The book of Job is the story of a good man who suffers total disaster. All his children are killed. He loses his vast wealth and falls victim to a terrible dis­ease. Then his friends come to comfort him. The conver­sations between Job and his friends are written as a poem and take up most of the book.

These friends of Job believe that God always re­wards good behavior and always punishes bad behavior. Since Job is suffering, his friends conclude that he's being punished for his sins.

But Job disagrees. He's led an upright, kind, and generous life. He can't understand why God hasn't pro­tected him. So Job boldly challenges God.

Finally, God Himself responds to Job's concerns with a dramatic statement of His wisdom and power.

On that note, the poem ends. But not the book of Job. A final comment indicates that Job was restored to his former position, with even greater prosperity than before.

The story of Job deals with some timeless themes: the character of God and the problem of suffering. Since these questions are important to every age, the book of Job is definitely a story for our time.