JobStudy Guide

Chapter 1

Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.

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Scripture

KJV

1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

4And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

7And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

14And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:

15And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

21And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Key VerseJob 1:21

And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Overview

Job is introduced as a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil, blessed with great wealth and a large family. In a heavenly council, Satan challenges the sincerity of Job's faith, claiming he serves God only because of God's blessings. God permits Satan to strike Job's possessions and children, and in one devastating day Job loses everything, yet he falls down and worships, declaring: 'The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.'

Key Themes

1

The Testing of Faith

God permits Satan to test Job's faith by stripping away every external blessing, revealing whether Job's devotion is rooted in God Himself or merely in God's gifts.

2

The Heavenly Council

The scene in heaven reveals that there is a cosmic dimension to human suffering that mortals cannot see, and that God remains sovereign even when He permits affliction.

3

Worship in Suffering

Job's response to catastrophic loss is worship rather than cursing, demonstrating that true faith persists even when every reason for self-interest is removed.

Study Questions

1.

What does the heavenly scene (vv. 6-12) reveal about the relationship between God's sovereignty and Satan's activity?

2.

How does Job's response 'The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away' (v. 21) challenge our view of blessings?

3.

Why did God allow Satan to test Job, and what does this teach about the purpose of suffering?

4.

How does knowing there is a heavenly dimension to our trials affect how we endure them?

5.

What does it mean that Job 'sinned not, nor charged God foolishly' (v. 22)?

Connection to Christ

Job's undeserved suffering foreshadows Christ, the perfectly righteous one who suffered unjustly. As Job worshipped God in the midst of loss, Christ submitted to the Father's will in the garden of Gethsemane, trusting the purposes of God even through unimaginable pain.

Personal Reflection

Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Job 1. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?

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