Job Chapter 21: A Young Person’s Guide to Wrestling with Injustice

Job chapter 21 is a raw and honest expression of frustration, confusion, and even anger towards God. In this chapter, Job challenges the traditional belief that good people are always rewarded and bad people are always punished. He points out the glaring reality that the wicked often prosper while the righteous suffer. This can be a difficult concept to grapple with, especially for young people who are still trying to make sense of the world around them.

What’s Going On?

In this chapter, Job is responding to his friends’ accusations that his suffering is a result of his own sin. He vehemently denies this and argues that the wicked often live long, happy, and successful lives. He even goes so far as to question God’s justice and fairness. This is not an easy chapter to read, but it’s an important one because it addresses some of the most fundamental questions of faith:

• Why do bad things happen to good people?
• Is God truly just and fair?
• How can we maintain our faith in the face of suffering and injustice?

Why Should Young People Care?

Job’s struggles are relevant to young people because they raise questions that we all wrestle with at some point in our lives. The world can be a confusing and unfair place, and it’s easy to feel disillusioned when we see bad things happening to good people. Job’s words remind us that it’s okay to question, to doubt, and even to express our anger towards God.

Study Questions for Reflection

1. Have you ever felt like Job, questioning why bad things happen to good people? How did you deal with those feelings?
2. What are some examples from your own life or from the world around you that seem to contradict the idea that good people are always rewarded?
3. How does Job’s perspective on the wicked challenge or affirm your own beliefs about God’s justice?
4. In what ways can Job’s honesty and vulnerability encourage us to be more open and authentic in our own faith journeys?
5. If you could ask Job one question, what would it be?

A Message of Hope

While chapter 21 doesn’t offer easy answers, it does provide a message of hope. Job’s unwavering faith, even in the midst of his suffering and doubt, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. His willingness to challenge traditional beliefs and to question God’s justice demonstrates the importance of intellectual and spiritual integrity.

Job’s story reminds us that faith is not about blind acceptance or easy answers. It’s about wrestling with difficult questions, seeking truth, and ultimately trusting in God’s goodness and love, even when we don’t understand His ways.