Teaching Job 32-37

Notes: This is the trickiest part of Job so far, and that’s saying something! Elihu accuses Job of sinning as a result of his suffering (rather than suffering as a result of sinning). There are 4 speeches:

1)      God does speak (and Elihu claims to speak for him) resulting in salvation

2)      God is just, because He is God (so to say God is unfair is to say He is not God)

3)      Being good should not be to get a better life, but because of how great God is

4)      God is huge, only He can bring justice

Then Elihu calls on Job to tremble before God, to have a right sense of his place!

3-5s

Theme: God is very big and so always does what is right

Intro:

·         Paint or colour very big things and put them in order of size.

Teaching:

Recap story of Job – emphasise that part of Job’s response was to say that God wasn’t doing what was right.

Introduce Elihu [new puppet]. Elihu has listened to all that the friends have said and now he speaks. This is what he says.

[have two things – a tape measure and a thumbs up]

Shall we measure some of the things we painted? [do some measuring]. How big do you think God is? This big, etc. God is much, much bigger. We can’t measure God because He is so huge. Listen to what Elihu says – read Job 37:1-6.  Elihu says to Job, ‘God is so big and powerful and mighty and strong, don’t forget that when you’ve been shouting at him!’

So, is God bigger than an elephant? Etc.

And because God is so big and mighty and powerful and strong he always does what is right. [hold the thumbs up].

Job has been saying that God has not been right and that’s why life has been so horrible, but Elihu says Job is wrong. God is always fair and He always does right. Read Job 34:5-11.

So does God ever tell lies? No!

Does God ever stamp his feet or push and shove? No!

God is always right and fair. God always does things that are true and good. We can be absolutely sure of that. God is always good.

So what do we know about God? [hold up both objects]

God is ….

This is really good news, we can talk to Him and he will listen. We can trust Him, we know that He is always looking after us and caring for us, whether life is happy or sad. Let’s talk to Him now.

Pray

We can also praise Him for being so big and so good!

Songs:

·         Our God is a great Big God

·         My God is so Big

·         Our God is a very, very big God

Craft:

·         Measuring tape craft (‘God is big’ stuck on)

·         Thumbs up craft (‘God is right’ stuck on)

5-11s

Theme: God is fair because He is God

Intro:

Play a really unfair game, changing the rules regularly – but be careful who you pick on. Have them cry out ‘that’s not fair!’ whenever they feel badly treated.

Teaching:

Recap

In comes another friend, Elihu, and he has been listening to all that has been going on. [dress one up as Elihu]. Elihu makes 4 speeches. 

Let’s see if we can make sense of what Elihu says. [Elihu holds up a card with a speech bubble]

‘Job, you’ve been demanding that God speaks to you. Well, He does speak, He speaks through your suffering calling you to trust Him.’

Then Elihu speaks again: [hold up card with referee on]

‘God is fair; if God wasn’t fair then He wouldn’t be God!’ Read Job 34:5-11.

God is always right and true and fair. What God does is always right.

Then Elihu speaks again: [card with ‘you’ scored out and ‘God’ ticked]

‘We don’t do good things so that life would be better. We do good things because God is so wonderful!’ Read Job 35:2-7.

Then Elihu speaks a 4^th time: [hold up picture of a measuring tape]

‘God is so huge, only He can be fair.’ Read Job 36:5-7.

We can’t be fair and just because we don’t know everything and we can’t do everything, we’re too tiny! But God is so big and mighty and powerful and can do everything and knows everything. Read Job 37:1-6.

So Elihu says the friends have got things the wrong way round. They say that Job has sinned therefore he’s suffering. [put out ‘sinned’ arrow ‘suffering’]. Elihu says it’s the other way round [‘suffering’ arrow ‘sinned’] In his suffering Job has said things about God that aren’t true and instead he needs to recognise that God is God and is always true and right and fair. The only response is to tremble before Him. Read Job 37:19-24.

When do you think God is unfair? When things don’t go right for you? Do you think you could run the world better than God?

Table time:

Knowledge

·         What did Elihu say about Job?

·         What did Elihu say about God?

Understanding

·         Why is God always fair?

·         Why is it so good that God is fair? What would the world be like if He wasn’t?

Application

·         What difference does it make to you that God is so big and huge?

·         What difference does it make to you that God is always fair?

·         Why do you do good things?

Funsheet

Persecuted church