Job is a rich header-at least until a string of disaters take about every thing important to him. 

In a single day, raiders and a freak firestorm take all of his llivestock-11,000 animals and kill his shepards. Worse, a windstorm destorys the house where Job’s 10 chirldren are eating together, killing every one of them. Later, sores erupt all over Job’s body.

His friends tell him to repent, since they’re convinced he’s being punished by God. His wife tells him to curse God and die, apparently expecting God to put Job our of his misery. Job refuses. He says he hasn’t done anything wrong, and he doesn’t plan to start now.

But there’s one thing Job does decide to do. In a spirit not particularly patient, he demands an explanation from God.

“You, God, are the reason I am insulted and spit on. . .so you must be the one to prove them wrong” (Job 17:6, 4).

God does, in fact, come to Job’s defense but without explaining himself. Instead, God asks Job to expalin the wonders of creation.

Job gets the point: trust in the one whose insight is beyond human understanding. And Job decides to do that.

By story’s end, Job has 10 more children and herds double the size of before. People who later listen to Job’s story benefit, too. They learn an important lesson in theology: Don’t assume people suffer because God is punishing them for sin. That’s a common misunderstanding in Bible times-which Job’s story tries to correct.