Know: Explore the meaning of sinful human nature and its impact on suffering in this world.
Feel: Sense God’s deep sorrow and our human helplessness in the face of suffering inflicted by human injustice and sin in this world.
Do: Look for the answer to life’s suffering, not in resorting to bitterness against God but in the strengthening of our faith.
Learning Outline:
Know: Sinful Human Nature
A Why is Job’s repeatedly emphasized innocence only partially true?
B How does the realization of the sinful state of human nature contribute toward our understanding of suffering in the book of Job?
Feel: Suffering and Sin
A How do you react toward the undeserved suffering inflicted by war, terrorism, natural disasters, and so on?
B What is your response to somebody who accuses God of allowing all these atrocities and disasters to happen?
Do: Faith and Suffering
A What is the relationship between suffering and faith in the book of Job and beyond?
B Is faith just another easy answer when it comes to dealing with human suffering? Why, or why not?
Summary: If we look at the undeserved suffering in our world, we cannot but recoil from all the horror we witness in the media. However, innocent suffering is never innocent. It is part of a sin-filled world that is in the process of being destroyed by Satan and inhabited by intrinsically sinful people. However, faith allows us to look beyond the suffering toward divine restoration.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Matthew 2:13–18
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Stories such as the one recorded in Matthew 2:13–18 make us see the horror of sin in this world. Herod’s massacre of the infants in Bethlehem is really Satan’s attempt to kill the young Messiah. Why did these innocent children have to be killed, and what about the traumatized parents left behind? There are just no satisfying explanations to this kind of horrid atrocity, except to look in faith toward the things we cannot see and accept the things we cannot understand, knowing that God will make all things right.
Just for Teachers: We are bombarded from every side and angle by all kinds of media and technology. Cell phones, tablets, computers, and other devices bring the real-time horrific news of death and destruction in this world into the palms of our hands or onto our desks and livingroom walls. It is interesting how the overexposure to global human suffering can desensitize us to the suffering that is going on right around us. One could use this opportunity to discuss with the class the subtle effects of media on our daily lives.
Opening Discussion: A recent newspaper article suggested that most likely 4 percent of prison inmates receiving the death sentence in the United States were wrongfully convicted, although only 1.6 percent were exonerated (meaning that the other 2.4 percent were wrongfully executed). Take, for example, the story of a man from Texas who was accused of murdering his wife. The man was freed from prison after spending 25 years behind bars, because new evidence from the scene of the crime showed clearly that another felon was responsible for the murder. Think of it. Twenty-five years in prison, mourning the loss of a loved one, having been wrongfully convicted of her murder!
Or take the story of Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton in Australia, who had been accused, in 1980, of having killed her baby during a camping trip. She spent three years in prison before new evidence came forth that supported her claim that a dingo (a wild dog) had taken her child from the tent. Her story was turned into a successful movie that appealed to humanity’s universal need to see justice come to those who suffer unjustly.
In other cases, exoneration comes only after execution has taken place. Our world is full of such sad stories, undeserved injustices, and false accusations. It is one thing to see somebody suffering without knowing the reasons for it; it is quite another thing to see an innocent person who is suffering because of somebody else’s wrongdoings. How do you feel in the face of all the unnecessary suffering in this world?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: We have, thus far, consistently referred to Job’s innocence in all the suffering that he experienced. As a matter of fact, the book of Job clarifies, right from the beginning, repeatedly, that Job was “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3). The Hebrew word used for “blameless” (tam) means “to be complete, to have integrity, to be sound, to be innocent,” though not necessarily to be without sin. As much as every other human being who lived after Genesis 3 (the Fall), Job was a sinner who comes to a point of repentance at the end of the book (Job 42). It is important to keep in mind the reality of sin, even in Job’s life, as we study this week’s lesson. As a matter of fact, that notion brings Job a little bit closer to our own reality.
Bible Commentary
The whole of humanity is living with the consequences of the Fall. Sin has become part of our DNA. Job’s desperate cry to God in chapter 10 echoes this brokenness. Even in his distressed appeals for innocence are the bitter words of a person, who, even if suffering unjustly, is still a sinner, as we all are.
God—Why? (Review Job 10:22 with the class.)
Job, in his speech in chapter 10, turns from his response to Bildad (Job 9) to God, although this is phrased as a hypothetical “I will say to God” (Job 10:2, NKJV). Thus, it is quite different from what Job says to God when he actually speaks with Him directly (Job 40:3–5, 42:1–6). Right now, Job is full of bitterness, which has permeated his whole being (Hebrew nefesh; Job 10:1). He asks why God continues to “oppress” him, a word used elsewhere in the Bible to refer to the actions of those whom God condemns (compare Ezek. 22:29).
Claiming once more his innocence (Job 10:7), Job begins to wonder about the character of God who, nevertheless, pursues him relentlessly (Job 10:13– 16). While God created and fashioned him beautifully (Job 10:8–12), Job is now experiencing a God who does not seem to make sense anymore. One cannot but wonder if Job himself didn’t believe in retribution theology—just the positive side of the equation (i.e., God blesses the righteous one)—and now was shaken to the core when things did not work out that way.
Consider This: Have you ever imagined what you might say to an important person in a specific moment of tragedy? What would you say to God, the most important One of all?
II. Sinful Nature and Faith (Review Romans 3:10–20, Job 15:14–16, and Hebrews 11:1 with the class.)
Both the Old and New Testaments are clear on the sinful nature of humanity. Paul, in Romans 3:10–20, quotes the Old Testament directly at least eight times, mostly from the book of Psalms (Ps. 5:9, 10:7, 14:1–3, 36:1, 53:1–3, 140:3, Prov. 1:16, Isa. 59:7), embedding his theology of the sinful nature of humankind deeply into the Old Testament worldview. God created Adam and Eve in His image (Gen. 1:26–28), but with the Fall, the image in the first human couple was marred and all their descendants share the fallen nature, born with weaknesses and tendencies to sin (Ps. 51:5, Rom. 5:12–17).
While we did not partake in Adam’s sin or inherit it, as held in the doctrine of original sin, which originated with Augustine and which, to a large extent, has become the doctrine of the Catholic Church, we have inherited the tendency to sin and thus are born into a state of corruption. This is where Christ was different from us: while He was born with the degraded state of humanity (Heb. 2:17), He was not born with the propensity to sin (Heb. 4:15).
Job is part of this long chain of fallen humanity that spans from Adam to us. While he was innocent in his suffering, he nevertheless was a sinner as we are. How could he stand before God? Only by faith. And this is maybe one of the answers the book of Job can provide for us.
Within the endless historical stream of human sin and suffering, no matter if it is innocent or self-inflicted, there is only one perspective that helps us to deal with these things, and that is the perspective of faith. According to the biblical definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1, faith looks beyond the immediate and imminent reality, taking hold of the distant and transcendent reality of God’s future kingdom, where all tears will be wiped away and where there will be no more suffering (Revelation 21).
Consider This: How does the knowledge of human sinful nature change your ideas about human suffering?
III. Creation (Review Job 10:8–12, Psalm 139:13–16, Jeremiah 18:5–12, and Isaiah 53:5 with the class.)
Somewhere hidden among the despairing bitterness of Job’s envisioned speech to Yahweh, in chapter 10, there is a beautiful glimpse of the beginning of life. In poetic language, Job describes how God weaves together each human person in his or her mother’s womb, how He expertly fashions each of us according to His image. In a world that continuously and cruelly disregards the value of human life from its inception to old age—from needless abortions to unjustified cases of euthanasia—Job gives us a striking description of careful and loving divine design. Job affirms that God put such a high value on human life that He even sent His own Son to die for this feeble humanity on the cross, suffering more intensely than any human suffering we can imagine (Isa. 53:5).
Consider This: What does the value that God puts on each human life mean for you?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: While not providing an answer to the question of suffering, this lesson begins to look beyond it.
Thought/Application Questions:
How can you find hope amid your own suffering?
What gave you hope when you were in the midst of suffering?
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Innocent people have been persecuted for their faith in God throughout all ages. Their stories of perseverance provide an inspiration for those times when we feel persecuted as Job did.
Class/Individual Activities:
Present the story of the Waldenses who lived in the Piedmont valleys of Northern Italy during the time of the great papal persecutions (12th– 16th centuries a.d.).
Study the various quotes of Ellen G. White about the Waldenses.
Adjust My Preferences
Welcome! Please set your reading preferences below.
You can access this panel later by clicking the
preference icon
in the top right of the page.
Key Texts: Job 15:14–16, Hebrews 11:1
The Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Summary: If we look at the undeserved suffering in our world, we cannot but recoil from all the horror we witness in the media. However, innocent suffering is never innocent. It is part of a sin-filled world that is in the process of being destroyed by Satan and inhabited by intrinsically sinful people. However, faith allows us to look beyond the suffering toward divine restoration.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Matthew 2:13–18
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Stories such as the one recorded in Matthew 2:13–18 make us see the horror of sin in this world. Herod’s massacre of the infants in Bethlehem is really Satan’s attempt to kill the young Messiah. Why did these innocent children have to be killed, and what about the traumatized parents left behind? There are just no satisfying explanations to this kind of horrid atrocity, except to look in faith toward the things we cannot see and accept the things we cannot understand, knowing that God will make all things right.
Just for Teachers: We are bombarded from every side and angle by all kinds of media and technology. Cell phones, tablets, computers, and other devices bring the real-time horrific news of death and destruction in this world into the palms of our hands or onto our desks and livingroom walls. It is interesting how the overexposure to global human suffering can desensitize us to the suffering that is going on right around us. One could use this opportunity to discuss with the class the subtle effects of media on our daily lives.
Opening Discussion: A recent newspaper article suggested that most likely 4 percent of prison inmates receiving the death sentence in the United States were wrongfully convicted, although only 1.6 percent were exonerated (meaning that the other 2.4 percent were wrongfully executed). Take, for example, the story of a man from Texas who was accused of murdering his wife. The man was freed from prison after spending 25 years behind bars, because new evidence from the scene of the crime showed clearly that another felon was responsible for the murder. Think of it. Twenty-five years in prison, mourning the loss of a loved one, having been wrongfully convicted of her murder!
Or take the story of Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton in Australia, who had been accused, in 1980, of having killed her baby during a camping trip. She spent three years in prison before new evidence came forth that supported her claim that a dingo (a wild dog) had taken her child from the tent. Her story was turned into a successful movie that appealed to humanity’s universal need to see justice come to those who suffer unjustly.
In other cases, exoneration comes only after execution has taken place. Our world is full of such sad stories, undeserved injustices, and false accusations. It is one thing to see somebody suffering without knowing the reasons for it; it is quite another thing to see an innocent person who is suffering because of somebody else’s wrongdoings. How do you feel in the face of all the unnecessary suffering in this world?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: We have, thus far, consistently referred to Job’s innocence in all the suffering that he experienced. As a matter of fact, the book of Job clarifies, right from the beginning, repeatedly, that Job was “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3). The Hebrew word used for “blameless” (tam) means “to be complete, to have integrity, to be sound, to be innocent,” though not necessarily to be without sin. As much as every other human being who lived after Genesis 3 (the Fall), Job was a sinner who comes to a point of repentance at the end of the book (Job 42). It is important to keep in mind the reality of sin, even in Job’s life, as we study this week’s lesson. As a matter of fact, that notion brings Job a little bit closer to our own reality.
Bible Commentary
The whole of humanity is living with the consequences of the Fall. Sin has become part of our DNA. Job’s desperate cry to God in chapter 10 echoes this brokenness. Even in his distressed appeals for innocence are the bitter words of a person, who, even if suffering unjustly, is still a sinner, as we all are.
Job, in his speech in chapter 10, turns from his response to Bildad (Job 9) to God, although this is phrased as a hypothetical “I will say to God” (Job 10:2, NKJV). Thus, it is quite different from what Job says to God when he actually speaks with Him directly (Job 40:3–5, 42:1–6). Right now, Job is full of bitterness, which has permeated his whole being (Hebrew nefesh; Job 10:1). He asks why God continues to “oppress” him, a word used elsewhere in the Bible to refer to the actions of those whom God condemns (compare Ezek. 22:29).
Claiming once more his innocence (Job 10:7), Job begins to wonder about the character of God who, nevertheless, pursues him relentlessly (Job 10:13– 16). While God created and fashioned him beautifully (Job 10:8–12), Job is now experiencing a God who does not seem to make sense anymore. One cannot but wonder if Job himself didn’t believe in retribution theology—just the positive side of the equation (i.e., God blesses the righteous one)—and now was shaken to the core when things did not work out that way.
Consider This: Have you ever imagined what you might say to an important person in a specific moment of tragedy? What would you say to God, the most important One of all?
Both the Old and New Testaments are clear on the sinful nature of humanity. Paul, in Romans 3:10–20, quotes the Old Testament directly at least eight times, mostly from the book of Psalms (Ps. 5:9, 10:7, 14:1–3, 36:1, 53:1–3, 140:3, Prov. 1:16, Isa. 59:7), embedding his theology of the sinful nature of humankind deeply into the Old Testament worldview. God created Adam and Eve in His image (Gen. 1:26–28), but with the Fall, the image in the first human couple was marred and all their descendants share the fallen nature, born with weaknesses and tendencies to sin (Ps. 51:5, Rom. 5:12–17).
While we did not partake in Adam’s sin or inherit it, as held in the doctrine of original sin, which originated with Augustine and which, to a large extent, has become the doctrine of the Catholic Church, we have inherited the tendency to sin and thus are born into a state of corruption. This is where Christ was different from us: while He was born with the degraded state of humanity (Heb. 2:17), He was not born with the propensity to sin (Heb. 4:15).
Job is part of this long chain of fallen humanity that spans from Adam to us. While he was innocent in his suffering, he nevertheless was a sinner as we are. How could he stand before God? Only by faith. And this is maybe one of the answers the book of Job can provide for us.
Within the endless historical stream of human sin and suffering, no matter if it is innocent or self-inflicted, there is only one perspective that helps us to deal with these things, and that is the perspective of faith. According to the biblical definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1, faith looks beyond the immediate and imminent reality, taking hold of the distant and transcendent reality of God’s future kingdom, where all tears will be wiped away and where there will be no more suffering (Revelation 21).
Consider This: How does the knowledge of human sinful nature change your ideas about human suffering?
Somewhere hidden among the despairing bitterness of Job’s envisioned speech to Yahweh, in chapter 10, there is a beautiful glimpse of the beginning of life. In poetic language, Job describes how God weaves together each human person in his or her mother’s womb, how He expertly fashions each of us according to His image. In a world that continuously and cruelly disregards the value of human life from its inception to old age—from needless abortions to unjustified cases of euthanasia—Job gives us a striking description of careful and loving divine design. Job affirms that God put such a high value on human life that He even sent His own Son to die for this feeble humanity on the cross, suffering more intensely than any human suffering we can imagine (Isa. 53:5).
Consider This: What does the value that God puts on each human life mean for you?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: While not providing an answer to the question of suffering, this lesson begins to look beyond it.
Thought/Application Questions:
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Innocent people have been persecuted for their faith in God throughout all ages. Their stories of perseverance provide an inspiration for those times when we feel persecuted as Job did.
Class/Individual Activities: