Listen up, little ones
Listen for the word me.
Reading
Job 19:1-12—You Have Wronged Me. God Has Wronged Me.
Keys for kids
- Job had a very hard life.
- Job blamed his friends for wronging him.
- Job blamed God for wronging him.
Questions
- What hard things happened to Job?
- What did his friends say caused these bad things?
- Can God ever be guilty of sin? Explain.
Notes
The book of Job is in many ways a very sad story. It is a true story given for our instruction. Many of us are familiar with the story. Job was a godly man. He had 10 children, as far as we know a happy marriage, and much wealth. Chapters 1-2 give us the account of Satan blaming Job of just caring about God because God had provided so much for him. God gave Satan permission, first to take away Job’s wealth, then his children, and finally his own health.
Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything. (Job 1:22 CSB). Then along come Job’s friends (more on them tomorrow) and along come Job’s doubts and confusion.
Here in our text, Job complains against his friends’ advice. They have wronged him in the way they have accused him of receiving all these bad things because of his own sin. In this, Job was right. But then he also accuses God with two accusations. We’ll consider them in opposite order of Job making them.
God has struck me with his hand (v. 21). And, in one sense, Job was right. All things, good and bad, come from God’s most wise and holy providence. God may use secondary causes, and God never is guilty of sin even of those whose sinful actions are in God’s sovereign plan.
God has wronged me. Here Job blames God for doing wrong. Such an accusation cannot stand against the holy God. God is neither the author nor the actor of sin. Never.
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 32a, 119s
Prayer
- Thank God that even in hard times he will never do wrong.
- Pray for change in you from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.