CHAPTER ONE

Contents: Job's family and their piety. Satan's challenge and the calamities that befell Job.

Characters: God, Satan, Job.

Conclusion: God allows Satan power over His saints but it is always limited by the will of God. Nothing shows more accurately what we are than the way in which we stand in the presence of trial and difficulty.

Key Word: Tested, v. 12.

Strong Verses:   8, 21.

Striking Facts: v. 12. The power Satan has over the Christian is bounded by the prayer of the Lord Jesus who "ever liveth to make intercession." No affliction can ever fall upon the believer except by God's permission and when it comes, God has some great purpose in it, which it is our part to ascertain.

CHAPTER TWO

Contents: Job in Satan's seive. Family, property and health gone. His three friends.

Characters: God, Job, Satan, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar.

Conclusion: One of the greatest evidences of God's love to those who love Him is to send them affliction, with grace to bear it. If trial makes us complain against God, then the devil laughs and is glad. Trial is the school of trust. (1 Pet. 1:7).

Key Word: Afflicted, v. 7.

Strong Verses:   10.

Striking Facts: v. 4. This verse gives the foundation stone of so-called Christian Science. Body healing is the substitute for soul healing. Men will embrace anything that will relieve pain and distemper of body and hence Satan uses physical ailments to try and draw men from God.

CHAPTER THREE

Contents: Job tells his misery and despair.

Characters: God, Job.

Conclusion: "Pity thyself" is the devil's most popular sermon to one who will listen to him, for he delights to embitter the saint by causing him to misunderstand God's providences. Remember that God's worst is better than the devil's best and if our circumstances find us in God, we shall find God in all our circumstances.

Key Word: Curse, v. 1.

Striking Facts: v. 3. Though many, because of distrust, have cursed the day of their birth, yet no one ever curses the day of their "new birth" nor wishes they had never found Christ as their Saviour.

CHAPTER FOUR

Contents: Eliphaz's theory in regard to Job's suffering.

Characters: God, Eliphaz, Job.

Conclusion: Those who pass rash and uncharitable censures upon their brethren, do Satan's work. We should be careful not to add affliction to saints who are already in grief, unless we are certain we have a God-given message to deliver.

Key Word: Retribution, v. 7.

Strong Verses:   8, 9, 17.

Striking Facts: vv. 14, 15. There are certain dogmatists who have to be listened to because they have had some ONE remarkable experience, and everyone else's case is similar to their own. The best and truest comfort is from God's Word. Rom. 15:4.

CHAPTER FIVE

Contents: Eliphaz's discourse continued.

Characters: God, Eliphaz, Job.

Conclusion: Even Satan may be God's servant to make better saints of us, the blow at the outward man proving the greatest blessing to the inward man. We should therefore be more desirous of knowing God's purpose in our trouble than of getting out of it.

Key Word: Chastisement, v. 17.

Strong Verses:   2, 8, 17, 18.

Striking Facts: Fellowship in Christ's sufferings is the qualification for sharing His dignity.

CHAPTER SIX

Contents: Job's answer to Eliphaz. His appeal for pity.

Characters: God, Eliphaz, Job.

Conclusion: No one can judge another justly without much prayer for divine guidance. Affliction does not necessarily prove one to be a hypocrite or a wicked man.

Key Word: Pity, vv. 14, 28.

Strong Verses:   14, 24.

Striking Facts: See 1 Pet. 2:20-23.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Contents: Job's answer to Eliphaz continued.

Characters: God, Job, Eliphaz.

Conclusion: We believe in the sun even when it is hidden behind a cloud, therefore we should not doubt the goodness of God when His face seems for a time to be hidden from us. The Great Physician has never taken down a wrong bottle.

Key Word: Complaint, v. 11.

Strong Verses:   17, 18.

Striking Facts: v. 11. It is better to die praising Jesus and praying than complaining and fretting. The only time our Lord ever asked "why" was when He bore the world's sin and the Father's face was turned away.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Contents: Bildad's theory of Job's affliction.

Characters: God, Bildad, Job.

Conclusion: It is not just or charitable to argue that merely because one is in deep affliction, he is therefore a hypocrite. Let us "judge nothingbefore the time." A day is coming when the secrets of God's providence  will be solved to universal satisfaction.

Key Word: Hypocrisy, v. 13.

Strong Verses:   13,20,22.

Striking Facts: Let the afflicted one include the Lord Jesus in his faith and he will eventually be vindicated in the sight of men.

CHAPTER NINE

Contents: Job answers Bildad, denying he is a hypocrite.

Characters: God, Job, Bildad.

Conclusion: Man is an unequal match for his Maker, either in dispute or combat. If God should deal with any of us according to our deserts, we should certainly be undone.

Key Word: Complaint, v. 17.

Strong Verses:   20, 32.

Striking Facts: 2, 3, 33. While it may be possible for us to vindicate our own integrity to friends, we can never plead our integrity for our justification before God. Were it not that the believer stands in Christ's righteousness, he would have no ground whatever before God.

CHAPTER TEN

Contents: Job's answer to Bildad continued.

Characters: God, Job, Bildad.

Conclusion: Sometimes, when in affliction, the believer is tempted to think that God's providences and His justice cannot be reconciled. Faith and patience would keep us from being weary of our lives and would show us that when God contends with us, there is always some good purpose in it.

Key Word: Complaint, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   12.

Striking Facts: v. 2. The Christian's comfort is that he is "in Christ" and that although he is afflicted, there is no condemnation. (Rom. 8:1). He is chastised that he might not be condemned with the world. (1. Cor. 11:32).

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Contents: Zophar's theory of Job's condition. He thinks Job a hypocrite and liar.

Characters: God, Zophar, Job.

Conclusion: Those are not always in the right who are most forward to express their judgment and to conclude that if God should speak, He would agree with them. We should seek to put the best possible construction upon the words and actions of our brethren that they will bear, lest we add to their afflictions.

Key Word: Liar, mocker, v. 3.

Strong Verses:   7, 14, 15, 20.

Striking Facts: Zophar is a type of the religious dogmatist who thinks he knows all about God's ways and exactly what God will do in each individual case.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Contents: Job answers his three friends, extolling God's wisdom.

Characters: God, Job, three friends.

Conclusion: There is a wise providence which guides and governs all things by rules with which the wisest men are but imperfectly acquainted. The afflicted one should learn to acquiesce in His disposals and the one who is tempted to criticise and censure should learn not to be over-wise in his expressions of judgment.

Key Word: Hand of God, v. 9.

Strong Verses:   9, 14.

Striking Facts: v. 3. Nothing is more grievous to one who has fallen from prosperity into adversity than to be insulted when he is down. Our Lord Jesus is the wisest and kindest of comforters. To Him let us go in all our troubles.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Contents: Job's answer to three friends continued.

Characters: God, Job, three friends.

Conclusion: We should presevere in the way of duty, though it cost us all that is dear to us in this world, rejoicing in God when there is nothing else to rejoice in, knowing that the "sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Key Word: Reasoning, v. 6.

Strong Verses:   15, 16.

Striking Facts: v. 15. Those who walk in unbroken fellowship with Christ, having assurance there is no unconfessed sin in their lives, may cheerfully welcome every event, being in readiness for it.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Contents: Job's answer to his friends continued.

Characters: God, Job.

Conclusion: God's providence has the ordering of the period of our lives; our times are in His hand. The consideration of our inability to contend with God, of our sinfulness and weakness, should lead us to throw ourselves unreservedly into His hands that He might accomplish fully His purposes in us.

Key Word: Trouble, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   14.

Striking Facts: v. 14. Though our friends prove miserable comforters, the believer may rejoice in all circumstances in the comfort that there is a life beyond, victory over even the grave through our Lord Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Contents: Eliphaz's theory about Job, charging him with foolishly justifying himself.

Characters: God, Job, Eliphaz.

Conclusion: Those speeches which do no good, being of no service either to God, our neighbors or ourselves, are better unspoken. If in our troubles we give ourselves to prayer and worship, we will be less apt to drop those expressions which cause others to question our sincerity and constancy in religion.

Key Word: Unprofitable talk, v. 3.

Strong Verses:   15, 31.

Striking Facts: v. 15. Although God uses His saints, He places no confidence in them apart from the ability of the Holy Spirit which He imparts to them for service, and the standing they have in Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Contents: Job charges that Eliphaz is but heaping up words.

Characters: God, Job, three friends.

Conclusion: It is a great comfort to a good man who lies under the censures of brethren who do not understand his case, that there is a God in heaven who knows his integrity and sooner or later will clear it up.

Key Word: Miserable comforters, v. 2.

Strong Verses:   2, 19, 21.

Striking Facts: v. 2. The best friend to plead for us is the Lord Jesus and it is the Holy Spirit through the Word, who comforts effectually.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Contents: Job's answer continued. He longs for death.

Characters: Job .

Conclusion: The believer should recognize that wherever he goes there is but a step between him and the grave and should always be ready. However he should allow no hard providence to deter and discourage him in the service of God, but should be so much the more emboldened to persevere in God's way.

Key Word: Darkness, v. 12.

Strong Verses:   9.

Striking Facts: v. 3. The believer has a surety with God, namely Christ, the heavenly intercessor. He will plead our cause if we look to Him and no one else can lay anything to our charge. (Rom. 8:32, 33).

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Contents: Bildad's second discourse on Job's case.

Characters: God, Bildad, Job.

Conclusion: The way of sin is a way of fear and leads to everlasting confusion, of which the present terrors of conscience are but the earnest.

Key Word: The wicked, v. 5.

Strong Verses:   5.

Striking Facts: v. 4. It is not true that all who suffer great distresses in this world should, on that account, be judged wicked when no other proof appears against them. Christ's people are usually a suffering, cross-bearing people.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Contents: Job's answer to Bildad. His sublime faith.

Characters: God, Job, friends.

Conclusion: We may easily bear the unjust reproaches of men if we live in expectation of the glorious appearance of the great God, our Saviour, and that we shall be made like Him when we see Him as He is.

Key Word: Hope, v. 27.

Strong Verses:   25, 26, 27.

Striking Facts: Job had very clear beliefs. The brief statement here takes in redemption, assurance, second coming and resurrection.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Contents: Zophar's second discourse on Job's case.

Characters: God, Zophar, Job.

Conclusion: Though wicked men may sometimes prosper, their joy is but for a moment and will quickly end in endless sorrow.

Key Word: Portion of the wicked, v. 29.

Strong Verses:   5.

Striking Facts: v. 2. Men often mistake the dictates of passion for the dictates of reason and therefore think they are wise for expressing themselves.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Contents: Job's answer to Zophar in which he denies any secret sin.

Characters: God, Job, three friends.

Conclusion: The providences of God in the government of this world are sometimes hard to be understood. When we cannot clearly account for the prosperity of the wicked and affliction of the godly, we should silently wait the issue, judging nothing before the time.

Key Word: Prosperity (of wicked), v. 7.

Strong Verses:   22.

Striking Facts: v. 25. If we have eternal life through Jesus Christ, and spiritual blessings, we have no reason to complain of the little suffering we may be called upon to bear for Christ's sake in this world.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Contents: Eliphaz's third discourse, accusing Job again of hypocrisy.

Characters: God, Eliphaz, Job.

Conclusion: It is the duty of those especially who are in affliction to keep up a perfect acquaintance with God, accommodating themselves to all the disposals of His providence; thus they shall be possessed of His peace, no matter what the circumstances.

Key Word: Wickedness, v. 5.

Strong Verses:   15, 16, 21.

Striking Facts: v. 5. Think it not strange, if like the Master, you are misunderstood and blackened, but learn to pass by accusations and commit your cause to Him who judgeth righteously.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Contents: Job again answers. He longs for God.

Characters: God, Job, three friends.

Conclusion: Those who keep the way of the Lord may comfort themselves with the thought that they are being tried, that the result will be for their honor and benefit and that when God is through with them they shall come forth as gold (1 Pet. 1:7) pure and precious to the Refiner.

Key Word: Tried, v. 10.

Strong Verses:   10.

Striking Facts: v. 10. Though men do not, can not, or will not understand us, it is a comfort to know that our Lord Jesus, who was tried in all points as we are, does perfectly understand our hearts.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Contents: Job's answer continued. The prosperity of the wicked.

Characters: God, Job, friends.

Conclusion: Though wicked men seem sometimes to be under the special protection of divine providence, even dying without any disgrace, yet God keeps account of all their wickedness and will some day make it appear that their most secret sins, which they thought no eye saw, were under His eye and will be called over again.

Key Word: Prosperity (of wicked).

Strong Verses:   23.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Contents: Bildad's third discourse on Job's case.

Characters: God, Bildad, Job.

Conclusion: Man cannot, in himself, be justified before God for he has no merit of his own to extenuate his guilt.

Key Word: Justification, v. 4.

Striking Facts: v. 4. Since man, by reason of his fallen state and corrupt nature is odious to God's holiness, even in his best righteousness, we have need to be born again, that being justified by faith in Christ, we may have peace with God. Rom. 5:1.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Contents: Job's answer to Bildad. His faith in God.

Characters: God, Job, friends.

Conclusion: God is infinite and incomprehensible; man's capacities to understand Him and all His ways are weak, therefore the full discovery of God's glory is reserved for the future state. Let us meanwhile be content with His revelations to us.

Key Word: God's power, v. 14.

Strong Verses:   14.

Striking Facts: v. 3. We are often disappointed in the counseling of our friends for they demand what we cannot produce and we need what they cannot give. Our Comforter, the Holy Spirit, never mistakes in His operations or misses in His ends.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Contents: Job's answer to Bildad continued.

Characters: God, Job, friends.

Conclusion: The consideration of the miserable condition of the hypocrite should engage us to be upright.

Key Word: Hypocrites, v. 8.

Strong Verses:   6, 8.

Striking Facts: It is often the lot of upright men to be censured and condemned as hypocrites, but it well becomes them to bear up boldly under such censures, holding fast to Jesus Christ, who will keep from discouragement and eventually vindicate them.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Contents: Job's answer continued. The value of divine wisdom.

Characters: God, Job, friends.

Conclusion: To be truly religious is to be truly wise. If we know God, Hiswisdom will appear in the practice and observance of our religion and we shall be surely guided in our way.

Key Word: Wisdom, v. 12.

Strong Verses:   28.

Striking Facts: v. 12. There is truer satisfaction in the wisdom which God, through Christ, communicates to the Christian, showing the way to the joys of heaven, than in all the natural philosophies and sciences which only help men to find a way into the earth. (1-11).

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Contents: Job's answer continued. He rehearses the story of his life.

Characters: God, Job, friends.

Conclusion: A gracious soul delights in God's smiles, not the smiles of the world, although virtue and piety challenge respect and usually have it. Those who are not only good, but DO GOOD are worthy of double honor.

Key Word: The past, v. 2.

Strong Verses:   3.

Striking Facts: We can see in this chapter a familiar type of Christ in His power and goodness. Our Lord Jesus is the poor man's Lord, loving righteousness and hating iniquity. Upon Him the blessing of a world ready to perish comes.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Contents: Job's answer continued. He reviews his present condition.

Characters: God, Job, friends.

Conclusion: The best saints often receive the worst of indignities from a spiteful and scornful world, merely because providence appears temporarily to be against them. Our Master Himself was thus abused, therefore we need not deem it strange.

Key Word: Abhored, v. 10.

Strong Verses:   23.

Striking Facts: Those who today cry "Hosannah" may tomorrow cry "Crucify." Job is here a type of Christ who was made the reproach of men and who hid not His face from shame and spitting.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Contents: Job's answer continued. He insists on his integrity.

Characters: God, Job, friends.

Conclusion: An upright heart does not dread a scrutiny. A good man iswilling to know the worst of himself and will be thankful to those who will faithfully tell him of his faults.

Key Word: Integrity, v. 6.

Strong Verses:   4, 14.

Striking Facts: v. 4. The Lord Jesus keeps account of all and will bring every work into judgment. "If our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God."

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Contents: Elihu's discourse, stating his reasons for interfering.

Characters: God, Job, Elihu, friends.

Conclusion: One who is jealous of the honor of God cannot be grieved wheninjury is plainly done. It is time to speak when we hear errors advanced and disputed for under pretense of supporting God's cause with them. (1 Tim. 4:12).

Key Word: Opinions, vv. 6, 17.

Strong Verses:   8, 21.

Striking Facts: Elihu shows a deeper spiritual conception than any of Job's three friends, because he has a higher conception of God. Externalists . and moralizers, while they see God in His power through His works, know nothing of His grace toward man in Christ Jesus, but look upon Him as being very exacting in all His relations. He who has seen God in the cross of Calvary will have the highest conception of God.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Contents: Elihu's discourse continued. Affliction is shown to be discipline.

Characters: God, Elihu, Job.

Conclusion: God often afflicts the body in love and with gracious designs of good to the soul. Wherever God finds a submissive heart, He can do great things for the soul.

Key Word: God's working, vv. 29, 30.

Strong Verses:   4, 26.

Striking Facts: v. 14. "Ransom." Jesus Christ is our Ransom, the ransom of God's finding. So great was the injury done by sin, that nothing less could atone for it than the blood of the Son of God.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Contents: Elihu's discourse continued. He magnifies God's holiness.

Characters: God, Elihu, Job, friends.

Conclusion: It is absurd and unreasonable to multiply words in complaint against God's ways. His Fatherly corrections are a part of our filial education and we should beware of a rebellious heart which only brings added affliction to ourselves and reproach upon God.

Key Word: Rebellious, v. 37.

Strong Verses:   10,21,32.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Contents: Elihu's discourse continued. Job's rash talk reproved.

Characters: God, Elihu, Job.

Conclusion: It is vain to appeal to God to remove affliction, or to try to acquit ourselves, if we have not studied to know the end for which the affliction was sent. It is equally vain to pray for relief when we do not trust our case in God's hands.

Key Word: Vanity, v. 13.

Strong Verses:   14.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Contents: Elihu's discourse continued. God's justice defended.

Characters: God, Elihu, Job.

Conclusion: God does all things well. Though it may seem sometimes that we are neglected and forgotten and that providence has made an oversight, yet the tender eye of the heavenly Father is upon us, and when affliction has accomplished that for which it was sent, we shall be comforted and established.

Key Word: God's discipline, v. 22.

Strong Verses: 11,22.

Striking Facts: v. 22. Trial is the school of trust. Sore distress is a blessing in disguise if it drives one to Christ and teaches the power of faith and prayer.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Contents: Elihu's discourse continued. God's majesty.

Characters: God, Elihu, Job.

Conclusion: We must all own that our finite understandings cannot comprehend the infinite perfections of God, but we may be sure that because He is infinitely wise, He will do everything for the best. It therefore becomes us, in whatever circumstances, to reverence Him and patiently wait.

Key Word: Majesty, vv. 14, 22.

Strong Verses:   14, 22, 23.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Contents: God's challenge to Job.

Characters: God, Job.

Conclusion: Those who try to call God to account, will be called to account. Seeking to establish one's own character and darkening the counsels of God's wisdom, is an affront and provocation to God. Humble faith can know more of God's secrets than human reasonings.

Key Word: Challenge, v. 3.

Striking Facts: v. 4. Man knows nothing about the making of this world other than what God has revealed in His Word. It is the honor of Jesus Christ that He was present when this was done. (Prov. 8:22; Jno. 1:1, 2).

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Contents: God's challenge to Job continued.

Characters: God, Job.

Conclusion: When we consider God's wonderful works in all nature about us, and see how wonderfully even the brute creatures are fitted for and inclined to the services for which they were designed, we see how unfit we are to dictate to God. Those who see God's hand in everything can best leave everything in His hands.

Key Word: Challenge, v. 1.

Striking Facts: vv. 28-30. The Lord Jesus referred to this instinct of the eagle in Matt. 24:28. See Rev. 19:17-18. Every creature will make toward that which is its proper food.

CHAPTER FORTY

Contents: God's challenge to Job continued. Job's answer.

Characters: God, Job.

Conclusion: : A real vision of God's power and wisdom changes men's opinions of themselves and silences their disputes with God. The valley of humbling is a blessed place, for no one falls there who does not rise to newness of life and service.

Key Word: Challenge, v. 2.

Strong Verses:   4.

Striking Facts: v. 4. God demands a quality no human being is able to present (not even perfect Job) but by His grace, through Jesus Christ, He bestows upon the yielded believer all that He asks.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Contents: God's challenge to Job concluded.

Characters: God, Job.

Conclusion: Man is utterly unable to contend against the Almighty. If the inferior creatures keep man in awe, how wonderful must the majesty of God be, who has sovereign dominion over all.

Key Word: Challenge, v. 1.

Striking Facts: v. 1. "Leviathan." There is a difference of opinion whether a crocodile or whale is meant here. In either case the great power of the Creator is illustrated.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Contents: Job's self- judgment, followed by new prosperity.

Characters: God, Job, Eliphaz, three friends.

Conclusion: Righteousness in a man is excellent but when one becomes too much aware of their own goodness, it reveals deep darkness as to their own real condition before God. If we really know God, we will be humble. If we really know ourselves, we cannot be proud.

Striking Facts: There can be no personal acquaintance with God until we have the sentence of death written upon self, realizing that in ourselves there is no good thing. All we are, we have by God's grace in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The godly suffer that they might come to self-knowledge, 42:3; and self-judgment, 42:6; that they might repent, 42:6; and have greater fruitfulness, 42:7-17; and escape condemnation with the world. 1 Cor. 11:32.