Lesson - The Patience of Job

VERSES:   Job 1:1-42:17

MEMORY VERSE:   Job 1:1 "There was man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Romans.   Write "Romans" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class.

PRAYER:   Pray that we not only have the patience of Job, but the integrity of Job.

SPECIAL SONG:   Be Patient And Kind (see April - Lesson - Joseph Meets His Brothers Who Hated Him on this blog). Click on orange circle for tune.

VISUAL AID:   Write "JOB" on whiteboard or chalkboard. List the troubles Job had as you tell the story. 

LESSON POINTS:   

• In very ancient times, a long, long time ago, there was a man named Job. Although it is spelled like the word "job" which is a chore you would do, this man's name was pronounced "Job" which rhymes with the word "robe." He was a godly man who served God with his whole heart.  The Bible calls him "perfect and upright" and a "man of integrity." He lived in a country that we have never heard of before; it was called Uz. He had seven sons and three daughters. He was, also, very rich! He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, and a great number of servants. He was the most important man in all of the east. But the most important thing about Job was that he loved and served the LORD God. 
• One day, Satan came among the sons of God to present themselves before the LORD. The LORD asked Satan, "From where did you come?" Satan said he had been going back and forth on the earth. The LORD asked Satan if he had considered His servant, Job. The Lord said that there was no man like His servant Job in all of the earth. Satan said that Job only served the LORD because Job was given much, but if all of Job's 'things' were taken away, then he would curse God. God said that everything Job had was now in Satan's power, meaning he could take anything of Job's away from him, but he could not put his hand on Job or hurt him in any way.
• On another day, all seven of Job's sons and all three of his daughters were eating together in the oldest son's house. While Job was at his house and not with his children, a messenger came up to Job and said that the oxen were plowing in the field and the donkeys were feeding close by. The Sabeans or a nation around Uz stole the animals and killed all of the servants, except the messenger who was telling Job the news.
• While that messenger was still talking, another messenger came up to Job and told him that fire from the sky had come down and burned up all of Job's sheep and the servants who were watching them. They all died, except the messenger who was telling Job the news.
• While the second messenger was still talking, there came another messenger up to Job and told him that another nation, the Chaldeans, came up in three groups and stole the camels and killed all of the servants, except the messenger who was telling Job the news.
• While the third messenger was still talking, there came another messenger up to Job and told him that while his children were eating together in one house that a great wind blew in from the wilderness and struck all four corners of the house and when the roof caved in on them, they all died, except the messenger who was telling Job the news. 
• When all the messengers stopped talking, Job got up, tore his coat, shaved his head, fell down on the ground and worshiped the LORD. Job said that he came into this world with nothing, and he would go out of this world with nothing. The Bible says that in all of the things that happened to Job, he did not sin or say that it was God's fault all the bad things had happened.
• Another day, Satan came again with the sons of God and the LORD asked Satan, "From where did you come?" Satan again said that he had been going back and forth on the earth. The LORD asked Satan again if he had considered His servant, Job. The Lord said that there was still no man like His servant Job in all of the earth. Satan said that Job only served the LORD because he was healthy, but if his bone and flesh were touched, then he would curse God. God said that Job had was now in Satan's power, meaning he could do anything to Job, but he could not  take Job's life. So Satan struck Job with boils from his head to his toes.
• Job was in such pain and misery. He took a piece of pottery and scraped his boils and then went and sat in a pile of ashes. They did not have medicines like we have today, but ashes were clean and helped ease the pain a bit. While, in his pain, Job's wife was very discouraging. She said that Job should curse God and die! Is that what Job should have done? NO! Job said she spoke as one of the foolish women. Job asked her if they should only receive good things all the time and not bad? In all that was said during this time, Job did not sin or blame God for his troubles. Job was very patient.
• Job had three friends who had heard of all the bad times Job was going through and they all came by to visit him at the same time. Job was in such bad condition and looked so badly that his friends did not even know Job until they were very close to him! When they saw Job, they cried, tore their clothes and put dirt on their own heads because they were grieved that Job was going through so much pain and suffering. So the three friends did what many friends would not do. They sat with Job for seven days without saying a word. They gave him comfort by just being there with him because they could tell that he was hurting a great deal.
• Then Job and his three friends had very long discussions. They talked for a while and listened for a while, they scolded Job because they thought that he must have done something very wrong, but the story of Job teaches that bad things happen to good people. We just must learn to be patient and never blame God. 
• Finally, the LORD talked to Job, Job answered some of God's questions and Job listened to God. Job humbled himself before God and recognized the fact that the LORD could do anything! God was powerful and had--and has--control over all things on the earth and in heaven. 
• In the end, the LORD restored Job's health, his riches, his servants, and Job even had seven more sons and three daughters. The only thing different than in the beginning of the story of Job is that the LORD blessed him with twice as much as he had before! All of Job's friends came to see him and brought him gifts. Everyone brought him a piece of money and an earring of gold. So everything was better for Job in the end compared to the beginning. The Bible mentions that Job's daughters were more beautiful than any in the land. Job lived 140 more years and saw his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren and his great-great-grandchildren grow up. Then Job died being old and full of days.
• What can we learn from Job? We learn to be very patient and longsuffering. We learn that bad things happen to good people. We learn that through the silence of the scriptures, God never told Job why all of this happened, or at least it was not written in the book of Job.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Discuss what it means, "Bad things happen to good people."
• Talk about the meaning of "God allows trials to take place."  Read 1 Corinthians 10:13.

ACTIVITY:   Job's Patience
Materials needed:   6" x 12" piece of construction paper (any light color), marker, crayons.

1. Hand out paper.
2. Fold paper in thirds, so that the two edges meet in the middle. See picture.
3. On the outside, folded paper, write "Bad Things Happen To Good People Like Job", writing the word "JOB" is beautiful letters.
4. Write "Job 1-42" on the outside of the folded paper.
5. Open up paper completely.
6. Draw two lines down the folds of the paper.
7. In the middle section, write "We need to be patient like Job and never blame God."
8. On right section, write "BEFORE" at the top and then list what Job possessed, for example, write "Rich," "7,000 (draw a sheep)", "3,000 (draw a camel)", "500 yoke of (draw an ox)", "500 (draw a donkey)", and many servants.
9. On left side, write "AFTER" at the top and then list what Job possessed, for example, "very rich", "14,00 sheep", "6,000 camels", "1,000 yoke of oxen", "1,000 donkeys", "many servants", "10 children", "lived 140 more years".
10. Color pictures of animal and decorate the middle section without covering up the words.