"The book of Job cuts straight to the
heart of what it means to be human. It is the most profound exploration of
the life of faith ever written, and wrestles with some of life's most
perplexing questions. Why do bad things happen to good people? Is there a
correspondence between sin and suffering, obedience and blessing? Why
should we serve God if there are no guarantees?
Book of Job provides lessons for
people suffering a crisis of faith after last month's Indian Ocean tsunami. There was never a time when the book of
Job was not relevant, but it is especially relevant in today. This not
because the book of Job has changed, but because we have. We may be more
ready to listen now... less certain of our own answers. So, when Job asks,
"Why?" - we, too, strain to hear the answers. And if answers are not
forthcoming, then we like Job, at least need to know how to live without
them. "
Carol M.Bechtel, author of
Hallelujah: The Bible and Handel's Messiah and
Sowing Tears, Reaping Joy: The Bible and Brahm's
Requiem, contends that the real theme of Job has to do with the limits
of human wisdom. God does not answer Job's questions about suffering, but
reminds Job that he's out of his league. We do not have all of the answers;
God does. Faith, as Job understands it, is an exercise in radical trust.
The
Leader's Guide, also available in hard copy, includes an innovative CDROM
with the complete text to help Leaders prepare for their session. This CDROM
features video introductions to each session by the author Carol Bechtel as
well as video resources to use with your study group. So much of this
information in this study is personal story which translates with great
power when used with this new video format.
"The Book of Job is an extremely powerful study in uncertain
times."