Ronald Hanko

Job: God's Sovereignty in Suffering Ronald Hanko

The book of Job is God's commentary on the suffering and trials of his people. God speaks to our trials from the viewpoint, first, of his own interactions with Satan, then from the viewpoint of Job's interactions with his friends and finally as the one who appears to Job and his friends in a tornado. The book describes suffering on a scale seldom seen but shows our weaknesses and the temptations we face when under the hand of God or when called to bring comfort to others who are suffering. For that reason it is instructive and corrective but is also of great comfort, for it points those who are suffering to God's sovereignty in trials and to his faithfulness and saving grace to his own.

Those who have read the book of Job often find the book repetitious and difficult to follow, especially the interaction of Job and his friends. This work is not meant to be an exhaustive, verse-by-verse explanation of the book of Job but is an attempt to show how the book fits together and leads up to its grand climax in the appearance of God. It also attempts to show that Job has often been misunderstood and maligned, and though guilty of sin, as we all are in suffering, is nevertheless one whose faith and hope in God are sure. May it be of help to all who love God as Job did, especially when the God they love chastises and corrects them as he does all of his children.