Girl Read Your Bible: Guided Bible Reading Plan Volume 3નમૂનો

The book of Job is so rich, deep, and honestly—pretty intense. It’s one of those books that makes you stop and wrestle with some really hard questions, like: Why do bad things happen to good people? Or Where is God when everything falls apart? It doesn’t give us a quick fix or a neat, easy answer. But what it does give us is something even more powerful: a reminder that God is sovereign, purposeful, and present—even in suffering. Interestingly, we don’t know exactly who wrote the book of Job, when it was written, or where it takes place. Some suggest Job himself may have written it, but scholars haven’t reached a solid conclusion. Regardless, what we do know is that this story was preserved for a reason—and it still speaks powerfully to us today.

The book opens by introducing us to Job, a man described as “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (1:1). He wasn’t just good—he was righteous, full of integrity, and deeply committed to honoring God. Job was incredibly blessed. He had a large family—seven sons and three daughters—and was very wealthy, with thousands of livestock and many servants. Scripture even calls him “the greatest of all the people of the east” (1:3). But what really stands out to me is that Job was a man who covered his family in prayer. He consistently rose early to offer burnt offerings for his children, just in case they had sinned. That shows the depth of his faith and his desire to keep his family aligned with God.

Then, in verse 6, the story shifts—and we’re brought into a heavenly courtroom scene. The “sons of God” (a term referring to angelic beings) present themselves before the Lord, and with them comes satan—the accuser. God initiates the conversation, pointing out Job’s faithfulness. Satan responds with doubt and cynicism. He basically says, “Well of course Job worships You. You’ve blessed him with everything. But take it all away, and he’ll curse You to Your face.” God allows satan to test Job’s faith—but with boundaries. Satan can touch everything Job has, but not Job himself. And just like that, the testing begins. In a matter of moments, Job’s life unravels. One after another, messengers come with devastating news: his livestock is stolen or destroyed, his servants are killed, and worst of all—his children die in a tragic accident. Job loses everything.

But what he does next is breathtaking: “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord’” (1:20–21). In all this, Job did not sin or blame God. Can you imagine that level of faith? In the deepest pain, he chose worship. Satan wasn’t satisfied. He returns to God, convinced that Job is only holding on because he still has his health. Again, God allows satan to test Job—this time physically—but again, Job’s life must be spared. Job is struck with painful boils from head to toe. The pain is so severe that he scrapes his skin with broken pottery and sits in ashes. Then, as if the physical suffering wasn’t enough, his wife speaks out of her own grief and pain, telling Job to just curse God and die (2:9). It’s easy to be hard on her, but we have to remember—she lost her children too. She’s broken. Her words come from a place of despair. But Job responds with wisdom and faith: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (2:10) Even in all this, Job refuses to sin or accuse God.

When Job’s three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—hear about what happened, they come to visit. When they see Job, they’re so shocked they barely recognize him. They mourn with him, sitting silently for seven days. At first, they seem like good friends—present, compassionate, and respectful. But in chapter 3, Job finally breaks his silence. And when he does, we get a glimpse into his deep anguish. He doesn’t curse God—but he does curse the day he was born. He questions why he was ever given life, if it was only to suffer like this. He longs for death, seeing it as the only escape from his pain. His words are raw, poetic, and deeply human. He compares himself to a stillborn child—someone who never had to experience the agony of life. He sees death as a place of peace, and life as a heavy burden.

Eliphaz is the first to respond to Job’s outcry. He begins respectfully, reminding Job of his past faith and how he’s encouraged others. But quickly, his words take a turn. Eliphaz believes in a very specific theology: that God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. So, in his mind, if Job is suffering this much, there must be some sin behind it. He doesn’t come out swinging, but his message is clear: “You’ve helped others, but now that trouble has come to you, you’re falling apart. Remember—people reap what they sow.” He even shares a mysterious spiritual vision he had, where a spirit says that no human is pure or truly righteous. Again, this sounds spiritual, but the implication is that Job’s suffering must be deserved somehow.

In chapter 5, Eliphaz continues his argument. He says the foolish are destroyed, and their children suffer as a result. He claims that if Job would just seek God and accept this as discipline, he’d be restored. He even says, “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty” (5:17). Eliphaz’s tone sounds spiritual and sincere—but his theology is too narrow. He wrongly assumes suffering always means guilt. He’s trying to be helpful, but instead of comforting Job, he adds to his pain. These first five chapters set the stage for the long back-and-forth conversations between Job and his friends. And what we’ve already seen is this: Job is hurting, deeply. He’s lost everything, but he hasn’t lost his faith. He’s still holding onto God, even while asking honest, hard questions.