A Character Analysis Of Job's Suffering

The story of Job -- the just man who, without any fault of his own, is tried by innumerable sufferings -- is well known. He loses his possessions, his sons and daughters, and finally he himself is afflicted by a grave sickness.

Three old acquaintances come to his house. Each one tries to convince him that because he has been struck down by such varied and terrible sufferings he must have done something seriously wrong. In their eyes, suffering can have a meaning only as a punishment for sin. Job denies this, for he is aware that he has not deserved such punishment: he speaks of the good that he has done in his life.

In the end, God himself reproves Job 's comforters. Job 's suffering is the suffering of someone who is innocent. It must be

Job at first accepted his plight, saying, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

Later “Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, [and] each one came . . . [to] mourn with him, and to comfort him” (Job 2:11). After a week of lamenting with him, they began to discuss his calamities and suffering. Job listed his complaints, showing the inequities of life. Later God agreed with him. Not everything in this life is fair and equitable.

Job’s three friends, however, were certain that God was punishing Job for some secret sin, something Job could hide from everyone but God. Job vehemently denied that such was the case, and he was right. God later verified this also.

However, during his ordeal of loss and suffering, Job gradually came to resent God. This often happens to people in the midst of inexplicable calamity.

Many chapters relate the faulty reasoning and accusations of Job’s three friends and Job’s denials. Finally, one of Job’s younger friends, Elihu, spoke up. He recognized that Job’s perspective was flawed and distorted. Job had convinced himself that his afflictions served no purpose. He decided that God was simply not treating him