“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.” Job 23:10
“Why?” is a very popular question among God’s people.
King David asked why his son rebelled against him and why the people of Israel stopped supporting him;
Elijah asked why he was the only remaining prophet to stand for God;
Jeremiah asked why he was suffering so much for doing what God had called him to do;
Jesus Himself asked why God had forsaken Him.
But no one is more closely associated with the question “Why?” than Job. And for good reason.
Job was a righteous man who savored God’s blessings in his life. Those blessings included a loving family and great wealth. Then, in quick succession, thieves plundered their livestock. Fire destroyed his servants and his possessions, leaving him with nothing. A house collapse killed his children. Boils broke out all over his body, leaving him in constant, excruciating pain. His friends told him that he was to blame for his suffering, that he was facing divine retribution for sin. His wife told him to curse God and die. Job sincerely believed that his suffering had nothing to do with divine retribution. He was not being punished for anything. But that belief raised some serious questions.
Questions that a lot of God’s people ask when they are faced with trials and suffering. Questions that start with “Why? “Job put it this way: “If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me” (Job 23:3–5 NLT). The answer that Job received may or may not have satisfied him.
And that brings us to a hard truth of the Christian faith:
PART 2 next Sunday
