Audio Teaching: Job: The Righteous Sufferer

by John Schoenheit
Since the Fall of Adam and Eve, every person on earth has endured pain and suffering in his life. Some of this is due to Satan and his demons, some to the fallen nature of the world, some to the sin of others, and some is due to our own sin and ignorance. The great lesson of the book of Job is that despite the condition of our life at the moment, we can still worship God. The book of Job shows that God is not the cause of our problems, and that He deserves our praise and worship no matter what hardship we are going through.

Job also comforts us by showing us that there is such a thing as a righteous sufferer, one who does not deserve to suffer but is suffering nevertheless. Job’s friends believed that people did not suffer unless they deserved it, and openly vilified him. Job refuted their belief, and was vindicated by God, who said “…to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has” (Job 42:7b). In spite of the lesson of Job, many religious people still believe the same thing Job’s “friends” believed. Nevertheless, the book of Job is clear that people suffer without deserving it.

This teaching by John Schoenheit gives an overview of the book of Job, with a detailed explanation of the first few chapters, and highlights throughout the rest of the book.

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