Daily Devotions

Why is Job so important?

The Israelites categorized Job within their wisdom literature. The book includes language from ancient legal proceedings, laments, and unique terms not found elsewhere in the Bible. In addition, the majority of Job is written in parallel lines which are indicative of poetry.

The book delves into issues near to the heart of every human who experiences suffering. The prologue provides a fascinating peek into the back story—why God allowed Satan to afflict Job with such pain and turmoil. Then, through a series of dialogues and monologues arranged in a pattern of threes, human
wisdom attempts to explain the unexplainable, until finally God Himself speaks.

The final chapters of Job record God’s masterful defense of His majesty and unique “otherness”—of God’s eternal
transcendence above creation—in contrast with Job’s humble and ignorant mortality. “Where were you when I laid the
foundation of the earth? / Tell Me, if you have
understanding” (Job 38:4).

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/job

Day 1 (February 23)
Mark 15:1-47
Key Verses: 30-35

Day 2 (February 24)
Mark 16:1-20
Key Verses: 15-20

Day 3 (February 25)
Job 1:1-22
Key Verses: 1-5

Day 4 (February 26)
Job 2:1-13
Key Verses: 5-10

Day 5 (February 27)
Job 3:1-26
Key Verses: 11-15

Day 6 (February 28)
Job 4:1-21
Key Verses: 8-10

Memory Verse
Mark 10:27
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

What’s the big idea?

Job’s plight of undeserved suffering compels us to ask the age-old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” The answer given to Job may or may not satisfy the reader. God
allows pain for good reason, but He may never reveal those reasons.

Job did not reject God, but Job did challenge and accuse Him. The Almighty quieted Job decisively when He finally thundered His own perspective on the situation. God did not answer Job’s question of “Why?”—He instead overwhelmed Job and his friends with the truth of His majesty and sovereignty. Job came away with a deeper sense of God’s power and splendor,
trusting Him more:

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my eye sees You;
Therefore I retract,
And I repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5–6) 

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/job

Day 1 (March 2)
Job 5:1-27
Key Verse: 1-5

Day 2 (March 3)
Job 6:1-30
Key Verses: 10-12

Day 3 (March 4)
Job 7:1-21
Key Verses: 17-21

Day 4 (March 5)
Job 8:1-22
Key Verses: 8-10

Day 5 (March 6)
Job 9:1-35
Key Verses: 14-18

Day 6 (March 7)
Job 10:1-22
Key Verses: 1-5

Memory Verse
Job 26:7
He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

Who wrote the book?

The author of the book of Job is unknown. Several suggestions have been put forth as plausible authors: Job himself, who could have best recalled his own words; Elihu, the fourth friend who spoke toward the end of the story; various biblical writers and leaders; or many editors who compiled the material over the years. While there is no definitive answer, it was most likely an eyewitness who recorded the detailed and lengthy
conversations found in the book. In Old Testament times,
authors sometimes referred to themselves in the third person, so Job’s authorship is a strong possibility.

Who was Job? This wealthy landowner and father is one of the best-known biblical heroes. But we know little more than that he was stripped of everything, without warning, and that his faith was severely tested.

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/job

Day 1 (March 9)
Job 11:1-20
Key Verses: 5-10

Day 2 (March 10)
Job 12:1-25
Key Verses: 20-25

Day 3 (March 11)
Job 13:1-28
Key Verse: 27-28

Day 4 (March 12)
Job 14:1-22
Key Verses: 19-22

Day 5 (March 13)
Job 15:1-35
Key Verses: 30-35

Day 6 (March 14)
Job 16:1-22
Key Verse: 18-22

Memory Verse
Job 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.

Where are we?

Though the text does not directly identify its setting, internal clues indicate that Job lived during the time of the patriarchs, approximately 2100 to 1900 BC. According to Job 42:16, Job lived an additional 140 years after his tragedies occurred, perhaps to around 210 years total. His long lifespan generally corresponds to that of Terah (Abraham’s father), Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Also, Job’s wealth was measured in livestock (Job 1:3,42:12), as was Abraham’s (Genesis 12:16). Like the patriarchs, Job used God’s unique title “El Shaddai” (God Almighty). The book of Job does not mention the Mosaic Law; indeed, Job’s daughters were equal heirs with his sons, and Job himself, though not a priest, offered sacrifices—things not possible under the Law (Leviticus 4:10,Numbers 27:8). Though we cannot be certain, Job may have lived during the time of Jacob or shortly thereafter.

Job lived in the land of Uz (Job 1:1), but no one really knows where Uz was located. Scholars believe it was outside of Canaan, near the desert because “the customs, vocabulary, and references to geography and natural history relate to northern Arabia.”¹

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/job

Day 1 (March 16)
Job 17:1-16
Key Verses: 10-16

Day 2 (March 17)
Job 18:1-21
Key Verses: 8-10

Day 3 (March 18)
Job 19:1-29
Key Verses: 20-29

Day 4 (March 19)
Job 20:1-29
Key Verse: 11-15

Day 5 (March 20)
Job 21:1-34
Key Verses: 30-34

Day 6 (March 21)
Job 22:1-30
Key Verses: 22-30

Memory Verse
Job 19:25
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

Coming Soon.