Chapter Summary

Job again answers. He longs for God.

Discussion Questions for Job, Chapter 23

1. Job begins his complaints in verse 2 with “a heavy hand” (ESV). Why might Job’s hands be heavy in his groaning? How does that speak to the depth of Job’s grief?
2. As Job imagines approaching God’s throne in verses 3 and 4, what kind of arguments is he preparing? What is he hoping to defend before God?
3. In verse 5, Job describes God’s willingness to hear his complaints, and even trusts God to give him reasonable responses and rationale. What kind of comfort is Job trusting God to provide? How can Christians trust God to find a similar comfort?
4. In verses 6 and 7, how does Job see God’s role as judge? What kind of situations is it helpful for Christians to apply this kind of thinking?
5. In verses 8 and 9, Job expands on his limitations of finding God’s throne, in verse 3, to not being able to see God at all. What kind of difficulties might this create in Job, or anyone following God?
6. In verses 10-12, how does Job find confidence in his standing before God? What’s the relationship between confidence in obedience to confidence in Christ’s obedience?
7. In light of this obedience, what does Job imply when he says in verse 12, “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food”? (ESV) How does this change how you go about “treasuring” God’s Word?
8. In verses 13-15, why is Job “terrified” that God is “unchangeable”? (ESV, 13) Should Christians be scared of God’s plans? How does this illuminate the error of Job’s feelings in his terror?
9. How could Christians find the right kind of comfort in Job’s statement about God in verse 13, “What he desires, that he does”? (ESV)
10. In verse 17, Job states resolutely that he is “not silenced” (ESV), despite his circumstances. What are some reasons Job might be continuing to complain to God? How does this passage comfort Christians who feel that they need to complain to God?

Key Words/Phrase

Tried, v. 10.

Characters

God, Job, three friends.

Strong Verse(s)

10