Watchtower Study, Week of February 2-8, 2026, How the Book of Job Helps Us When We Are Suffering, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, February 2-8, 2026, How the Book of Job Helps Us When We Are Suffering, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Response

Light Yellow: Additional Response

Celeste: Additional Points

“It is clear that God does not act with evil” (JOB 34:12).

1, 2. What are some reasons to read the book of Job?

Have you recently had the pleasure of reading the book of Job? Although written some 3,500 years ago, it is still considered a jewel of world literature. Its simplicity of structure, the beauty of its style, the expressiveness of its language, and the genius of its author have all been praised. It is true that Moses wrote this magnificent book, but its true author is Jehovah. (2 Tim. 3:16).

2 The book of Job is a key part of the Bible. Why? One reason is that it clearly shows what the important issue is that all intelligent beings face: the sanctification of Jehovah's name. Another reason is that it helps us to better understand God’s beautiful qualities, such as love, wisdom, justice, and power. For example, in this book Jehovah is called “Almighty” 31 times, more than in all the other books of the Bible combined. A third reason is that the book of Job explains why God allows suffering and answers other big questions about life.

3. What are some benefits of studying the book of Job?

3 We could say that reading the book of Job is like climbing to the top of a mountain. Upon reaching the summit, we can see the entire panorama that surrounds us more clearly. Likewise, by studying this book we can view our problems from a higher perspective: Jehovah's. In this article, we will analyze how the book of Job helps us when we are suffering. We will see how Job's story may have benefited some Israelites in the past and how it benefits us today. And we will also discuss how to use this story to help others.

GOD ALLOWS JOB TO SUFFER

4. What was the difference between Job and some of the Israelites who were in Egypt?

4 Job lived in the land of Uz—which was possibly somewhere east of the Promised Land and in northern Arabia—during the time when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Unlike some Israelites, who had begun to worship idols in Egypt, Job faithfully served Jehovah (Josh. 24:14; Ezek. 20:8). In fact, God said: “There is no one like him on the earth” (Job 1:8). Job possessed immense wealth and was the most important and respected man in the East (Job 1:3). Satan must have been furious to see this prominent and influential man serving God with integrity.

5. Why did Jehovah allow Job to suffer? (Job 1:20-22; 2:9, 10).

5 Satan claimed that Job would turn his back on Jehovah if he suffered (Job 1:7-11; 2:2-5). With that accusation, he raised many important questions. For that reason, although Jehovah deeply loved Job, he allowed Satan to try to prove whether he was right or wrong. (Job 1:12-19; ​​2:6-8) So the Devil caused Job to lose his flocks, killed his 10 children, and sent a terrible disease that covered his entire body. However, these cruel attacks failed, for Job remained loyal to Jehovah (read Job 1:20-22; 2:9, 10). In time, Jehovah restored Job’s health, wealth, and good reputation, and gave him 10 more children. He also blessed him with a long life. Job lived another 140 years, and thus he was able to see four generations of his descendants (Job 42:10-13, 16). Now, how might this account have benefited some of God’s servants in the past, and how does it help us?

6. How might the story of Job have helped the Israelites? (See also the image.)

6. Possible benefits for the Israelites. The Israelites had suffered greatly in Egypt. Consider, for example, Joshua and Caleb. They spent their youth as slaves, and then had to wander in the desert for 40 years because of the disobedience of others. If the Israelites knew the story about Job's trials and how it all ended, it undoubtedly helped them—and subsequent generations of Israelites—to understand who the main cause of suffering is. Furthermore, they were able to better understand why God allows suffering and how important the integrity and faithfulness of human beings are to him.

ILLUSTRATION

An Israelite meditates while stacking bricks in Egypt. To his right and left, Egyptians can be seen beating other hardworking Israelites with sticks.

The Israelites, who were slaves in Egypt for many years, eventually learned the story of Job and surely drew practical lessons from it. (See paragraph 6.)

7, 8. How can the book of Job help those who are suffering? Share an experience.

7 Possible benefits for us. Unfortunately, nowadays many people lose their faith in God because they do not understand why bad things happen to good people. Let's look at the case of a woman from Rwanda named Hazel. When she was young, she believed in God. But then things happened that made her change her mind. Her parents divorced, and her mother remarried a man who treated Hazel very badly. In her teens, she was raped. When Hazel tried to find solace in her religion, she didn't receive it. One day, she wrote a letter to God saying, “I have prayed to you, I have tried to do good, but you have only repaid me with suffering. So I have decided to leave you and do what I think is right to be happy.” It pains us deeply to see people like Hazel, who have been led to believe that God is responsible for their suffering.

8 But we have learned from the book of Job that the cause of suffering is not God, but Satan. We have also learned not to assume that those who suffer are reaping what they sowed, for the Bible explains that “some bad time and some unforeseen event” can happen to us all. (Ecl. 9:11; Job 4:1, 8). And we have learned that if we continue to serve Jehovah faithfully when we go through difficulties, we help him to defend his reputation and to prove that Satan is a liar. (Job 2:3; Prov. 27:11). The Bible has taught us the true reason why we and our loved ones suffer. How grateful we are! And what happened to Hazel? She began studying with the Witnesses and discovered that God was not responsible for her suffering. She said: “I opened my heart to Jehovah and told him that I never really wanted to leave him. I simply didn’t really know him. Now I know that Jehovah loves me, and I am finally very happy.” Doesn’t it make us happy to know why God allows suffering? Next, we will see how the account of Job helps each of us when we are suffering.

HOW JOB'S STORY HELPS US ENDURE

9. How would you describe Job while he was suffering? (James 5:11).

9 Imagine Job sitting alone amidst the ashes, his body covered in sores and writhing in pain. He is skin and bones, his skin peeling off in strips, blackened by disease. With what little strength he has left, all he can do is scratch his wounds with a piece of pottery and groan in despair. It might seem that Job is merely surviving. But that is not the case; he is enduring (read James 5:11). What helped him to remain faithful?

10. What kind of relationship did Job have with Jehovah, and how do we know?

10 Job felt free to tell Jehovah everything that was in his heart (Job 10:1, 2; 16:20). For example, in chapter 3 we see that he bitterly complained about all his tragedies, mistakenly thinking that they came from Jehovah. Later, in conversations with his three supposed friends, he staunchly defended his integrity, often addressing Jehovah. His words seem to suggest that for a time he believed himself to be more righteous than God. (Job 10:1-3; 32:1, 2; 35:1, 2). But Job also admitted that in his attempt to defend himself he had said rash things (Job 6:3, 26). In chapter 31 we read that he wanted Jehovah to hear him and declare him innocent (Job 31:35). Clearly, Job had no right to demand explanations from God as to why he was suffering.

11. What did Jehovah do when he answered Job?

11 Now we understand that behind the words that Job addressed to Jehovah were his close relationship with him and his total confidence that he would take note of his faithfulness. When Jehovah finally answered him from a windstorm, he did not give him a detailed explanation of why he was suffering, nor did he rebuke him for his complaints and his insistent proclamations of innocence. Rather, he corrected him as a good father corrects his son. And so he touched his heart, for Job humbly acknowledged the limitations of his knowledge and retracted all his thoughtless words. (Job 31:6; 40:4, 5; 42:1-6). So, how did this account perhaps benefit some people in the past, and how does it help us today?

12. What possible benefits did the Israelites derive from the story of Job?

12 Possible Benefits for the Israelites. Consider Moses. As leader of the nation of Israel, he had to endure many hardships, disappointments, and moments of discouragement. But unlike the Israelites, who often complained about Jehovah, Moses went to him to tell him what was troubling him. (Ex. 16:6-8; Num. 11:10-14; 14:1-4, 11; 16:41, 49; 17:5) He also had to show endurance when receiving discipline from Jehovah. For example, while the Israelites were encamped at Kadesh, likely after they had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, Moses “spoke rashly with his lips” and did not give Jehovah the glory he deserved. (Ps. 106:32, 33) As a result, Jehovah did not allow him to enter the Promised Land. (Deut. 32:50-52) That must have hurt Moses a lot, but he was humble and accepted the correction. Job’s story may also have helped later generations of Israelites to endure hardship. By meditating on Job’s story, they could learn to express their feelings to Jehovah, not to consider themselves more righteous than God, and to humbly accept his discipline.

13. How can the story of Job help us to endure? (Hebrews 10:36).

13 Possible benefits for us. We Christians also need to endure (read Hebrews 10:36). For example, we may be dealing with a physical or emotional problem, a complicated family situation, the death of a loved one, or some other serious issue. And perhaps at times someone will say or do something that makes the situation worse (Prov. 12:18). However, the book of Job teaches us that we can express our deepest feelings to Jehovah with the confidence that he will listen to us. (1 Juan 5:14). He will not be angry if, when we vent our frustrations, we say something inappropriate, as happened to Job. On the contrary, He will give us the strength and wisdom we need to endure. (2 Chron. 16:9; James 1:5). And, just as He did with Job, if He sees that we need some correction, He will give it to us through His Word, His organization, an elder, or a mature friend. Job's example teaches us that when Jehovah corrects us, we must show endurance (Heb. 12:5-7). It did Job good to listen to Jehovah, and it will also do us good to be humble and accept the counsel we receive. (2 Cor. 13:11). How many valuable lessons the story of Job teaches us! How can we use this account to help others? Let's see.

LET US USE THE BOOK OF JOB TO HELP OTHERS

14. What is one way to explain why suffering exists?

14 When we go out to preach, some people ask us why suffering exists. And we love to show them what the Bible says. We often explain to them what happened in the Garden of Eden. Perhaps we begin by saying that Satan, an evil angel, told Adam and Eve a lie, and as a result, they disobeyed God. (Gen. 3:1-6). Perhaps later we will explain that, because of the rebellion of Adam and Eve, we all suffer and die. (Rom. 5:12). And finally, we might say that God is allowing enough time to pass to disprove Satan and for people to know that human beings will once again be perfect. (Rev. 21:3, 4). That is certainly a good explanation and can help many people understand why we suffer.

15. How can we use the book of Job when someone asks us why suffering exists? (See also the images.)

15 Another useful way to answer when someone asks us why suffering exists is by talking about Job. To begin with, we could congratulate you on asking such a good question. Then we can tell you that an ancient man named Job wondered the same thing while going through much suffering. He even thought that God was somehow causing it. (Job 7:17-21). The person might be surprised to learn that others throughout history have asked the same question. We could then explain that in Job's case, the blame lay not with God, but with the Devil. The Devil was making him suffer to demonstrate that human beings only serve God because He gives them good things and that they will abandon Him in the face of misfortune. We could then add that, although God did not cause Job's suffering, He allowed it because He is convinced that human beings can remain faithful and prove that Satan is a liar. And we could end by saying that in the end God blessed Job for his faithfulness. As we can see, we can always comfort others by telling them that their suffering does not come from Jehovah.

ILLUSTRATION

Image series: 1. After a devastating fire, a woman kneels and weeps among the rubble of her home. In her hands, she holds a framed photograph. 2. Later, the woman walks past one of our carts located near a relief work center, and a sister reads her a Bible verse.

How can we use the book of Job to teach others that “God does not act with malice”? (See paragraph 15.)

16. Tell an experience that shows how the book of Job can help someone who is suffering.

16 Let's see how the book of Job helped a man named Mario. In 2021, a sister was preaching over the phone, and the first person she called was Mario. She read him a Bible verse and explained that God not only hears our prayers but also offers us a future and hope. Then she asked him what he thought of the verse, and Mario told her that before her call, he had been writing a suicide note. He said, “I believe in God, but this morning I felt like He had abandoned me.” During the second call, they talked about Job's sufferings, and Mario decided to read the entire book of the Bible. So the sister sent him a link to jw.org so he could read it online. What was the result? Mario accepted a Bible course and was excited to continue learning about the God who showed his love by taking an interest in him.

17. Why are you grateful that Jehovah included the book of Job in his Word? (Job 34:12)

17 It is clear that the Bible has tremendous power: it helps people and comforts those who suffer (Heb. 4:12). We are deeply grateful that Jehovah included the story of Job in his Word (Job 19:23, 24). The book of Job assures us that “God does not act in wickedness” (read Job 34:12). It also teaches us why he allows suffering and how we can endure it. Furthermore, it helps us to comfort those who are suffering. In the next article we will draw more lessons from the book of Job and focus on how to give good advice.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

How does understanding why God allowed Job to suffer benefit us?

We benefit from this because, thanks to the book of Job, we have learned that the cause of suffering is not God, but Satan. We have also learned not to assume that those who suffer are reaping what they sowed, for the Bible explains that “some bad time or some unforeseen event” can happen to anyone. And we have learned that if we continue to serve Jehovah faithfully when we face difficulties, we help him defend his reputation and prove that Satan is a liar.

How can the story of Job help us to endure?

The book of Job teaches us that we can express our deepest feelings to Jehovah, confident that he will hear us. He will not be angry if, in unburdening ourselves, we say something inappropriate, as happened to Job. On the contrary, he will give us the strength and wisdom we need to endure. And, just as he did with Job, if he sees that we need correction, he will provide it through his Word, his organization, an elder, or a mature friend.

Job's example teaches us that when Jehovah corrects us, we must show endurance. It was good for Job to listen to Jehovah, and it will also be good for us to be humble and accept the counsel we receive.

How can we use the book of Job to help others?

When we go out to preach, some people ask us why suffering exists. We can explain what happened in the Garden of Eden and begin by saying that Satan, an evil angel, told Adam and Eve a lie, and as a result, they disobeyed God; that because of Adam and Eve's rebellion, we all suffer and die. We can also say that God is allowing enough time to pass to disprove Satan and for people to know that human beings will be made perfect again. Another helpful way to answer when someone asks us why suffering exists is by talking about Job.