Trust Him not only because life is good, but because He is.
LESSON EMPHASIS #2 BIGGER THAN THE WHY (Job)
TRUTH:
Suffering is not proof of God’s displeasure, and when I cannot understand His purposes, I can trust His wisdom and goodness.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
You may want to choose this lesson emphasis if your students are wrestling with the question of why good people suffer or if they are tempted to interpret hardship as evidence that God is disappointed in them. Some students may quietly believe that if they were more faithful, prayed harder, made better choices, or had a stronger testimony, their problems would disappear. Others may look at someone else’s suffering and assume that person must have done something to deserve it.
The book of Job directly challenges those conclusions and can help our students better understand the nature of suffering.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
After completing the shared introduction to Job, remind students of the two realities they have just placed side by side: Job was a very good man. Very bad things happened to him.
Then ask:
How do people usually try to explain a situation like that?
Allow students to respond, but then explain that the rest of the book of Job is largely a debate over that question. Job wants to know why he’s suffering, and his friends are convinced they already know the answer. Today we are going to examine their explanation, decide whether it is correct, and then consider the very different response God eventually gives.
Divide the board into two sections: THE FRIENDS’ ANSWER and GOD’S ANSWER and explain that students will compare what Job’s friends say about his suffering with what God says at the end of the book.
Explain that much of Job consists of long speeches between Job and his friends but there’s no need to read all of them to understand their basic message. Instead, assign the following three passages to individuals, pairs, or small groups:
Job 5:17
Job 8:5–6
Job 11:5–6
Invite students to read their assigned verses and answer:
What do Job’s friends believe is causing his suffering?
They may identify ideas such as:
Job must have sinned.
God must be correcting or punishing him.
If Job were truly righteous, God would restore him.
Job is receiving less punishment than he deserves.
Suffering is evidence of guilt.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
You could then ask: Why might that explanation be attractive?
Students may recognize that it makes life feel predictable. If every suffering person caused the problem through sin, then we can reassure ourselves that tragedy will not happen to us as long as we are good. But mortality is not that simple.
And, this may be more of a side principle, but you may want to show them Job’s response to their accusation in Job 16:2 “Miserable comforters are ye all”.
You could then share this thought: Job’s friends were most helpful before they started explaining. Then briefly read or summarize Job 2:11–13. His friends originally came to mourn with him, sat beside him, and remained silent because they saw that his grief was very great.
You might explain that because we do not always know why someone is suffering, we should be very cautious about assigning reasons to another person’s pain. Sometimes the most Christlike thing we can do is listen, acknowledge the hurt, and stay near.
Well we don’t have to wonder whether their explanation is right or wrong. Take them to 42:7 for God’s evaluation of their answer. His answer? “ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right”. That is not the explanation. You may want to display the first part of our truth on the board.
Suffering is not proof of God’s displeasure.
So what is the explanation. Tell your students that God is going to give Job an answer. Sort of. It’s an interesting answer. It’s an answer in the form of a giant list of questions. The way I might approach this is just to invite my students to read in whatever order they wish any of the following references from God’s answer with one question in mind:
What might God be trying to help Job recognize?
Job 38:4–6
Job 38:18–19
Job 38:22
Job 38:35
Job 39:19
Job 39:26–27
Job 40:2
Job 40:8–9
And I would want my students to understand that the answer to each of those questions is “no”. Job, and all of us would have to admit, “ I don’t have your power God, I don’t have your understanding, I don’t comprehend all that you comprehend.”
The questions God asks Job are not just to show God’s superior knowledge but to create in Job and all of us a sense of wonder at the sheer majesty of his creation. It’s as though God is telling Job, “You cannot yet see everything I see. You don’t understand all that I understand. But look at the world I’ve created and sustained. If My wisdom can order the stars, the seas, the weather, and the living creatures of the earth, can you trust that your life has not escaped My attention?”
So then we can complete our truth statement:
Suffering is not proof of God’s displeasure, and when I cannot understand His purposes, I can trust His wisdom and goodness.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
What truths about God can we hold onto when the reason for a trial remains unclear?
When you do not understand what God is doing, what helps you continue to trust who He is?
Once again, before moving into the final application and takeaway, I encourage to use the shared ‘Complete the Story’ section near the end of this lesson plan.
TAKE IT TO HEART:
For the take it to heart, you can invite your students to ponder how they might complete the following sentence for themselves:Because I know ______________________,
I can trust God even though I do not yet understand ______________________.
I WILL GO AND DO:
How might this lesson from Job look applied to your own life?
REFUSE THE FALSE CONCLUSION: Identify one hardship you have interpreted as evidence that God is disappointed in you. Replace that assumption with a more truthful and compassionate conclusion.
REMEMBER HIS CHARACTER: Choose one quality of God—His love, wisdom, justice, mercy, patience, or faithfulness—and look for evidence of that quality during the coming week.
STUDY THE CREATOR: Spend a few minutes observing or studying something in God’s creation. Let its beauty, complexity, or order remind you that His understanding exceeds your own.
SIT BEFORE YOU SPEAK: When someone shares a painful experience, resist the urge to explain it. Listen, acknowledge the pain, and offer your presence before offering advice.
TAKEAWAY:
Our takeaway slide places Job beneath the vastness of God’s creation. The caption reads: “Trust what you know” with the subtext: You do not need to understand everything to trust the One who does. Job couldn’t count the stars, command the weather, govern the animals, or comprehend everything God sees. And yet the One who holds all of that in His wisdom also sees Job sitting in the ashes. Job does not receive a simple explanation for every loss, but he does come to recognize that his life has not escaped God’s notice or care.
LESSON EMPHASIS #3 WHEELS FOR THE BURDEN (Job)
TRUTH:
Faith in God, personal integrity, and hope in the living Redeemer can help me endure my trials well.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
You may want to choose this lesson emphasis if your students are less concerned with explaining why suffering occurs and more in need of help carrying something difficult right now. Some burdens cannot be quickly solved, explained, or removed. In those moments, students may need more than a reason for suffering; they need spiritual resources that help them keep moving without losing their faith, hope, or sense of who they are. This lesson can help them to do that.
OBJECT:
I like to accompany this emphasis with a memorable object lesson. For it, you gather several heavy or awkward objects along with a wagon, furniture dolly, or something else with wheels.
Invite a volunteer to come to the front of the room. Begin placing the objects in the student’s arms and as you do, explain that each object represents a different kind of burden someone might carry: physical illness, grief, family struggles, etc. And you give the student enough objects that walking across the room becomes difficult, but don’t create an unsafe situation. Then ask: How could we make it easier for this person to carry all of this to the other side? Let them answer and then bring out the wagon or dolly and place the objects on it.
Now ask:
Did the weight of the objects change? No, then . . .
What changed?
You might explain that the cart didn’t make the objects lighter. It changed the person’s ability to carry them. Job’s trials were not immediately removed, but he had several truths and choices that helped him continue moving forward beneath their weight. Today we are going to look for the ‘wheels’ Job placed beneath his burdens.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
And for this search activity, I suggest you use the “Enduring it Well” handout that I suggested in the Insight video. You send your students into the scriptures to study the following sets of verses, looking for things that helped Job to carry his burdens successfully. You can tell your students that if they get hung up with any of the references, not to worry too much, but just to move on to one of the others. Then discuss them as a class and invite students to share what they learned. There are five sets of verses.
Job 1:20-22
Job 13:15
Job 19:23-27
Job 27:5-6
Job 42:10-17
I’m not going to go into detail here in this video about the answers that I see in those verses. So if you choose to do this activity, I’ll refer you to the insight video for help on preparing for that. You’ll notice that there are some thoughts in this activity that also coincide with some of the ideas from the other two lesson options. And that’s OK, you just probably won’t be able to go as deep into those ideas here. But your students should discover a number of things that helped Job and that can help us to endure our trials well; to give us wheels to better carry our burdens.
Then, at this point, do the ‘Complete the Story’ section found near the end of this video or lesson plan.
TAKE IT TO HEART:
Which of these ‘wheels’ do you think can help most during a difficult time, and why?”
Then optionally ask:
Has one of them ever helped you?
I WILL GO AND DO:
Ask: How could you add a “wheel” to your burdens this week?
Suggestions:
HOLD FAST TO INTEGRITY: Choose one faithful habit you will continue even while life is difficult—prayer, scripture study, worship, honesty, kindness, or Church participation.
REMEMBER THE REDEEMER: Read Job 19:25–27 each day this week and consider what Jesus Christ will ultimately restore.
EXERCISE HOPE IN THE PROMISE: Hold onto the promise that bodies, relationships, justice, and righteous desires will ultimately be redeemed through Christ.
MAINTAIN TRUST: Trust God’s character when His immediate purposes remain unclear.
TAKEAWAY:
Our takeaway slide displays a wagon filled with burdens. The caption reads: Wheels for the burden” and the phrase, “The load may remain, but God can help you carry it.” You could then conclude by saying something like “Job’s grief was real, his pain was heavy, and his questions were not immediately answered. But Job had something beneath the weight. He trusted God when he could not understand Him. He refused to surrender his integrity. And while still sitting in the ashes, he declared, “I know that my redeemer liveth.” You may be carrying something right now that God has not yet removed. That does not mean He has forgotten you or that you must carry it alone. Ask Him to place wheels beneath the burden. Hold onto what you know about Him. Continue making the faithful choices that are still yours to make. Remember that your Redeemer lives and that, through Him, every faithful loss will eventually be restored. The load may remain heavy for a time, but with His help, you can keep moving.
COMPLETE THE STORY: JOB’S LATTER END
Whichever lesson emphasis you choose, I suggest taking a few minutes near the end to complete Job’s story. Take your students to Job 42:10–17 (which, quick note, if you choose emphasis #3, this makes up part of the handout already) but simply read those yourself or have a student do it and be sure to point out that the Lord turns Job’s captivity and blesses his latter end more than his beginning. His health, family, prosperity, and place within the community are all restored, and the book closes with Job living a long and full life. Be careful, however, not to present this ending as a promise that every faithful person will have every loss replaced during mortality. Job’s story points to a larger truth: suffering does not last forever, God does not forget His faithful children, and through Jesus Christ every righteous loss will ultimately be redeemed. A favorite cross reference of mine for that thought comes from Revelation 21:4.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
All trials have an end, through Jesus Christ.
VIDEO:
Now if you wish to add a video element to this lesson, the Come Follow Me offers some great suggestions. One video is this one called “Yet Will I Trust Him”.
Another option would be to show the short, animated summary of Job’s story.
And one more would be to show “Because of Him” which emphasizes the Savior’s role in helping us to overcome suffering and pain.
INSIGHTS
INTRODUCTION
Today, the book of Job. The story of Job is a part of what we would call the wisdom literature of the Bible. Books like Job and Ecclesiastes seek to examine some of the deepest and most difficult questions of life. In the case of Job, we examine the problem of human suffering. Victor Hugo once said that he felt that the Book of Job was the greatest masterpiece of the human mind. Now that kind of makes sense since Hugo also liked to write about suffering and miserable people. Scholars and historians have long debated whether Job was an actual person or simply a literary character used to examine a theological question. Personally, I think it’s a little bit of both. We in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have the benefit of latter-day scripture to help answer that question. While in Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith received an answer to a prayer in the depths of his own suffering. In that answer, God gave Joseph the following line of comfort. He said: “Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job.” (D&C 121:10) Now, to me, it doesn’t make much sense for God to offer that as comfort if Job wasn’t a real person. I mean how much comfort would it give you if your friends tried to cheer you up by comparing your life to a fictional character’s experience? “Oh, don’t worry about this, at least things aren’t as bad for you as they were for Jean Valjean, or Wile E. Coyote. You’ll get through this.” That’s probably not going to be very helpful, is it? Also, James, in the New Testament refers to the patience of Job. Again, lending credibility to the idea that he’s real. So Job is almost certainly a real person. On the other hand, the Book of Job is also clearly poetic and has a lot of literary qualities to it. For one, it’s written in poetic verse. Much of the plot reads like a novel and the details do seem a bit exaggerated or incredible. So personally, I believe that the story of Job is based on a real person who did suffer much, who experienced a lot of pain and loss in a short amount of time, but that the author has taken that real life inspiration and used it as a vehicle to examine the question of suffering. His main intent was to teach a lesson, not give a biographical, journalistic account of somebody’s life. And let me give you an example of this. The first chapters of Job where we have God talking to Satan and making a deal with him to allow him to afflict Job, I definitely believe is not a description of real events. That would be quite troubling to me if it were. I mean, is God really going to let Job suffer like this so he can win a bet with Satan? I don’t think so. The Come Follow Manual even makes that point. It says, “The opening chapters of Job are intended to emphasize Satan’s role as our adversary or accuser, not to describe how God and Satan really interact.” So I feel there’s a good deal of literary license taken in the Book of Job, but based on that verse in the Doctrine and Covenants, I also have confidence that we’re dealing with a real person here who suffered in the extreme. And today as we examine the life of Job, I’d like to focus our attention on four specific truths that I feel this great book teaches us.
JOB’S CHARACTER
ICEBREAKER
As an icebreaker, I like to start with something maybe just a bit more lighthearted because the subject matter of Job is going to get much more somber as you go along. So I just like to show a number “Bad Day” pictures. Here are just a few examples of people who are probably having a worse day than you are. So here we go:
(Show examples)
TRANSITION
Now even as bad as those people have it, there is a character in the Bible who had a much, much worse day than any of them. I think a far more worse day than most of us could even imagine. That man was Job, and today we’re going to take a look at his life to see if it can help us to understand what
we can do when those bad days, weeks, months, or even years strike.
SEARCH
The first thing we need to consider is Job’s character. What kind of a man was he? To discover his character, you could hand out a printed scripture reference from Job to 9 different individuals. I’ll make a sheet available that already has all the assignments printed that you could cut and hand out. Their assignment is to look up that particular reference and to be prepared to read it to the class. As they read, the class will listen for details they learn about Job’s character. Invite another student to come to the board and invite them to write down all the qualities the class identifies. Also, before the verses are read, encourage the entire class to create a label on page 679 with the title “Job’s character” and invite them to mark each of those verses in a specific color.
And from those verses, here’s what we learn about Job:
1:1 He was perfect, upright, feared God, and eschewed, or “avoided” evil
Perfect in this sense doesn’t mean that Job never sinned or made any mistakes. It’s a word that basically means that Job was a very righteous man. His heart was in the right place, he strove to be obedient to his Father’s will, and he was committed to his faith.
4:3-4 He instructed many, strengthened weak hands. He supported those who were falling, strengthened the feeble knees
So Job was charitable and benevolent. He reached out to lend strength to the weak and feeble.
23:11-12 He walked the strait and narrow path. He did not go back from the commandments of God.
He was obedient. He sought to choose the right.
29:12-16 Lots of great things here. He helped the poor, cared for orphans and for those whom no one else would help. He helped widows, the blind, the lame, and even searched out for people that he could help. He was proactive with his generosity and kindness. He didn’t let them just find him, he went out to look for them.
Job was giving and caring.
31:1 He says he made a covenant to his wife, why then would he think about a maid.
So not only is he pure in deed, but pure in thought as well. He was chaste.
31:24 Job may have been rich, but he didn’t place his heart on riches. He did not make gold his hope or confidence, but found it in God. He didn’t allow the love of money to corrupt him.
So he was not materialistic or greedy.
31:29-30 He never found joy in the suffering of his enemies and never wished evil on them.
Job was forgiving and thoughtful to all, even his enemies. He had no ill intent in his heart for anyone. This reflects the teaching of the Savior in the Sermon on the Mount where he taught us to love our enemies, bless those that curse us, and do good to them that hate us, etc.
31:32 He opened his home to strangers
He was hospitable.
31:33 He did not try to hide his sins.
He was sincere about his weaknesses and humble. He didn’t claim to be a perfect individual or ever lift up his head in arrogance because of his righteousness.
So after looking at those verses, would you consider Job to be a good man? Yes! More than a good man. One of the best. Now it’s very important that we understand that, because that’s what gives the rest of the story its real power. Job was among the best of men. And yet he experiences some of the worst things imaginable.
The story is set up in chapter 1. And here we have God and Satan having an imaginary conversation. Now remember, this is just a hypothetical situation written to set up the big question of the story. A question that we must all face at some time in our lives. Satan is given a title in the book of Revelation—Revelation 12:10. What is it? The accuser. Satan is the great accuser of our brethren. Well, here in Job chapter 1, Satan plays that role masterfully. What’s the accusation in Job 1:9-11?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an 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.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
And then later in chapter 2, after Satan’s initial efforts are unsuccessful, he ups the ante and says,
4 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
So the accusation is this: The only reason Job is righteous is because his life is so good. He has things way too easy. He has great wealth, a great family, great health, the respect of his fellow man. BUT, If you were to afflict him, or he lost all his blessings, he would curse you. And that’s the compelling question the Book of Job asks us all to consider. Would trials and difficulties cause you to lose your faith and loyalty to God? That’s one of the big questions of life even. If everything we hold dear were taken away from us and we were plunged into deep hardship, would we still hold to our faith? Would we still love, trust, and honor our Father in Heaven in those trying circumstances?
If we lost our job?
If our spouse died?
If we lost a child?
If we contracted a terminal illness?
If we became the victim of a terrible crime?
That’s a difficult question to answer, short of experiencing Job-like adversity, which none of us would wish for. But that’s the question the Book of Job is asking us to ponder and wrestle with. Let’s see how Job handles it. Because in the story, God does indeed allow the challenge to take place:
2:6
6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
So what happens to Job then as a result of this deal? Let’s do an activity that can help us to see the various ways in which Job’s life changes. Up on my board I put 6 arrows pointing to the right. And together with my class we read the following sets of verses. Their task is to determine what major change is occurring in Job’s life based on those references. He goes from “what” to “what” in them?
1--1:14-17
In these verses Job loses all that made him prosperous and wealthy. Back then, your wealth wasn’t measured in cars and homes, but livestock and servants. Job loses all of it within a matter of moments. So he goes from “Rich” to “Poor”
2--1:18-19
Now if that weren’t bad enough. Here’s a trial on a totally different level. What’s the transformation here? He loses all of his children. All of them. At once. Imagine the shock to the system that must have been. I’ve known a number of families who have actually lost just one child and know how difficult that was for them. But to have ten children die and all on the same day? That’s suffering on an entire other level. He goes from “Large Family” to “No Children”
3--2:7-8
In these verses, we see the adversary start to afflict Job physically. He gets sick and covered in boils—from the soul of his foot to the crown of his head. . Boils are incredibly painful. They go deep into your skin and make you itch. They cover his body. And all he can do is scrape himself with a piece of broken pottery for some semblance of relief. If you’ve ever suffered physically before, then you know how hard it is to be happy when you’re in pain. Job here, is in constant pain, and in a day without modern medicine to help manage it. So he goes from “Health” to “Sickness and Pain.”
4--2:9, 19:13-19
This is a real sad one. We learn from 2:9 about how Job’s wife responds to his suffering. 9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. She doesn’t sound very supportive there, now does she? His wife is telling him to just die? But, still, to be fair to Mrs. Job, she too is suffering greatly at this time. She’s also just lost all of her wealth, and children as well. So I try not to be too hard on her. And it appears that by the end of the story, when all things are resolved, that they are still married and go on to have more children and live happily ever after. She eventually “passes the test” as well. But in the other verses in chapter 19 we learn that his other family and friends and servants and the community around him forget him and despise him. So he goes from “Support” to “Rejection.”
5--7:4,13-14
Sometimes when we suffer greatly there is only one release that we get from it all. Sleep. Sleep is the only time when you get to escape the terrors of reality for at least a short time, But what happens to Job here?
4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
And then 13-14:
13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaints;
14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions
So whenever he tries to go to sleep, he tosses and turns. And if he does actually succeed in falling asleep, he has terrible nightmares. So even sleep isn’t a relief for Job. He goes from “Sleep” to “Nightmares.”
6--29:21, 30:10-12
Finally, in this last set of verses we see in 29:21 that before his great misfortune, Job was given great respect by the people around him. He was upheld as an esteemed member of the community. But in 30:10-12:
10 They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
11 Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.
12 Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.
So he loses all respect from the people around him. The youth are pushing away his feet, or tripping him up and mocking him. The change? He goes from “Great Respect” to “Great Ridicule.”
Don’t you just feel for Job here? To have such a devastating turn of events in his life must have been almost unbearable.
And then there’s one more trial that I’d like to add here. The horrid icing on this terrible nightmare of a cake. Look in verses 10:2, 13:22-24, 19:7
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.
The thing that makes this all harder is that he doesn’t even understand why it’s happening. God is offering no explanation. There is only silence. That might be one of the toughest things to endure in life. If we were to just know the purpose behind it all. If we could see the end from the beginning and understand God’s wisdom in allowing such things to happen, that might make those things easier to endure. But often, we don’t get those answers immediately, if at all in this life.
Somebody who I feel described this state of being extremely well is C.S. Lewis. When he lost his beloved wife Joy to cancer, he felt this same emptiness and questioning, and he described his feelings like this:
“Meanwhile, where is God? This is one of the most disquieting symptoms. When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him, so happy that you are tempted to feel His claims upon you as an interruption, if you remember yourself and turn to Him with gratitude and praise, you will be — or so it feels — welcomed with open arms.
But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away. The longer you wait, the more emphatic the silence will become. There are no lights in the windows. What can this mean? Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble?” . . .
Not that I am (I think) in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is of coming to believe such dreadful things about Him. The conclusion I dread is not ‘So there’s no God after all,’ but ‘So this is what God’s really like. Deceive yourself no longer.’”
C.S. Lewis
(A Grief Observed, p.4)
Now that is definitely coming from a man who is feeling deep pain and confusion. Perhaps you’ve felt similarly in your own life in your own griefs. We’ll come back to Lewis later.
TRUTH #1
But there is something that we’ve learned here from these two activities. Any thoughts on what that might be? Our first activity showed us that Job was a very good man. Our second activity showed us all the very bad things that happened to him. What we’re seeing here is one of the most unsettling truths about mortality. A truth so troubling that it will even cause some to lose their faith in God completely. What is it?
God allows bad things happen to good people. In fact, with the story of Job, we could adjust that slightly. God can allow very bad things to happen to very good people.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Now you may not really want people to share their answers to this question out loud, but perhaps just have them raise their hand if they can relate. Can you think of any examples from your own life? Of bad things that have happened to good people. I’m sure we all can.
But that’s not where we’re going to end today. That would be far too discouraging to leave it at that. It’s an unfortunate truth, but the Book of Job has so much more to teach us. Now that this has happened to him, the rest of the book is going to tackle the question of “why”. Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? And we find two answers highlighted. The wrong answer and God’s answer.
THE WRONG ANSWER
First, the wrong answer. The bulk of the book of Job is devoted to conversations held between Job and his “friends.” Each one comes forward with their theory for why Job is suffering. And it’s all basically the same one. Really, pages and pages of this book are dedicated to this one thought. It’s a theory for human suffering that has been prevalent for ages and many still struggle with today. It’s exemplified in Job’s by these four friends. As a teacher, there’s really no need to lead your students through large swathes of text to make this point. Rather, you can just give them a sampling of some of the verses that exemplify their answer. What is their reason for why Job is suffering? Can you figure it out?
· Job 5:17 From Eliphaz
o 17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
· Job 8:6 From Bildad
o 6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
· Job 11:6 From Zophar
o 6 And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
So what’s their explanation? Why is Job suffering so deeply? Because he’s obviously done something wrong. God Is correcting him, chastening him, ignoring him, and (that last one really gets me) he’s exacting less of him than his iniquity deserves. God is punishing him for some kind of iniquity that just isn’t outwardly apparent to everyone else. In his friend’s reasoning, God cannot be unjust. Suffering must have a cause, and sin must be that cause. Therefore, in their misguided understanding of mortality, Job has sinned. This is probably why Job has lost respect in his community or why people are treating him so poorly even though he was so good to everyone else. For someone to experience that deep a level of ruin and sorrow must be an indicator of God’s disapproval of them. Right? He’s got to be guilty of some major offense. Why else would things fall apart so quickly? There is a tendency for the natural man to rejoice over the fall of a once respected and worthy person. Tabloids and newscasts provide ample proof of this. So Job, you must have done something to deserve this.
Now two questions:
What’s Job’s reaction to their theory? (16:2 and 16:4-5)
and What’s God’s reaction to their theory? (42:7)
Job’s reaction:
2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
Job is none too impressed with the conclusions of his “friends”. That’s not a helpful thing to say to someone in pain. And then he says:
4 I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
But that’s not what they are doing. They are, “contending against him”, and “charging him with transgression” as the Doctrine and Covenants says.
And God’s reaction?
7 And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
So there you have it, right from the mouth of God. The conclusion of Job’s friends was not the right thing. They got it wrong.
TRUTH #2
What truth did we just learn from the Book of Job?
Suffering and adversity are not an indication of God’s displeasure or punishment.
It could be that making this point was the major reason for writing the Book of Job in the first place since so much of its content focuses on it. The explanation of Job’s friends is shallow and doesn’t help us at all. However, their thinking is still dominant even today. Even amongst good members of the Church, we may equate negative life experiences with lack of worthiness when in reality the truth is far more complicated. We can happily dismiss the answer of Job’s friends as false.
Now, before we continue, it is true that suffering and adversity can be the result of bad choices. For example, if someone smokes and drinks for years, and then their health starts to fail, then yes, their own choices brought about that pain and suffering. But even then, I don’t believe that it’s God punishing them for not following his Word of Wisdom. They’re just the natural consequences of not following God’s laws of health.
A favorite quote regarding this truth: “Men are punished by their sins, not for them.” Elbert Hubbard.
So:
I know that the reason my Mom died of cancer was not because she was being punished for her mistakes.
I know that the reason 911 happened was not because the people in the towers were wicked.
I know that the reason people are born with handicaps or physical challenges or in less-than-ideal circumstances is not because they did something wrong or that God doesn’t love them.
I know that when people die in earthquakes, tsunamis, or hurricanes, that, that’s not a message of God’s displeasure to people in those locations. These are simply the products of living in a mortal, fallen world.
Let’s be careful not to make the mistake of Job’s friends in trying to understand life’s injustices and calamities.
GOD’S “ANSWER”?
What is the correct answer then? If that’s not it, what’s the truth? Why is Job suffering? In chapters 38-41 God is actually going to speak to Job here. And a heads up here. And you’ll notice that I labeled this section God’s “answer” in quotation marks and a question mark at the end. God’s answer isn’t going to be your typical one. He’s not going to just come straightforwardly out and say it in black in white. The answer is going to be found in between the lines. In the white space on the page. God goes on for four chapters with his answer, but I just want to give you a taste of what he’s saying. It’s all the same theme. As I read these, what point do you feel God is trying to make, with His answer here?
From Chapter 38:4-6 . . . Job,
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
19 Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
(I like that image. Like there’s a big storehouse up there in the heaven that holds all the snow and the hail, which open up and rain down when God desires it)
35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?
(That’s another very poetic image isn’t it. And what is that says, “Here we are” after lightning strikes? Thunder. It’s referring to thunder)
From chapter 39
13 Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
19 Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
26 Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
Chapter 40
40 Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said,
2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
9 Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
And it just kind of goes on and on like that throughout all four chapters. And you may have noticed something. It’s really just a series of questions, isn’t it? What do you think is the point God is trying to make here? With this long list of rhetorical questions. What is the answer to each of those questions? It’s “no”. Job, and all of us would have to admit, “ I don’t have your power God, I don’t have your understanding, I don’t comprehend all that you comprehend.” Even our modern, scientifically advanced world can’t answer all of these questions regarding the universe, the weather, or the behavior of animals.
So Job concludes in 42:2-3
2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
The questions God asks Job are not just to show God’s superior knowledge but to create in Job and all of us a sense of wonder at the sheer majesty of his creation. Surely a God with such power and understanding and grandeur, is a God worthy of our trust? And that is really the gist, I feel, of God’s answer. We must learn to trust in God, trust his plan for us, and trust in his goodness. So rather than giving Job the exact reason for why He has allowed such affliction in his life, he appeals to Job’s heart. He says, “Look at my world and my wonders. It’s beautiful and ordered and it works. Don’t you think I also know how to order the lives of my children? That I know what’s best and what will bring you the most glory and knowledge and experience in the future? You may not understand all things now from your mortal, limited perspective, but you will someday. Until then, trust me.”
Remember the quote I shared from a grieving C.S. Lewis earlier? He too came to a similar conclusion as the Book of Job about his own grief. He began to recognize that he misunderstood something about that seemingly locked, dark, and empty house. He said:
“And so, perhaps, with God. I have gradually been coming to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face? The time when there is nothing at all in your soul except a cry for help may be just the time when God can’t give it: you are like the drowning man who can’t be helped because he clutches and grabs. Perhaps your own reiterated cries deafen you to the voice you hoped to hear. On the other hand, ‘Knock and it shall be opened.’ But does knocking mean hammering and kicking the door like a maniac?” . . . (46)
“When I lay these questions before God I get no answer. But a rather special sort of ‘No answer.’ It is not the locked door. It is more like a silent, certainly not uncompassionate, gaze. As though He shook His head not in refusal but waiving the question. Like, ‘Peace, child; you don’t understand.’ (69)
TRUTH
We must learn to TRUST in the wisdom and power of a loving God that allows us to experience pain and loss in this life, and one day we will understand.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
What do you think about God’s answer?
Is it satisfactory to you? Why or why not?
Are you willing to trust in God until you do understand?
CONCLUSION
To be honest, I’ve really wrestled with this question myself, as I’m sure most of you have. With some trials and hardships we face in life, that answer makes total sense. I see the wisdom in it. But with other things, that’s an explanation that’s much harder to swallow. But a few quick thoughts about human suffering and it’s purposes. Remember that it is God’s design to make us all gods, and to give us the opportunity to live a life like his own and to become like him. And if we were to ask ourselves, “What is God like?” Our answers would probably include things such as kindness, longsuffering, patience, meekness, compassion, and mercy. But where do these attributes come from? Ease and prosperity? No. In order to magnify mankind, it seems that God must put them through the refining fires of adversity. Out of pain and suffering come almost all the most positive character traits that God wants for his children. Nothing quite refines the character like suffering. It is opposition that creates strength, adversity that brings experience, and hardship that generates wisdom and patience. As a parent myself, would I choose to remove all difficulty and pain from the lives of my children? No. I don’t think I would. I know that would be counterproductive to their growth. And I know that’s easy to say, right now, when everything is ok and they’re doing just fine. But what would I do when I actually saw them suffering, if I saw them in pain? Wouldn’t I be tempted to stop it if I could? Probably yeah. Does God always? No. And that’s difficult to grasp. But that’s where the trust comes in. I imagine that is one of the hardest things God ever has to do, to constrain his power—to not intervene in the affairs of man when he sees his children suffer. So the righteous will suffer in this life. And the wicked won’t always. Perhaps God wanted us to be good for the sake of goodness. If righteousness was always immediately rewarded and wickedness quickly punished, self-interest would make us godly, and fear would compel us to be saints. Because it is often otherwise, our commitment to goodness and integrity must be inspired by deeper resources than mere outward and immediate consequences.
Well, even knowing all that, I still struggle at times with the question of why good people have bad things happen to them. But Nephi’s words in response to the questioning angel come to mind here:
“I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.”
1 Nephi 11:17
It takes humility and faith to answer like that. Nephi had that faith, and so did Job, and so must we.
ENDURING IT WELL
ICEBREAKER
Now for the final truth of our Job lesson. For this, I like to do the following icebreaker. It’s an object lesson. What you’ll need is a number of heavy and awkward objects to carry and then you’ll also need a wagon, or a wheeled cart, a furniture dolly, or just something with wheels that can carry a lot of weight. Invite a student to come to the front and what you’ll do is just start loading them up with all the different heavy and awkward objects. You can explain that each one of those objects represents a different trial or challenge a person may face in their life. You could even name some of those possible trials. This book represents getting sick. This one represents struggles at home. Etc. Then ask them to try and carry those items across the room. Give them enough that it becomes really difficult to move or get to the other side without dropping them or exerting great physical effort. But then, ask them if they can think of any better solutions to getting those objects to the other side of the room. If they suggest that you could just drop the objects and leave them, tell them that that really doesn’t work because we know that God doesn’t always take our trials away when we ask him to But what might help? Let them guess a little, and then pull out the wagon or the cart and ask, “How might this come in handy?” With the wagon, the weight of the objects doesn’t change in the slightest. They are still the exact same objects, and they still weigh the same. But what’s the difference? They are much easier to move. I used to work at a furniture store as a young man and I was always amazed at the size and weight of the objects I could move with just a simple furniture dolly. Things far too heavy for me to lift could glide along the floor with minimal effort on the dolly.
TRANSITION
So now let’s discuss the real miracle of Job. The fact that he doesn’t fall. The fact that he stays righteous even when his suffering is so great and undeserved. Job was able to carry that weight and endure to the end. He had a wagon. He had a furniture dolly, so to speak, that allowed him to stay faithful under the weight of his burdens. This hearkens back to the great personal question the book of Job asks us to ponder that I mentioned earlier: Would great trials and difficulties cause me to lose my faith and loyalty to God? When it comes to Job, all the things that we would say bring happiness are taken from him, and yet, he stays firm. How? Let’s examine that last question here, because perhaps that will help us to know what we can do when we face lesser hardships than his. In the Doctrine and Covenants, God made a promise to Joseph Smith in the depth of his trials, that if he endured it well, God would exalt him on high. The key word in that phrase, I think, is “well”. Joseph needed to endure it well. Because have no choice but to endure suffering. All endure their adversities, but not all endure them well. Job is someone who I feel exemplifies the process of “enduring it well”.
SEARCH
What helped Job to “endure it well”? Let’s examine some things that helped him to get through. You could do this search activity as a handout and send your students into the scriptures to study the following sets of verses, looking for things that helped Job to carry his burdens successfully. You can tell your students that if they get hung up with any of the references, not to worry too much, but just to move on to one of the others. Then discuss them as a class and invite students to share what they learned. There are five sets of verses.
Job 1:20-22
20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, 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.
22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
What does Job understand here? It’s apparent that Job understands something about mortality. He understands that trials are a necessary part of this life. Life gives sometimes, and life takes away. He’s not overly attached to his material possessions. He came into the world naked (owning nothing), and he knows that he will die in the same state. So if those material things were taken from him a little earlier than he would prefer, than he was ok with that. Regardless of what happened to him, he knew where his loyalties lay. Blessed be the name of the Lord. And what does it mean to “charge God foolishly”? We charge God foolishly when we blame Him for all our troubles and problems in life. We charge God foolishly when we lose our faith and abandon our devotion to Him when things get tough. We charge God foolishly when we do what Job’s wife suggest he do, to “curse God and die”. We charge God foolishly when we say, “Unless this problem is solved in such and such a way, or at such and such a time, I will not believe, or I will not obey”. Job does none of these things. Instead, he does what he does in Job 13:15
Job 13:15
15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
These are some of the most important things we can learn to do as disciples of Christ. Trust and maintain. Trust and maintain. Job trusts in God. We’ve got to learn to trust that his commandments are the best way to live our lives. We’ve got to trust that his promised blessings will one day come to pass. We’ve got to learn to trust his timing. We’ve got to learn to trust his wisdom in the way he runs his universe. Therefore, don’t give up on your faith. Don’t give up on your obedience. Don’t give up on his gospel.
Job 19:23-27
23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! (I actually find that kind of humorous. You know, somebody ought to write this down in a book. Oh, well here it is, written. A little Biblical irony for you)
24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
What helps him through his hard times? His faith in his Redeemer. His faith in the resurrection and the atonement of Jesus Christ. Even though he knows that worms would eventually destroy his mortal body, yet, he has faith and confidence that future glory and salvation await him. He will see God in his flesh. Sometimes that may be the only thing that can really get us through. Our realization that Christ will overcome all.
Joseph Smith once made the following promise to the Saints:
“All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided you continue faithful. By the vision of the Almighty I have seen it.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 296)
So it doesn’t matter what we lose in this life. It will be restored. And that doesn’t apply to just our physical bodies. All things will be renewed. All will be made glorious. Which reminds me of one of my favorite verses of scripture of all time. Revelation 21:4.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
This is the kind of faith that Job is demonstrating in chapter 19. He found comfort and strength in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, his Redeemer.
Job 27:5-6
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
This can mean one of two things here. For one, Job is committed to maintaining his integrity even in the face of challenge. He will not give up on God and his righteousness, but will continue strong in the faith and endure to the end.
But there’s another way of interpreting those verses. Remember that Job’s friends are accusing him of iniquity. Their explanation for his suffering is that he must be being punished for some sin that they’re just not aware of. But Job refuses to remove his confidence in his righteousness. He knows he’s a good man. He knows he’s done the right things. I don’t think he’s claiming perfection, but he is claiming integrity. This is an important thing to keep in mind when we suffer. We’ve got to be careful to not turn too critical an eye on ourselves. It’s not productive or helpful to condemn ourselves at the very time when we need strength. I believe that’s the adversary trying to get to us. He's trying to take advantage of the situation. He wants to get at us when we’re feeling weak. He says, “If I can get them to lose faith in themselves, maybe I can get them to lose hope, and if I can get them to lose hope, they’ll be mine.” Satan seeketh to make all men miserable like unto himself. Maybe sometimes we think to ourselves, “If only I had enough faith, then God would remove this trial from me. He would answer my prayer.” “If only I had made better choices in my youth, then this tragedy wouldn’t have come.” “If only I had served more faithfully in the church, this wouldn’t have happened.” These kinds of thoughts are counterproductive at best and damning at worst. No, maintain your integrity. Don’t let the adversary discourage you. Job refused to allow Satan to convince him that he was a bad person and that helped him to press forward with faith.
One more. What eventually happens to Job? Let’s read what happens in the final chapter.
Job 42:10-17
10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.
15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.
17 So Job died, being old and full of days.
My favorite line in that whole section comes from verse 12, “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.” I believe THAT is a promise and a line that will describe all those who endure their trials well. God will bless us in our latter end more than we ever experienced in our mortal lives. There is an end to all suffering and pain. Even the Savior was able to say, “It is finished”. God has made promises to those who hold out faithful to the end like Job did, and they are certain to come. As Jeffrey R. Holland once said in one of my favorite conference talks of all time:
"Some blessings come soon, some come late, some don't come until heaven -- but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ they come."
Jeffrey R. Holland
(Conference Report, Oct. 1999)
And something that caught my attention in the naming of all of Job’s later possessions. You’ll notice that when you compare them to what he had before in chapter 1, that the number has doubled. He has twice as many sheep, twice as many camels, twice as many oxen, and so on. But you might notice a change in the pattern when it comes to his children. He once again has seven sons and three daughters. But if this were to follow the same pattern as the animals, he should have 20 sons and 6 daughters, right? That would make more sense. But why do you think he only has 10 sons and 3 daughters here? I think there’s a gem of a truth hidden in that. The truth of the matter is that God did double his children in that. How? Because those that he lost at the beginning of the story, are still his. Death did not take his children from him. He would still have them in the eternities. Death does not sever family ties. So in the end, Job really did receive twice the number of children that he had in the beginning. I hope that little truth could be a source of comfort to those of you who may have lost children.
And I hope that all of these things that Job did can help each of us to carry our burdens a little easier, a little smoother. I hope they can give us wheels, to carry our loads of life.
TRUTH
When adversity strikes, if I maintain my faith, integrity, and trust in God, and remember that someday my trials will come to an end, and that I will be blessed more in the end than in the beginning, then I will have the strength to endure my trials well.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Have any of Job’s strategies worked for you in your own hardships? What happened?
CONCLUSION
To conclude. There are two seemingly contradictory scriptures that come to my mind when I consider adversity and the plan of salvation. They are Luke 9:23 and 2 Nephi 2:25. First, Luke 9:23: And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Now that verse makes it sound like life as a disciple of Christ is going to be very hard. We’ve got to take up our cross, daily, and carry it. On the other hand 2 Nephi 2:25: 25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. Can you see the problem there? Can you see the contradiction. On the one hand I know that life is going to be extremely difficult, like carrying a cross. On the other, one of God’s purposes for me in life is to be happy. What gives? There is only one solution in my mind to making those two verses work together. We must learn how to find joy in a life, in a mortality, in a plan, that allows for pain, suffering, injustice, and even death. I’m not saying that we need to wear rose-colored glasses, ignore adversity, or feel like mourning, crying and discouragement are sins. These things are 100% appropriate. There is a time and season for each of them. But God also wants us to find joy. And I believe we can, despite the problems we encounter. Job did. Remember that it didn’t come to stay, but it came to pass.
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