For our Job Unit Study, we re-enacted the book of Job and drew pictures of his suffering. But to really understand the book of Job, you must go through hardship yourself. Until you go through a situation where you’re not sure if you will survive, when the pain lingers on and on, and yet you cling to God through it all–only then can you truly “get” this book. Because, you see, the whole point of suffering is burning off the carnal to make room for the intense presence of God.
Yes, God showed up at the end of the book of Job, and Job said, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen You.” (Job 42:5) Imagine talking to God audibly and having God Himself defend you in front of your friends, claiming that you were innocent the whole time? Imagine proving to Satan and the hosts of demons that no matter what hell on earth you have to endure, you will cling to God, so help you God? How precious is that to God–how much exquisite glory does God get when you have nothing, and yet you fling yourself onto God over and over until God finally shows up… And then, when the gut-wrenching sobs subside, you drink in the Spirit.
The Story of Job in Song
When I heard this beautiful song about Job, I could tell that the musician (Todd Smith) truly understood. When Job raises his hands to God in praise after all he’s been through, tears streamed down my face.
Drawings from the Book of Job
My children drew pictures of Job. This first one illustrates the misfortunes of Job that befell him so suddenly in one day. One disaster upon another befell him, so that before the previous messenger was finished speaking, another messenger had more bad news. When it rains, it pours. Read about Job’s loss of possessions and the death of his children in Job, chapter 1.
My other three children drew pictures of Job sitting on an ash heap, miserable, scraping himself with pottery. My daughter’s picture is at the top of this post. The other two are below:
Here are Job’s so-called friends, peeking around the corner and falsely accusing him of wrongdoing. God calls Job righteous not only at the beginning, but also at the end.
Re-tell the Story of Job
Have your kids narrate or re-tell the story of Job. They might ask you hard questions, and you will have a great discussion that will impact the rest of their lives. They might also want to write a summary of the story in a Bible journal, and what the life of Job teaches them about suffering.
Here is a re-telling of the story of Job, in a song by Michael Card:
Screaming in anguish is not sin.
Jesus screamed in anguish, and He was God. Screaming in anguish is not sin. So many Christians have falsely accused other believers who have a deep walk with God as sinning because they are groaning under the weight of agony. God never reprimands Job for his sorrow. Job cried out God-ward and was soon filled with the presence of God.
Dramatize the Story of Job
My children re-enacted the story of Job on the dirt pile at the back of our house, and our filmed version is found exclusively inside the Unit Study Treasure Vault. But I found this other version that can help you to re-enact the story:
After Suffering: Filling of the Spirit
How do you feel at the end of suffering when God has filled you with His presence? Indescribable! This song includes a lot of references to the book of Job, so I wanted to end with this song:
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One of my sons did an Old Testament drawing that combined many different stories from the Old Testament. He added to his drawing over the months as we were studying the Old Testament. He included the parting of the Red Sea, Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed by fire from heaven, a rainbow and a dove from Noah’s ark, the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, and Elijah going up into the clouds in a golden chariot.
