This lesson teaches children that Job was honest with God even when he didn’t understand why bad things were happening, and that God wants us to bring our questions to him. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God hears our hard questions, and it is okay to tell him when something doesn’t make sense to us. He is still God, even when we don’t understand.
Memory Verse
Job 21:5
Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.
(WEB)
Have children cup one hand over their mouth, then slowly lift it away and open their hands wide, as if to say, “I’m listening and I’m amazed.” Repeat the verse together while doing the motion.
The Story: Job 21 for Kids
Job was a man who had lost almost everything. His children were gone, his money was gone, and his body was sore and sick. His friends had come to sit with him, but they kept saying that he must have done something very wrong to deserve all this trouble.
Job did not agree with his friends. He knew he had tried to live honestly. So he spoke up and asked them to listen carefully. He said, “Look at me, and be astonished.” He wanted them to really see that his pain was real and his questions were real.
Job also noticed something that confused him. Some wicked people seemed to have happy lives. Their children were safe, their houses were safe, and they sang and danced and had plenty. Job asked why this was happening. It did not seem fair to him, and he said so out loud.
Some of the wicked people even said to God, “Go away from us. We don’t want to know your ways.” Job was troubled when he thought about this. He could not understand why God allowed it.
Job told his friends that they could not explain everything in a simple way. He reminded them that God is the one who judges, and that no one can teach God what he should already know. Job was honest that he did not have every answer, and that was okay to say.
Read It Together
Job 21:3
Allow me, and I also will speak; After I have spoken, mock on.
(WEB)
Point out that Job asked his friends to let him speak after they had spoken. Explain that God welcomes children and adults who speak honestly to him, and that listening to one another is part of showing respect.
Job 21:7
“Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?
(WEB)
Point out that Job asked a real question about why wicked people seem to prosper. Tell the children that asking questions like this is not wrong, and that many people in the Bible asked God hard questions.
Job 21:22
“Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?
(WEB)
Point out the question about who can teach God knowledge. Explain that God knows everything, even the things we cannot figure out, and that we can trust him with what we do not understand.
Talk About It
- What is one question you have wanted to ask God, and how did it feel to think about asking him?
- Why do you think Job wanted his friends to really look at him and see how he felt?
- Have you ever seen someone who seemed to get away with doing wrong? What did you think about that?
- What does it mean to you that God knows things we do not know?
- How can you show someone that you are listening to them, even when you disagree?
Activity Ideas
Question Mark Collage
You will need paper, crayons or markers, scissors, and glue. Ask each child to draw a big question mark on a sheet of paper, then fill it with small pictures or words of questions they have for God. Let them share one question with the group if they want to. Explain that God welcomes every question we bring to him.
Listen and Look Game
You will need a few chairs and a timer. Have one child sit in a chair and talk for thirty seconds about something they like, while the others look at them and listen without interrupting. Then switch. Afterward, ask the children how it felt to be heard and to be looked at carefully. Connect this to how Job wanted his friends to really see him.
Take-Home Question Jar
You will need an empty jar or box, slips of paper, and a pen. Give each child a few slips of paper and invite them to write or draw a question they have for God. Have them put the slips into the jar at home. Encourage the family to pray about one question from the jar each evening during the week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Job 21 shows a man who refuses to accept simple explanations that do not match what he sees. He is honest about his pain and about the apparent unfairness of the world, and he does not pretend he has all the answers. The chapter reminds us that God’s ways are higher than ours, and that faith can include hard questions brought openly before him.
With children, avoid overstating the idea that God always answers our questions in this life or explains everything to us. Job’s story does not end with a full explanation of his suffering in this chapter, so be careful not to promise children a neat answer to every hard question. Instead, focus on the truth that God hears us and is trustworthy.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank you for listening to us when we have questions. Help us be honest with you and trust that you know everything. When we do not understand, help us remember that you are good and that you are with us. Amen.
