What kind of relationship did Job have with God?

Today Bible Study:

What kind of relationship did Job have with God?

Job’s biography begins with a 4-part description of his character: “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (1:1).He prayed for his children and was concerned about their relationship with God (v. 5). He was successful and wealthy—the stereotype of a blessed man. In fact, God adds His own glowing approval of Job, using the same traits that open the book (v. 8).

Faced with the sudden, crushing loss of everything—children, servants, herds—Job’s initial response was to grieve and recognize God’s sovereignty. “‘The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’ In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (vv. 21b, 22).

Under the harsh judgments of his friends, Job eventually struggled to understand why God seemed unwilling to settle matters. Once God did speak, at least part of Job’s problem becomes clear—he confused a relationship with God with familiarity with God. The Lord did not rebuke Job’s faith or sincerity; instead, God questioned Job’s insistence on an answer for his difficulties. By allowing Job to hear just a little of the extent of his ignorance, God showed Job that there was a great deal of knowledge he would never understand. As a creature, Job simply had no right to demand an answer from his Creator. Job’s final words are filled with humility and repentance: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (42:5, 6).

Job spent his last days enjoying the same kind of relationship he had earlier with God. He prayed for his friends and raised another family of godly children. He lived a full life.