Yes, that’s often the assigned Theme for the Book of Job …

“The Innocent Sufferer!”

Or, “Undeserved Suffering!”

Or maybe, “Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?”

Even more bluntly, “What Did He do so Wrong, to Have to Suffer like This?”

And indeed, Job did seem to be “innocent!”

God knew so.

The Satan knew so.

Job’s Wife knew so.

Job’s children would have know so as well.

And you and I, the readers (who have been given behind-the-scenes information) definitely know so!

Job, the innocent sufferer!

After 17 Old Testament Books (Genesis through Esther) either preaching or illustrating that God blesses the righteous. And God judges, punishes the wicked … the Holy Spirit places Job in our path!

Where the age old law, “absolute retribution,” somehow does not work!

Is this “chaos?”

And this anomaly is what misinformed Eliphaz and Bildad and Zophar, Elihu too for that matter.

They all believed (to varying degrees) that … Job was experiencing such hard times because he had sin in his life, maybe well hidden sin, but sin nonetheless.

In other words, Job was a rank hypocrite!

But the Book of Job belies that verdict!

Job was a righteous man!

Not a sinful man.

He was a man of integrity.

He was, indeed …

A RIGHTEOUS SUFFERER!

Therefore I say Job broke the “mold” as far as 100% accurate, never failing, no exceptions “retribution theology” is concerned. That is, that a man or woman in pain or agony is a wicked sinful person.

Job endured untold agony, being innocent!

If you have any doubt, read the Book again!

But WHY?

Why did God need to have a whole Block of Scripture (a big one, 42 chapters) placed midway through the Bible … saying that (in essence) Righteous Sufferers do exist? Why do they have such a prominent place in God’s economy?

I’ll tell you why.

Job becomes a “paradigm” (maybe the “paradigm”) of “Suffering though Innocent” … to begin adjusting Bible readers’ thinking. (Paradigm means “pattern.”)

What I’m saying is this. Job becomes a Forerunner of Jesus Christ our Lord.

A “Shadow” or a “Type” of the Redeemer Who “Being Innocent, Suffered Violently!”

Jesus, Who … suffered, not being guilty … dying the death of a common criminal … yet Who made possible our very salvation!

JESUS, THE INNOCENT SUFFERER!

JESUS, THE SINLESS SUFFERER!

And Job is (although dimly so I admit) a symbol, a picture of that precious Saviour!

And from Job to Jesus … then from Jesus to you and me … “Innocent Sufferers” continue to illustrate God’s Plan of Redemption, Calvary, at least vaguely so.

Job … a whole new view of God’s hand at work!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

A quick word of advice. Be careful assigning blame and sin and hypocrisy to anyone who is “in Christ” who is also experiencing “hard times.” They may have been chosen by the Lord to illustrate in some way … the Glories of the Cross of Calvary!

Paul to the ancient Asian Believers: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and FILL UP THAT WHICH IS BEHIND OF THE AFFLICTIONS OF CHRIST IN MY FLESH … FOR HIS BODY’S SAKE, which is the church.” Paul suffering, for the sake of picturing Jesus’ very afflictions, Colossians 1:25, King James Version. Paul’s suffering … and Jesus’ suffering … somehow linked!

Paul yet again: “For unto you IT IS GIVEN in the BEHALF OF CHRIST, not only to believe on him, but also TO SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE.” Philippians 1:29, to some this is “given!” And to Job this “suffering” was “given” indeed!

Maybe, in one sense, every child of God will face a personal “Calvary” experience, one in which Matthew 5:11 is proved. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you FALSELY, for my sake.”

Innocent suffering!

One more verse in a longer-than-normal Lesson. “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian (innocently suffering), let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” 1 Peter 4:15-16

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