Don't forget that God is above all things!

May 27, 2025

Don't forget that God is above all things!

Job 25-27

Madeline Kelly

Big Book Idea

We can't always fully understand what God is up to, but we can trust that He is good no matter what comes.

"Dominion and fear are with God;
he makes peace in his high heaven."

Chapter 25

Bildad Speaks: Man Cannot Be Righteous

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

2 “Dominion and fear are with God;^{1

25:2
Hebrew him}
    he makes peace in his high heaven.
3 Is there any number to his armies?
    Upon whom does his light not arise?
4 How then can man be in the right before God?
    How can he who is born of woman be pure?
5 Behold, even the moon is not bright,
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes;
6 how much less man, who is a maggot,
    and the son of man, who is a worm!”

Chapter 26

Job Replies: God's Majesty Is Unsearchable

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “How you have helped him who has no power!
    How you have saved the arm that has no strength!
3 How you have counseled him who has no wisdom,
    and plentifully declared sound knowledge!
4 With whose help have you uttered words,
    and whose breath has come out from you?
5 The dead tremble
    under the waters and their inhabitants.
6 Sheol is naked before God,^{2

26:6
Hebrew him}
    and Abaddon has no covering.
7 He stretches out the north over the void
    and hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
    and the cloud is not split open under them.
9 He covers the face of the full moon^{3

26:9
Or his throne}
    and spreads over it his cloud.
10 He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters
    at the boundary between light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
    and are astounded at his rebuke.
12 By his power he stilled the sea;
    by his understanding he shattered Rahab.
13 By his wind the heavens were made fair;
    his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
    and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Chapter 27

Job Continues: I Will Maintain My Integrity

1 And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

2 “As God lives, who has taken away my right,
    and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
3 as long as my breath is in me,
    and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not speak falsehood,
    and my tongue will not utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me to say that you are right;
    till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
6 I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
    my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

7 Let my enemy be as the wicked,
    and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off,
    when God takes away his life?
9 Will God hear his cry
    when distress comes upon him?
10 Will he take delight in the Almighty?
    Will he call upon God at all times?
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God;
    what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;
    why then have you become altogether vain?

13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
    and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,
    and his descendants have not enough bread.
15 Those who survive him the pestilence buries,
    and his widows do not weep.
16 Though he heap up silver like dust,
    and pile up clothing like clay,
17 he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,
    and the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He builds his house like a moth's,
    like a booth that a watchman makes.
19 He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;
    he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
    in the night a whirlwind carries him off.
21 The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;
    it sweeps him out of his place.
22 It^{4

27:22
Or He (that is, God); also verse 23} hurls at him without pity;
    he flees from its^{5

27:22
Or his; also verse 23} power in headlong flight.
23 It claps its hands at him
    and hisses at him from its place.

Footnotes

[1] 25:2 Hebrew him
[2] 26:6 Hebrew him
[3] 26:9 Or his throne
[4] 27:22 Or He (that is, God); also verse 23
[5] 27:22 Or his; also verse 23

Introduction to Job

Timeline

Author and Date

The unknown Israelite author of this book presents Job as a person living in Uz (see note on 1:1). Job’s godliness (1:1) matches the ideals of Israelite wisdom literature. He clearly knows Yahweh (1:21). The events of the book seem to be set in the times of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).

Theological Themes

The book of Job concerns itself with the question of faith in a sovereign God. Can God be trusted? Is he good and just in his rule of the world? The book shows that the reasons for human suffering often remain a secret to human beings.

In the book of Job, God seems both too close and too far away. On the one hand, Job complains that God is watching him every moment so that he cannot even swallow his spit (7:19). On the other hand, Job finds God elusive (9:11). Though God is greatly concerned about humans, he does not always answer their most agonizing questions.

At the same time, Job’s friends offer no real help. They come to “comfort” him (2:11), but Job ends up declaring them “miserable comforters” who would console him “with empty nothings” (21:34). These friends represent an oversimplified view of faith. They think that all human troubles are divine punishments for wrongdoing. Their “comfort” consists largely of urging Job to identify his sin and repent of it. These friends are negative examples of how to comfort those who are suffering.

The book illustrates that one does not need to fully understand God’s will in order to be faithful while suffering. Those who suffer need not be afraid to express to God their confusion and questions.

Purpose

The book of Job was written to those who struggle with the question of how God can be good when the world is filled with suffering.

The author does not provide a formal defense of God’s justice. Rather, as Job’s friends offer their inadequate answers, the author shows how their reasoning fails. Then, in chs. 38–41, the Lord speaks in his own defense, bringing Job to fuller understanding (ch. 42).

Even during his suffering and confusion, before God finally speaks, Job can triumphantly declare, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (19:25).

Outline

Prologue: Job’s Character and the Circumstances of His Test (1:1–2:13)
Dialogue: Job, His Suffering, and His Standing before God (3:1–42:6)
1. Job: despair for the day of his birth (3:1–26)
2. The friends and Job: can Job be right before God? (4:1–25:6)
  1. First cycle (4:1–14:22)
  2. Second cycle (15:1–21:34)
  3. Third cycle (22:1–25:6)
3. Job: the power of God, place of wisdom, and path of integrity (26:1–31:40)
4. Elihu: suffering as a discipline (32:1–37:24)
5. Challenge: the Lord answers Job (38:1–42:6)
Epilogue: The Vindication, Intercession, and Restoration of Job (42:7–17)

The Global Message of Job

Universal Questions

With its story of one man’s life and suffering, the book of Job raises universal questions. Why do people suffer, especially godly people? Where is God in suffering? Can God be trusted amid suffering? Job’s friends try to answer such questions with superficial and simplistic solutions, eventually earning God’s rebuke (Job 42:7–9).

Ultimately we learn from Job that we can hope steadfastly in our sovereign God. Instead of providing easy answers to hard questions, this incomparably glorious, all-knowing, and almighty God presents to people in all places and in all times the simplest, most powerful, and most universal answer to these questions. God’s answer to human suffering has everything to do with his own infinite goodness and care for his creation.

Suffering in a Fallen World

In the life of Job we see the breadth and depth of human suffering. We see suffering in health (Job 2:7), suffering in the loss of property (1:14–17), and suffering in the tragic death of family members (1:18–19). In Job we also listen in on a discussion in the heavenly courtroom between God and Satan (1:6–12; 2:1–7), in which God delights in the upright life of Job. There we are given a window into the normally invisible reasons for our trials and suffering.

Sin and suffering. Suffering is universal, though the kind of suffering differs from circumstance to circumstance. Sometimes we suffer because of our own sin. There is no such thing as sin without consequences. Sometimes God himself directly chastises his people for their sins. However, Job’s friends are wrong to assume that his suffering is a direct result of disobedience (Job 8:4), and it would likewise be wrong to conclude that all or even most suffering in the world today is divine punishment for specific sins. The speeches of Eliphaz (chs. 4; 5; 15; 22), Bildad (chs. 8; 18; 25), and Zophar (chs. 11; 20) reflect such wrong assumptions.

Common suffering. Another type of suffering is what we might call “common suffering.” This is suffering that affects all people without distinction. It is simply the result of living in a fallen world. It includes health problems from colds to cancer. It includes bad weather, earthquakes, and typhoons. It includes financial struggles, and even death itself. Each tragic incident in Job’s life includes an element of this common suffering.

Godliness and suffering. Not only are godly people afflicted with suffering just as others are, but the godly experience some kinds of suffering due specifically to their godliness (Matt. 10:24–33; Acts 14:22; 2 Tim. 3:12). Faithfulness to Christ will bring insult and at times persecution—suffering that could be avoided if we were not disciples of Christ. We see this principle in Job, for it was precisely Job’s uprightness that prompted God to single him out to Satan and then led Satan to seek to afflict him (Job 1:8–12).

Devastating suffering. Job’s suffering is uniquely profound and painful. Some suffering, we learn, defies any category. We discover in Job that Satan has a hand in some of the suffering of God’s people (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7; compare 2 Cor. 12:1–10). But even such demonically instigated suffering is not outside of God’s sovereignty. Nor should our focus be on Satan when we suffer but rather on persisting in steadfast faith amid such God-ordained pain. At the very least a lesson to be learned from Job is that our vision and insight into suffering is severely limited. What is not limited, however, is God’s perfect understanding and sovereign control over every event in our lives. In the “Yahweh speeches” of Job (chs. 38–41), God does not engage Job in the details of his questions and complaints. Rather, God reminds Job that God is God and Job is not. God laid the foundation of the earth (38:4); he is God over the seas (38:8, 16), over the stars (38:31–33), and over every creature (39:1–30; 40:15–41:34).

A Global Message of Comfort and Hope

The almighty, all-good God. Despite its focus on challenges and sufferings, the book of Job speaks a message of great hope to the world. We live in a world longing for comfort and hope, and such hope is found in the sovereign God who sees, who is good, and who is faithful. We are not victims of random fate or uncontrolled circumstances. We are loved faithfully and passionately by a sovereign God who works all things for our good (Rom. 8:28). The suffering global church can take comfort amid suffering, knowing that God is pleased with our faithfulness to him, even as God expressed delight in “my servant Job” (Job 1:6–8; 2:3). James 5:11 reminds us that God will fulfill his good purposes and is indeed compassionate and merciful toward his people.

No neat formulas. Living an upright life of faith in God does not exempt us from suffering. This was the fundamental misunderstanding of Job’s friends (Job 8:6) and the reason that their “comfort” was so “miserable” (16:2). Indeed, in Job and in all of Scripture we see that suffering is a part of the experience of godly people, and that suffering is also a means for our sanctification. Suffering is a blessing as through it we learn that God’s ways and purposes are much greater than we can know (chs. 40–41). His purposes and faithfulness are much greater than the achievement of ease and a comfortable life; the global church must not make an idol out of worldly comfort and earthly abundance.

The sufferings of the Savior. Job confessed faith in the living Redeemer (Job 19:25). That Redeemer would one day come and suffer for us on a cross. Here we have yet another kind of suffering, the atoning sufferings of Christ. He suffered for our salvation, bearing the penalty for our sin. It is also our great privilege to share in his suffering (2 Cor. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:8; 2:3; 1 Pet. 4:13). These are not the sufferings of health problems or bad weather or the consequences of our own folly. These are sufferings that flow from our union with and loyalty to Christ. There is a global attack on the righteous, but God will continue to provide sufficient grace to his people (2 Cor. 12:9).He will grow both his people and his kingdom through such suffering as it is endured in faith.

Our Intercession and Mission of Hope

Though God’s righteous anger burned against the three friends of Job, their folly was forgiven in response to the righteous intervention of Job’s prayers (Job 42:7–9). What then is the Christian response to those who suffer—and to those who cause suffering?

We are to intercede for the world, both in prayer and in life. We are to “comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:4). This comfort must find expression in our ministry and service to those in need both where we live as well as around the world—to orphans, widows, and all those who suffer.

This comfort is most gloriously and eternally known as the church ministers the gospel of new hope in Christ to the world—to the lost, to the downtrodden, and even to our enemies (Matt. 5:44). For the greatest suffering in this world is not the loss of property or even family; it is to be lost in sin, without the living Redeemer.

Proverbs Fact #1: Wisdom

Fact: Wisdom

Wisdom is a key term in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. The word can mean “skilled at making sound decisions in life.” Proverbs 9:10 states that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”

Job Fact #1: Comfort

Fact: Comfort

Comfort is a key word in the book of Job. When faced with personal tragedies, Job receives no comfort from his friends (16:2). But when God answers him (see chs. 38–41), he finds the comfort he needs.

Job Fact #7: Three cycles of conversations

Fact: Three cycles of conversations

The book of Job includes three cycles of conversations in which the friends of Job offer their comfort and advice, and then listen as Job responds. The first cycle covers chs. 4–14.

Job Fact #15: Elihu

Fact: Elihu

Elihu is the only character in the book of Job with a Hebrew name.

Job Fact #13: Hanging on nothing?

Fact: Hanging on nothing?

Hanging on nothing? Although he didn’t have all the tools of modern science, Job understood that God “hangs the earth on nothing” (26:7). His infinite power keeps every planet, moon, and star in its appointed place (Col. 1:15–17).

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar

After the Lord allowed Satan to afflict Job, three of his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, came to comfort him. However, all three wrongly assumed that Job’s suffering was the result of some hidden sin. Each man urged Job to repent so that God would have mercy on him. But Job insisted that he was innocent. Although it is true that some suffering is a result of sin, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar oversimplified this truth. They believed that all troubles are punishments for wrongdoing, which was not the case for Job. The wrong actions of Job’s three friends should remind believers today to be wise and sensitive when dealing with people in distress. The Lord rebuked Job’s three friends and instructed Job to pray for them. (Job 42:7–9)

Study Notes

Job 25:4 How then can man be in the right before God? This question is repeated several times by Job and his friends in slightly different forms (4:17; 9:2; 15:14).

Study Notes

4:1–25:6 The Friends and Job: Can Job Be Right before God? The main section of the book contains the dialogue between Job and the three friends. It opens with Job’s initial lament (3:1–16) and then alternates between speeches by each friend (Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar) and responses by Job.

Job 22:1–25:6 Third Cycle. The consistent pattern of the first two cycles unravels in this last dialogue. Eliphaz describes Job’s life as a constant stream of wicked activity (ch. 22). Job’s reply (chs. 23–24) strongly implies that the divine power that has afflicted him is impulsive and destructive. Bildad offers the beginning of a reply (ch. 25) before Job interrupts with a further assertion of the mystery of divine power (ch. 26; see next section). Zophar does not speak in this cycle. Job and his friends disagree more strongly now than when they started this discussion.

Job 25:1–6 Bildad’s words represent the final speech of the three friends. The friends have argued that their theological understanding and application represent God’s perspective. They have never really considered the possibility that they could be wrong.

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar

Study Notes

Job 26:2–3 How you have helped . . . saved . . . counseled . . . ! The presumed theological correctness of Bildad and the other two friends rings hollow. In their defense of God, they have not helped the poor and needy. In fact, they have wrongly accused Job, who has been the protector of the poor and needy. Nor have they understood the potentially disastrous consequences of their sound knowledge, that is, their firm belief that people are poor as a result of their own sin.

Study Notes

Job 26:4 Job asks his friends to examine whose help and whose breath has been behind their words, so they won’t wrongly assume that they have spoken on God’s behalf.

Study Notes

Job 26:5–10 The state or realm of the dead is not visible to humanity (it is under the waters), but it is naked and has no covering before God (vv. 5–6). Likewise, other things may be hidden: the heavens appear perched over the void, and the earth appears to hang on nothing (v. 7). It is God who has set the limits for all of these things (v. 10).

Study Notes

Job 26:11–14 The world reveals God’s power and understanding as the one who created and governs everything. How, then, can anyone who merely hears the thunder of his power claim to understand it?

Job Fact #13: Hanging on nothing?

Fact: Hanging on nothing?

Study Notes

Job 27:6 By saying that he will hold fast to his integrity, Job echoes the Lord’s description of him in the prologue (2:3).

Study Notes

Job 27:7–8 If Job is right to maintain his integrity (see vv. 2–6), then his adversaries should be considered as the wicked and unrighteous. There is no hope for the wicked when God cuts him off.

Study Notes

Job 27:11 Eliphaz claimed to speak for God in correcting Job (see 22:26–27). Job in turn declared that he received revelation from God that he could not deny (6:10). Now, he says that he will not conceal the thoughts of the Almighty.

Study Notes

Job 27:13 If Job’s integrity is actually what is true with God, then Job’s friends ought to consider whether they are the ones who stand in danger of the judgment that they have described.

Is it possible to find peace when I feel far from God?

Listen Now

At this point in Job, it may be easy to focus on Job's suffering and feel like things are hopeless. However, a deeper meaning in this passage can be found in God's character and righteousness. As our understanding of God's character increases, our ability to have endurance in suffering will follow. A right view of God is essential for Job, his friends, and us today.

In chapter 25, Bildad speaks of God's sovereignty and power (Job 25:2). These are great things to emphasize. But Bildad's speech ends in hopelessness as he asks, "How then can man be in the right before God?" (Job 25:4a) This question rightly addresses the problem of our depravity in relation to God's holiness. It points to our need for a mediator, one who can make us right before God. Luckily, we don't have to sit in this hopelessness, because we know that this is pointing to a great hope to come: Jesus Christ! Even in the Old Testament, in a book about suffering, we get shadows of Jesus.

In Job's reply to his friends in chapter 26, he agrees that God is sovereign and glorious (Job 26:5-10). This chapter finishes with Job providing a slightly different perspective than his friends. He rightly argues that there is more to God's glory and majesty than the human mind can grasp (Job 26:14). This chapter emphasizes the importance of knowing God rightly, but also reminds us that we cannot know God fully. From the bad advice of Job's friends, we learn that theology matters. It informs how we view God and others. But from Job's response, we also learn that God is infinite and above all things. There is a humility we should have in knowing that God's ways are higher than our own.

Like Job, we can't always fully understand what God is up to. But as Job 25:2 intimates, God is in control and above everything. We can rest in what has been revealed to us—God is good, even when there are things that He has yet to reveal to us about our circumstances.

This month's memory verse

"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

– Job 1:21b

1. When in your life has it been hard to remember that God is above all things? What would a greater understanding of God's sovereignty look like in your life?

2. What are ways you could remind yourself of the truth about God's character in the midst of suffering?

3. Are there any ways that you could commit to knowing God more rightly in your own life?

4. Are there any areas of your life in which you have downplayed God's glory, power, or mystery?

5. What do you think it looks like to seek to know God rightly while humbly understanding that we can never know God fully?