Sickness for Chastisement and Correction

Preview: A lesson on the reason for some afflictions.


Scripture Reading: Job 2:1-13.

Memory Verse: Job 1:12.

1. Do we find in the foregoing Scriptures that God called Satan’s attention to His servant Job and permitted the Devil to afflict him?
2. Did God acknowledge that Job was perfect and upright? Job 1:1 & Job 1:8.
Note: In spite of the fact that Job was a man who feared God and hated evil, God saw a flaw in his character. He knew that Job would have to be afflicted before he would see his own shortcomings.
3. What was this flaw? Job 3:1-3 & Job 3:24-26.
4. What message did God send to Job through Elihu? Job 32:1-2 & Job 33:1-13.
Note: God sent this young man to speak for him, to show Job that he had a spirit of self-righteousness. This is a common problem in the Church today.
5. What else was Job guilty of? Job 34:1 & Job 34:5-9.
6. What did God tell Job and how did he respond? Job 40:1-9 & Job 42:1-6.
Note: Through Job’s illness he was able to see his false pride and self-reliance. God wanted him to see that salvation is a gift of His mercy. By grace are we saved; not by works. However, God will produce good works through us when we submit ourselves to Him.
7. Do we find a similar lesson taught through the illness of Hezekiah? Isaiah 38:1-8.
Note: Hezekiah pled for his life on the grounds of his good works.
8. Did God withdraw His Spirit from Hezekiah so that he would see what was really in his heart? II Chronicles 32:24-25 & II Chronicles 32:31.
9. What did he do instead of telling the King of Babylon about the goodness and greatness of God? Isaiah 39:1-2.
10. What was the result of his action? Isaiah 39:3-7.
Note: Like Job, Hezekiah had not realized that it was the Holy Spirit of God and not his own good works that made him righteous. When afflictions come, we should examine our lives and see if God is trying to correct us through chastisement.