Teaching Job 29-31

Notes:

Simply put the chapters are as follows –

29 – Job’s longing for the world as it was and friendship with God

30 – Job’s abandonment and suffering

31 – Job’s innocence

This immediately points us to Jesus, the one who was perfectly innocent, who suffered in our place and brings us friendship with God and the world as it should be.

For us that means that, in Christ, we are counted innocent, we follow in his way of innocent suffering and can long for the world as it will be.

3-5s

Theme: Job had a terrible time even though he had done nothing wrong, just like Jesus!

Aim: That they see how wonderful it was that Jesus was perfect yet suffered for them.

Intro:

·         Large cross craft (as they make it ask what happened to Jesus and how it must have felt)

Teaching:

Recap with Job puppet and friends. Remove friends.

Remember how sad Job was. This week he carries on talking about how sad he is. Listen to how he feels. Read Job 30:16-20. Job feels like God has left him, he’s no longer friends with God. Life is really, really bad and Job is really, really sad. Why has God left him?

Have you ever felt sad like this?

Then Job says, I’ve not been a naughty boy. I’ve not done anything wrong. I’ve not stamped my feet at my Mum and Dad [act out]. I’ve not refused to eat my tea. I’ve not refused to tidy away my toys. I’ve not done anything wrong. Read Job 31:4-6.

So Job is really sad and yet he’s done nothing wrong. Does that make you think of anyone else in the Bible? Yes, Jesus.

Jesus did nothing wrong, the Bible says that He was never a naughty boy, he never stamped his feet or refused to tidy up His toys. Jesus was perfect, he did nothing wrong.

And yet what happened to Jesus [hold up craft from the start]. Jesus died on the cross. It was horrible for him. It felt like God the Father wasn’t His friend anymore. He cried out from the cross, ‘My God, my God, why have you left me alone.’ Just like Job did.

And do you know why Jesus did this? So that we can be God’s friends. Isn’t that wonderful? Jesus loves us so much that even though He did nothing wrong He had a terrible time as He died on the cross.

Pray

Craft:

·         More cross craft with ‘God is my friend’ on. Lollipop crosses.

·         Colouring pictures of Job

Songs:

He died upon the cross; Super Saviour; God never says Oops! (all Colin Buchanan)

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5-11s

Theme: Job’s suffered when he had done nothing wrong, just like Jesus did

Aim: That they suffer with Jesus and long for the day when He makes everything right

Intro:

Three corners or pieces of paper ‘longing’, ‘suffering’ & ‘innocent’. When called they need to get there and make a suitable noise or action.

Teaching:

Recap

[have three large pieces of paper: ‘longing’, ‘suffering’ and ‘innocent’ and lay them out across the hall. Have one child dressed as Job. Start on ‘longing’]

Job begins today by remembering when life was good. Job reads 29:2-6.

Can you see, he’s looking back to how things were when God was his friend? He’s longing for that friendship with God again. In those days Job was important and people listened to him. Read 19:21-26. [get them to write some of these things on the paper]

[move to ‘suffering’]

But then he makes his final complaint of the book. God has abandoned him, left him alone and now he’s suffering terribly. Job reads 30:16-23. He calls out to God and yet God doesn’t answer him. [get them to write some thoughts down on the paper]

[move to ‘innocent’]

Job then repeats that he has done nothing wrong. He challenges God to tell him what he’s done wrong. Job reads 31:35-37. [get them to write thoughts down on paper].

Job’s experience was terrible. Who does all this remind you of? How?

Go back over the pieces of paper individually asking ‘How does this remind you of Jesus? Why is that so wonderful?’

Jesus was perfectly innocent. He did nothing wrong but obeyed God perfectly. And yet he suffered terribly, abandoned by His Father. What did He cry out from the cross? ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’ We can now have his perfect life before God.

And yet what does his suffering bring us? Friendship with God and a longing for the day when he makes everything right again.

But in the meantime [back to suffering] we will suffer like Jesus, even though we’ve done nothing wrong.

Apply – so let’s give thanks that Jesus was perfect for us. That’s great news.

Next time you’re being laughed at for following Jesus, well that’s what we should expect.

But we now have friendship with God and we can long for the day when Jesus makes everything right in the world.

Table Time:

Knowledge

·         What did Job long for?

·         What did Job say about God?

·         What did Job say about himself?

Understanding

·         How do these things remind us of Jesus?

·         What is Jesus going to bring?

Application

·         What can you give thanks for from today?

·         What will you remember next time someone laughs at you for following Jesus?

·         What do you most long for about the new world Jesus will make?

Funsheet

Pray for persecuted country

Teaching Job 19

3-5s

Aim: When life is yucky remember Jesus is true

Intro:

·         Colour or paint a large cross to then stick up on the wall

Teaching:

Recap from last few weeks – Job is suffering surrounded by his three friends. His friends say that he must have been naughty, that’s why his life is so yucky. But Job is sure that he hasn’t. We know that it was Satan who was attacking him.

How do you think Job is feeling? [Have some masks/pictures of various emotions] How would you have felt?

Job was feeling really sad and confused [hold up relevant mask(s)]. Read 19:2-6 (or less?). His friends haven’t been good friends to him. They’ve made him feel worse by saying it’s all his fault. [have Job and friends puppets out]

Job says this to his friends ‘have kindness on me for God has done this to me’. Job is so confused. Unlike us, he doesn’t know who is making these bad things happen. When we’re sad we can forget that too. But God doesn’t ever hurt us. He’s always in charge when bad things happen but he doesn’t make them happen. Job doesn’t know that it’s Satan who is being so mean. Job is sad and confused.

Sometimes we will feel sad and confused too, but Job still follows God and trusts Him through it all. He doesn’t know why this is happening to him but He still wants to love God. Read 19:18-22.

And do you know, Job remembers something brilliant: he remembers that he’s got a great rescuer. Read 19:25-27.

Job feels alone and sad but he knows he is Gods friend. Whatever happens to him God will rescue him. Job says even if I die I know that God will rescue me.

Isn’t that a great thing to remember? When things are bad for Gods people they always have God. Not only is God in charge but one day he will make all things better.

Today we know that is true because of Jesus. In lots of ways Jesus was like Job.

[hold up cross or point to one made earlier] When Jesus died on the cross he had everything taken from him. His friends were useless, he was in pain, he was so very sad and alone. But Jesus died on the cross to be our rescuer.

We know Jesus is the redeemer because after being alone on the cross, dead in a grave, he came back to life. He is strong enough to give life. [have picture of empty tomb]

Today we need Jesus to be our redeemer. It can be tricky to think of sad times when we’re happy. But if we’re happy or sad we all need Jesus to be our rescuer. We need to be God’s friend if we want to be in Gods forever family...

Pray

Craft:

·         Resurrection/Cross crafts

·         Lollipop crosses on playdoh hills

Songs:

·         He died upon the cross, Super Saviour, 10,9,8 God is Great (Colin Buchanan)

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5-11s

Aim: When life is yucky hold on to what you know is true

Intro:

·         Redeemer Tag

·         Hidden good/bad things

Teaching:

Reading of Job 19 with pictures

Recap from last week

[This talk was written by Hannah Newham]

Today we’re going to see how Job feels now. Anybody want to guess any ways he might be feeling? (slide with lots of faces for help in answering or maybe with context picture job left with nothing and rubbish friends and a sad face)

Sad, lonely, scared, confused...?

He could have been feeling all of those. And they’re feelings we can feel too. Sometimes sad things happen to us. Sometimes we get hurt, or our friends do. So it’s good to look at Job together. It can help us know what Gods friends can do when we feel sad.

We’re going to see how Job feels and then what Job does.

1 – Job is sad and confused v1-24

Job’s friends have been no help. They’ve made things worse not better. It feels as though God is unfair. Job asks God ‘why are you doing bad things’. Job feels like a pile of rubbish, nothing to look forward to, all alone, no family, no friends, it all feels rubbish.

If people see him they’ll probably try to avoid him at best or maybe point and laugh at him. Job 19 tells us just how Job is feeling.

He’s confused, alone and helpless.

Job says this to his friends ‘have kindness on me for God has done this to me’. Job is so confused. Unlike us, he doesn’t know who is making these bad things happen. When we’re sad we can forget that too. But God doesn’t ever hurt us. He’s always in charge when bad things happen but he doesn’t make them happen. Job doesn’t know that it’s Satan who is being so mean. Job is sad and confused.

When we’re sad it’s easy to moan. It’s easy for us to say ‘I hate you’ to somebody who’s mean to us. But Job never does that. He still follows God, still knows God is in control even when he’s feeling sad and confused about all the badness.

That’s how Job feels. It’s sad. But next he chooses to remember something brilliant.

2 – Jesus is the rescuer we always need to remember v22-29

He remembers he’s got a rescuer. This is what Job says in

Verse 25 ‘I know that my redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.’

Job feels alone and sad but he knows there’s more. He knows he is Gods friend. Whatever happens to him God will rescue him. Job says even if I die I know that God will rescue me. He might not see anything good now but he can look forward to life with God.

Isn’t that a great thing to remember? When things are bad for Gods people they always have God. Not only is God in charge but one day he will make all things better.

Today we know that is true because of Jesus. In lots of ways Jesus was like Job.

When Jesus died on the cross he had everything taken from him. His friends were useless, he was in pain, he was so very sad and alone. But Jesus died on the cross to be our redeemer.

We know Jesus is the redeemer because after being alone on the cross, dead in a grave, he came back to life. He has power to give life. To bring life where there is death.

Today we need Jesus to be our redeemer. It can be tricky to think of sad times when we’re happy. But if we’re happy or sad we all need Jesus to be our redeemer. We to be Gods friend if we want to be in Gods forever family...

Table time:

Knowledge

• What was Job sad and confused about?
• What does Job know for sure?
• What does ‘Redeemer’ mean?

Understanding

• How does remembering that he has a redeemer help Job?
• How do we know Jesus is our Redeemer?
• How was Jesus like Job?

Application

• What makes you sad/confused?
• What can you remember when you’re feeling sad/confused?
• How do you think that will help you?

Funsheets

Memory verse – Job 19:25

Pray for persecuted country

Teaching Job 8

Notes: Chapter 8 is a sample chapter of the approach of Job's 3 friends; Bildad,

Eliphaz and Zophar. In this chapter Bildad speaks and encourages Job to admit that he has sinned, for this would explain his predicament. In Bildad's mind suffering is a direct result of sin. Note Bildad's logic in v3 - God is just. If Job is suffering, either it must be because of sin or because God is unjust. Material blessing comes with right standing before God. The friends have a 'simplistic and mechanical idea about God.' They have failed to comprehend the sheer wisdom of God and the complex nature of life and the universe.

Application:

Many children have this mechanistic idea of the world, because its simple. Often they will be quite superstitious because of it. We won't be able to give them a full answer in one session but we can begin to break down their misunderstanding of God as a slot-machine: bad things don't happen just because you've been bad; good things don't happen just because you've been good.

3-5s

Theme: Bad things don't always happen because we've done something wrong

Intro:

• Colour in or paint some of the pictures from the story
• Good / bad results – give them various situations, they need to decide by crossing the room

Teaching:

Recap Job 1-3 – have Job cutouts with three friends sitting around him.

            Do you remember what happened to Job?

            Do you remember what his friends did?

Job didn’t know why. Why had such horrible things happened to him? Did God hate him? That’s what it felt like!

Job’s friends thought they knew. And they each take it in turns to say the same thing: Job, you’ve been really naughty. That’s why such horrible things are happening to you! [use thumbs down and thumbs up throughout to indicate]

Listen to Job’s friend, Bildad: read 8:2-7.

Do you see? They are saying:

When you take your friends toy without them wanting you to, you have to sit on the naughty step. [have a picture a naughty child then an arrow to a picture of a child on the naughty step]

When you stamp your feet and refuse to do what mummy and daddy say, you don’t get time on the tablet or you’re not allowed your sweeties. [have picture of naughty child with an arrow to some sweeties]

When you do naughty things then bad things happen to you. So if bad things are happening to Job he must have been naughty.

But Bildad is really wrong! We know Job hasn’t done anything wrong. Job has really loved God. We know God doesn’t hate Job. So what’s going on?

Sometimes bad things do happen because we’ve been naughty. But lots of the time bad things happen because the world isn’t the way God created it to be.

Look at Jesus. He did nothing wrong, he was never naughty and he always loved God. But what happened to him? He died on a cross, something really bad happened to him.

So sometimes sad things will happen to us and its really not our fault, it was nothing we’ve done. But God is still in charge even when that happens.

Pray

Craft:

·         Filter paper world – use green and blue pens and water spray

Songs:

10,9,8 God is Great; God never says Oops!, He died upon the cross (Colin Buchanan)

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5-11s

Theme: Bad things don't always happen because we've done something wrong

Intro:

Good / bad results – give them various situations, they need to decide by crossing the room [could do at end]

Indiana Job training eg rolling under tables, grabbing hats, etc. Those who ‘lose’ have to pay a forfeit (but choose carefully)

Teaching: [This talk was written by Caz Toye]

[Bible reading with pictures in church]

Intro: [Make vending machine out of large box]

- Introduce the vending machine asking does anyone know what this is? What do you have to do?

- Maybe have a few options of what you could get out of the vending machine and get a volunteer to come and choose/press a button (e.g with a picture of haribo on it) and out pops a bag of haribo which they can take and share with their group.

Well this vending machine is going to help us as we learn more about God from the book of Job.

Recap from last week

Job - all his things / everything he owns and his family have been taken away from him.

And then his health has been taken away from him.

So his three friends have come to help and comfort him.

Today we’re going to hear from Bildad, one of Job’s friends - he’s got something to say to Job!

Here he is now.

How Bildad thinks the world/God works:

Bildad: “Job, stop moaning! Just admit that you have sinned! All this bad stuff must have

happened because you have done something wrong.”

Now imagine this vending machine is God.

Bildad thinks this is the way God works:

Bildad: “Look a can of bad has popped out, [hold up can of bad] you must have put some bad in to get it!” [point to the big sin button]

Bildad thinks because Job is suffering (all the bad stuff that has happened to him) - he must have sinned/done something wrong. He must have done something terrible to deserve all the bad things that are happening to him.

But what did we learn about Job yesterday!? Has Job done anything wrong/sinned for all these things to happen to him?

[we’ve seen behind the scenes: Job’s suffering is not because he has sinned, he hasn’t done anything wrong]

So Thumbs up / thumbs down for Bildad…do we think that Bildad is right (thumbs up) or wrong (thumbs down).

Lets find out more from Bildad’s speech to Job…

Bildad’s advice: you’ll get good stuff if you’re right with God.

Bildad, what do you think Job should do?

Bildad: “Job, if you do good things, then good things will happen to you, your life will be better again.”

“Look…put in good [press good button]….and out will pop….a can of good…[wait for can]”

But can we all say: ohh no! [Everyone: Oh No.]

Bildad has got it all wrong!

Bildad has got it all wrong!

God does not work this way, God is not a vending machine… because sometimes a can of bad can pop out….even when we haven’t done something wrong.

[go to vending machine and find a can of bad has popped out, even when Bildad pressed the good button!]

Bildad was wrong to think Job must have done something wrong. Just because he’s seen a can of bad pop out, does not mean that Job put some bad/wrong in (sinned).

Application:

Bad things don’t always happen because we’ve done something wrong. So maybe something really sad happens to you, like having to move school or house and you have to leave your friends, or something happens to your parents, like they get sick. Just because this bad thing happens, doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong.

And even if you do good things, and you love and follow Jesus, which is the best way to live…this doesn’t mean you’ll only get good things and blessings. Can you fill in the blanks on the screen: Bad things don't happen just because you've been ….. (bad); good things don't happen just because you've been ….. (good).

Reinforce with contrast:

At School: But with God: [put big God label over vending machine]

But bad things do still happen…but we’ve learnt that they don’t happen just because we’ve been bad/sinned…

In fact I know someone, who was perfect…who had some really bad things happen to him.

Can anyone think who this might be?

-> Jesus

Jesus lead the perfect, good life. Jesus never sinned.

[press the perfect life button] -> [perfect things don’t pop out….instead out pops the cross]

But he had a lot of bad things happen to him, even though he was perfect.

In fact he died on the cross, not because he’d sinned or done anything wrong, but because we have sinned.

Wow so Bildad was wrong…God is not simple, we cannot imagine him to be a vending machine that gives out what we put in.

And how great this is! Because even though we do sin…God still gives us good things…especially the best thing of all…he sent Jesus!

Table Time:

Knowledge

• Can you remember the names/number of Job’s friends?

• What did they/Bildad say to Job?

• What did they think about God?

Understanding

• What did Bildad get right/wrong?

• Why don’t good things always happen to good people and bad things always happen to bad people?

Application

• Can you think of a time when something bad happened to you when you didn’t deserve it?

• Can you think of a time when something good happened to you even though you’d been bad?

• Can you think of a time in Jesus’ life when something bad happened even though he didn’t deserve it?

Funsheet

Pray for persecuted church

Teaching Job 3

Notes:

Note the names of the three friends. These are all non-Israelite, Eastern names. This suggests that they represent the finest wisdom the world can offer, that is that the world is ordered; good receives good and bad receives bad. They identify with Job in their actions – dust representing a return to the ground, death.

Chapter 3 can be split into 3 parts – a curse, a lament and a question.

V3-10 – A Curse: Here Job curses his birth and not only his birth but that fact that he was ever conceived. This is more than just wishing death on himself, yet it is pointless and ineffective.

V11-19 – A Lament: There are two whys (v11 &16). Here Job longs to be with the rich and powerful in Sheol (the land of the dead) because in that place there is equality and ease.

V20-26 – An Agonised Question: Why can’t I die? Note the use of hedge in v23 and see 1:10. Here the hedge isn’t protecting Job but oppressing him. Then in v26 Job’s speech reaches a climax with 4 words: peace, quietness, rest, turmoil.

Note in all this that God is with Job in the darkness and that Job is seeking God.

3-5s

Theme: God is with us when we feel sad, so talk to Him

Intro:

• Face painting tears or sad face masks [ask ‘What makes you sad?’]

Teaching:

Recap last week [put out a Job character]

After all this had happened Job was very sad. Can you imagine how sad he must have felt?

Three friends came to visit him. Their names were Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. [put out three friends]. When they came to him they didn’t even realise it was him. He looked so terrible, not like the Job they remember. And they cried too and sat on the ground with him. They sat with him for a whole week. And they didn’t say a word to him.

Then Job spoke. And Job was so sad he said that he wished he had never been born! Read 3v3. If he was no longer alive then he wouldn’t have all this bad stuff happening to him. Maybe that would be better, he says. Read 3v13.

He doesn’t understand why God would let this happen to him. Read 3v23 &26.

Job was so sad. He was sad about all that had happened to him. And yet, God was still with him. Even though it felt to Job as though God had disappeared and left him, God was still with him. And Job did the right thing, even when he was really sad he still turned and prayed to God.

What makes you sad? [take some suggestions, if not suggest some things]

Did you know that God is still there even when […] happens?

Do you know that you can still pray to God, even when it feels like He’s not there?          

Do you know that Jesus, too, felt sad? The night before he died he was in a garden in Gethsemane. He took three friends with him and became very sad. He fell to the floor and prayed to His Father, God. Even when Jesus felt sad because he knew something terrible was going to happen, God was still with Him, and so He turned and prayed.

Why don’t we pray now?

Pray

Craft:

• Paper plate with tears
• Colouring pages

Songs:

Find some quieter and more meditative songs for this week

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5-11s

Theme: God is with us in horrible times, so talk to him

Intro:

‘What makes you sad?’ – split them into small groups. They write or draw on big sheets of paper. Keep these for the end of the talk.

Teaching:

Recap from last week

Job has three friends who come to visit him when they hear all that has happened to him. They are Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. [Have three people sitting with Job]. When they saw him they barely recognized him and wept aloud, tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads [act out and give them newspaper clothes]. They said nothing to him for a whole week. Why do you think that was?

Then Job spoke. [Job reads v3-4]

What do you think Job is saying here and why? He’s saying he wishes he was never born. If he’d never been born then he wouldn’t need to go through this horrible suffering.

[Job reads v16-19]. This is quite stark! Job is saying that if he’d died he would be at rest. Whether you’re important or unimportant you’re all equal when you’re dead.

[Job reads v24-26]. Job pours out his soul to God in misery. He begs God to no longer be alive, that’s how terrible he feels.

This is really tricky isn’t it? So what do we learn? Well, we learn that God is still with Job even in this horrible, horrible situation. And do you know what, no matter how sad you feel, no matter how terrible you feel things have gone for you, God is with you. Maybe things are horrible and sad for you at home, parents are arguing or struggling themselves. God is with you. Maybe you worry about things at school, whether friends or school work, God is with you. Maybe there is something else that’s making you really sad, God is always with you even when it feels as though He’s against you, as Job felt.

Jesus once felt as sad as Job. The night before he died he was in a garden with three of his friends and he cried out to his Father God to take away the suffering he was going to go through.

The other thing Job does when life was horrible was to pray to God. He doesn’t ignore God and pretend He’s not there. Job directs his questions towards God. Even though he’s angry and scared and worried, he turns to God and not away from him. Do you do that? When you’re worried, do you cry out to God? When you’re scared, do you ask Him what’s going on? When you’re angry, do you talk to God about it? You can do; He’s a great big God!

Pray

Table time:

Knowledge

• What did Job’s three friends do?
• What did Job say and how did he feel?

Understanding

• Who was with Job through all this?

• Why did Job speak to God in this way?

• What did we learn about God?

Application

• When do you feel sad/angry/worried/afraid?

• What could you say to God at these times?

• How could you remember that God is with you even when life is horrible?

Funsheets

Pray for persecuted church