And what is the purpose of the book of Job? It furnishes a key to mankind’s most baffling problem: Why does God permit evil? Or, why does God permit the innocent to suffer harm?

Do you know why He does? From the book of Job we can see that Jehovah has permitted such because of a boast that his adversary, Satan the Devil, made, namely, that he could turn all men away from God. Yes, Satan claimed that Jehovah God does not deserve to be feared and worshiped and that the only reason why men do obey him is to make selfish gain for themselves. Satan boasted that if God would let him get at Job, a very righteous man, Satan could cause Job to curse God. God accepted the challenge and let Satan bring all manner of hardship and suffering on Job. Job’s name means “object of hostility,” and he certainly was the object of Satan’s hostility. But Satan failed to turn Job against God. Job thereby upheld Jehovah as the rightful Sovereign and the One deserving to be feared and worshiped.

THE TESTING OF JOB

The book opens by telling us about Job’s blameless and righteous course, about his family and his enjoying great material prosperity. Then we are given a view of heaven, where Satan appears among loyal sons of God in Jehovah’s presence. God calls Satan’s attention to Job’s upright course, implying that the issue had been raised before. In effect, Jehovah said to Satan: ‘So you claim that there is no man on earth that fears me and practices righteousness? How about my servant Job?’ And Satan replies: ‘Oh, yes? Sure he serves you. But look how prosperous you made him​—7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, and so forth! Take away everything he has and you’ll see how he really feels about you!’ Accepting the challenge, Jehovah allows Satan to rob Job of all his possessions, including his children.

But Job is not serving God and doing what is right because of the material blessings he enjoyed, but, rather, because of love of God and of righteousness. Again Satan appears in heaven and, when told to consider Job’s steadfast course, replies that if Job himself were made to suffer he would turn against Jehovah God. God then lets Satan inflict a loathsome and extremely painful disease upon Job, from head to foot. Now even his wife urges him to give up: “Curse God and die!” But Job rebukes her: “‘You talk as any wicked fool of a woman might talk. If we accept good from God, shall we not accept evil?’ Throughout all this, Job did not utter one sinful word.”​—Job 2:10, New English Bible.