Job
"I know that my Redeemer lives"
This story tells of a man whose children die and who suffers terribly.
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
The whole story, in shortWhat happens, start to finish. Open it if you want the ending first.
Job was a good man who loved God, and in one terrible day he lost his flocks, his servants, and all ten of his children, yet he said, "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." Covered with sores and blamed by his friends, he cried out to God and held on: "I know that my Redeemer lives." At last God answered him out of the whirlwind, Job said, "Now my eyes have seen You," and God restored him.
Where it is in the Bible: Job 1 to 2, 19, 38, and 42
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Job: A good man who loves God. He has a big family and great wealth.
- The LORD: God. LORD in capital letters stands for God's personal name. Jewish readers traditionally don't say it aloud, out of respect.
- Satan: The name means "the accuser." He claims Job only loves God for what he gets.
- Job's wife: She suffers the same losses Job does.
- Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar: Three friends who come to comfort Job.
Setting
- The land of Uz, somewhere east of Israel. Also, the court of heaven.
When
- Long ago. The book doesn't say when.
Before the Story
Job is one of the oldest questions in the world. Why do good people suffer?
The book is a long poem in the middle. Chapters 3 to 37 are speeches: Job crying out, and his friends arguing. This story walks through the beginning and the end.
Here's what you know that Job never learns: what happened in the court of heaven.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A good man | 1:1-5 | Job loves God and has everything |
| 2. "Does Job fear God for nothing?" | 1:6-12 | Satan accuses Job |
| 3. One terrible day | 1:13-22 | Job loses everything |
| 4. Sitting in ashes | 2:1-13 | Job gets sick, and his friends come |
| 5. "My Redeemer lives" | 19:23-27 | In his pain, Job holds on to hope |
| 6. Out of the whirlwind | 38:1-11 | God answers Job |
| 7. "Now my eyes have seen You" | 42:1-17 | Job is humbled and restored |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 7A Good Man
In the land of Uz lived a man named Job. "This man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil" (1:1).
He had seven sons and three daughters, and huge flocks and herds. He was the greatest man in the East.
He prayed for his children all the time.
Scene 2 of 7"Does Job Fear God for Nothing?"
One day, the angels came before the LORD, and Satan came too.
God said, "Have you considered My servant Job?" (1:8). No one on earth was like him.
Satan answered, "Does Job fear God for nothing?" (1:9). God protected him and blessed everything he did.
Take it away, Satan said, and Job will curse you.
God allowed Satan to test Job, but not to harm Job himself.
Scene 3 of 7One Terrible Day
Then, in one day, messenger after messenger came running.
Raiders stole the oxen and donkeys. Fire killed the sheep. Raiders took the camels. Servants were killed.
Then the worst news: a mighty wind knocked down the house where Job's children were eating. All ten of them died.
Job tore his robe and fell to the ground. And he worshiped.
"The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD" (1:21).
Scene 4 of 7Sitting in Ashes
Satan came again. "Hurt his body, and he'll curse you." God allowed it, but Job's life must be spared.
Job was covered with painful sores from head to foot. He sat in ashes, scraping himself with a piece of broken pottery.
His wife said, "Curse God and die!"
Job answered, "Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?" (2:10). Adversity means hard times.
His three friends came. They barely recognized him. They wept and sat on the ground with him for seven days without saying a word.
Scene 5 of 7"My Redeemer Lives"
Then the friends started talking. They said Job must have done something wrong to deserve this. Job said he hadn't. He cried out to God, asking why.
In the middle of his pain, Job said something amazing.
"But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth" (19:25). A Redeemer is someone who rescues and sets things right.
"Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God" (19:26).
Scene 6 of 7Out of the Whirlwind
At last, God answered Job, "out of the whirlwind" (38:1). A whirlwind is a powerful storm.
God didn't explain why Job suffered. Instead, he asked Job questions.
"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (38:4).
God asked who set the measurements of the earth, and who told the sea, "You may come this far, but no farther" (38:11).
God showed Job how great and wise he is, far beyond anything Job could understand.
Scene 7 of 7"Now My Eyes Have Seen You"
Job answered, "I know that You can do all things" (42:2).
"My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You" (42:5).
God told the three friends they had been wrong about him. Job had spoken honestly. Job prayed for his friends.
Then God restored Job. He gave him twice as much as before. He had ten more children. His family came and comforted him.
Job lived a long life and saw his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Does Job fear God for nothing?" (1:9) | The question is whether Job loves God, or only God's gifts. |
| "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away" (1:21) | Job trusted God even when he lost everything. |
| "No one spoke a word to him" (2:13) | The friends' silence was their best comfort. |
| "I know that my Redeemer lives" (19:25) | Job held on to hope beyond death. |
| "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" (38:4) | God is far greater and wiser than we understand. |
| "Now my eyes have seen You" (42:5) | Meeting God was the answer Job needed. |
Back Then
Many people believed suffering was always punishment. Job's friends thought so. The book of Job says they were wrong (42:7).
"I know that my Redeemer lives" became a famous Easter hymn, and an aria in Handel's Messiah.
James wrote about Job. He said Job is an example of patient endurance, and that the Lord is full of compassion (James 5:11).
Literal Reader Alert
Does God make deals with Satan about people? The opening scene is told in a way that helps us see the question: will Job love God for God's sake? It doesn't mean God is careless with people. The book is about trusting God when we don't understand.
Is suffering always punishment for sin? No. Job was good, and he suffered anyway. Jesus said the same about a man born blind (John 9:3).
Did getting new children make up for losing the first ones? No one can replace a child. The ending shows God's blessing, but Job surely still grieved.
Is it okay to be angry with God? Job cried out honestly, and God said Job spoke rightly of him (42:7). God can handle your honest prayers.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Devastated | He lost his children and everything (1:20) |
| Job's wife | Bitter | She had lost everything too (2:9) |
| The friends | Grieving | They wept when they saw him (2:12) |
| Job | Hopeful | "I know that my Redeemer lives" (19:25) |
| Job | Humbled | He saw God (42:5) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What part of Job's story is for you? Tap one.
I'm suffering
Job cried out honestly. You can too. God hears.
Why?
God didn't explain to Job. He showed Job himself.
Someone is hurting
Job's friends did best when they sat in silence with him.
My Redeemer lives
Hold on to that, even in the dark.
You Might Have Heard
"If you're suffering, you must have done something wrong."
What's true: Sometimes our choices bring trouble.
What the story is mainly about: Job was a good man and suffered terribly. His friends blamed him, and God said they were wrong. Suffering isn't proof that God is punishing you.
Where Jesus is: Jesus is the Redeemer Job longed for. He suffered though he was innocent, and he rose. Because he lives, we will see God.
Good News
Job lost everything. In his darkest hour, he held on to one hope.
"But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth" (19:25).
Jesus is that Redeemer. He stood on the earth again on Easter morning. Because he lives, death and suffering won't have the last word.
Job lost everything and still said, "I know that my Redeemer lives." God met him in the whirlwind. Jesus is the Redeemer who lives.
Big Idea
Job was a good man who lost everything. He cried out to God and held on: "I know that my Redeemer lives." God met him in the whirlwind.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther said the book of Job shows that God sometimes hides himself in suffering. Faith clings to God even when he seems hidden, like Job did.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year B, it reads Job 38:1-11 in June (Lectionary 12), next to Jesus calming the storm. In Year C, it reads Job 19:23-27a in November (Lectionary 32). In Year B, parts of Job are also read in October (Lectionary 27 to 30).
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
But I know that my Redeemer lives
How did that feel?
Using this at church
Read in church on
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Job, explained in plain words. A good man loses everything, cries out to God, and holds on. About 10 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/job/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church