The Book of Job, Handbook Version

Most scholars agree that the book of Job is the oldest of all the books in the Bible, and that it deals with one of the oldest questions among men - why God allows the righteous to suffer.

The first lesson we get from the book of Job is taken from its sheer length - it is 42 chapters long! That God would devote such a large space in His Word to one man's problems shows us that He takes a great interest in the trials and troubles of His people. We mustn't, therefore, think that God is not interested in our personallives and the troubles which we have. Many of the children of Israel had gotten that idea in Isaiah's day, and thus, he asked them: "Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORDS, and my judgment is passed over from my God?" (Isaiah 40:27). He went on to tell them that "there is no seraching of His understanding" (Isaiah 40:28) because He is omniscient and sees everything. At times, it may seem as though the Lord has forgotten us and that He has somehow lost sight of us in our troubles - but this is not true. Everything that touches us most surely "touchetch the apple of His eye" (Zech. 2:8). We are not lost among the 71/2 billion people in this world. He has His eye upon each one of us, and we can say as Hagar said: "Thou God seest me" (Genesis 16:13)