Read:
Have you ever looked at someone enduring deep suffering and thought, “That person has the patience of Job”? That phrase goes all the way back to the book of Job, which tells the story of a godly man admired by others. Not only that, he was influential and successful, described as “one of the greatest men of the east.”
But even though the book bears his name and spends 37 chapters describing his life and circumstances, the main focus isn’t Job at all. It’s God—his wisdom, justice, kindness, and power.
We don’t know who wrote the book of Job, but we do know the author was inspired by God. As we’ll see, God pulls back the curtain and allows us to glimpse what’s happening behind the scenes.
We also don’t know exactly when Job lived, though many scholars believe it was sometime between Noah and Moses. Job isn’t from Israel. He lived in the land of Uz, likely in parts of what is now Jordan and Syria.
Job wasn’t a member of God’s chosen people, the Israelites He didn’t have the law of Moses. But he still worshipped God. There were no priests or prescribed rituals, so Job made offerings on behalf of his own family. He didn’t follow a checklist of religious rules. And yet, God called him righteous.
That’s an important truth for us. Righteousness has never been about checking boxes, following rituals, or trying to be “good enough.”. From as far back as Job, through the centuries before Christ, and still today, our righteousness comes through faith in the Messiah. God’s wisdom, justice, kindness, and power come together fully in Jesus. One word says it all: grace.
Pray: God, thank you that you never change. my sins because of what Jesus has done for me. Help me trust you more deeply as I begin this journey through Job. Amen.