The book of Job is narrative history. Its author is unknown yet it is possible that Job himself wrote it. It is possible that Job is the oldest of any book of the Bible written approximately 2100-1800 B.C.

Uz was located in northern Arabia. Job’s friend, Eliphaz, was from Teman, a city in Edom. Elihu was a Buzite. The Buzites who lived next to the Chaldeans in northeast Arabia.

Job is a wisdom literature. Like the other Wisdom books Job is primarily composed of poetry and Job 28 consists of a hymn to Wisdom. Yet Job stands in strong contrast to Proverbs. Many scholars believe that Job was written to correct a possible misunderstanding of the message of Proverbs. Deals with mature reflection on issues of everyday living.

Satan goes to God with a desire, and he must get permission to carry it out. This is an awesome thing to realize, that Satan does nothing in this world except by God's permissive will. At any moment God could stop Satan from doing what he is doing.

Anytime we think we can blame Satan for something that is happening, we must also reckon with the fact that God is permitting it, which is what Job remarkably does.

The writer says that Job did not sin in this statement. What we learn is that Satan can kill his kids, and yet Job can fall down, worship God, and say that God took his child. It's both/and not either/or.

Then Satan comes and strikes Job with a disease: boils from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet.

Although Job was stricken with grief he knew that the Lord was more important than anything in this life. By the end of the book of Job, we see beauty from ashes and we see a man’s faith grown even deeper by his trials.

Job was nearly crushed by the pain of suffering. He tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground when he heard that his children had died (Job 1:20). His physical ailments were so painful, he used broken pottery as the instruments in his homemade surgery (Job 2:7)

In the midst of such pain and heartache, Job issued some of the greatest statements of faith ever heard.

How is it that a man can choose such great faith, and still feel such great pain? How else could it be? If we take the risk of loving those around us, the grief will be tremendous if those we love are taken from us. The alternative to grief is to never love at all, and Job simply would not take that alternative.

We see in Job chapter 1 what is going on behind the scenes. It easy for us to look in the wrong places and not have faith that God is in control. A godly perspective takes into account that more is going on than what we can see.

We see from the Lord’s encounter with Satan that suffering is not always a person’s fault.

Suffering is the heritage of the bad, of the penitent, and of the Son of God. Each one ends in the cross. The bad thief is crucified, the penitent thief is crucified, and the Son of God is crucified. By these signs we know the widespread heritage of suffering.

What was important was what was in the heart of the crucified men. Christ as an obedient son and a suffering servant freely gave up his life for our salvation. The unrepentant thief died in his sins and would be judged. However, the thief who repented would be with his Lord in paradise. All three men endured the same suffering.

With knowing the Lord is on his throne, our lives take on meaning and purpose even in the midst of unspeakable pain and suffering.

The key is understanding that Jesus is already Lord of your life. We do not make Jesus Lord. Jesus is Lord. What we are supposed to do is submit to His lordship. Another word for our response to Jesus’ Lordship is “submission.” To submit is to yield to the will and control of another, and, with reference to Christians, it is yielding to the will and control of Jesus Christ.

Are we ready to have the proper perspective and submit our lives to Christ? He will overcome all of the pain, suffering, and sorrow in our lives.