Job 1:1-22
When all hell breaks loose
“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did continually.
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, ‘From where have you come?’ Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
“Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and there came a messenger to Job and said, ‘The oxen were ploughing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ‘The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ‘The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ‘Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’
“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’
“In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”[1]
The précis of the Book of Job is, Job was hammered because he was righteous. Job puts the lie to the hackneyed suspicion that only the wicked suffer. Sometimes, those who are good suffer; wicked people ofttimes persecute and injure the righteous. Nevertheless, the suspicion lingers, even among the professed people of God, that we are punished for our wickedness in the present.
The evidence for this rather bold assertion is witnessed in the way we respond to trials and testing. When we are in pain, almost unconsciously the cry escapes our lips, “Why is God doing this to me?” Even if we never expressed our dismay in the face of injury or questioned our situation when we were in pain, we have each known individuals who treated the wounded as though they were the cause of their own grief.
In this particular message, I am not concerned with those times when we are merely irritated or inconvenienced. Each of us has experienced times when annoyances multiply until we become exasperated to the point that we are unable to sensibly respond. In the message today, I am speaking of those times when it seems that all hell has conspired against us. I am speaking of those times when the doctor says, “You need to sit down before I tell you the results of the tests.” Perhaps it is that moment when a spouse says, “I don’t love you any more. I’ve found someone else.” It could be a time when the police stood at the door and said, “I’m sorry to inform you…”
Join me in exploring the response of the godly person to unexpected and unjustified attack. Job experienced crushing blows that should destroy any individual. Nevertheless, Job was a godly man that maintained his integrity as all hell broke loose.
The Life of a Godly Man — “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did continually.”
Evil comes to all mankind. Just because we are Christians does not exempt us from the injuries and hurts common to all mankind. As we live out our life, whether we realise it or not, each of us is preparing for eternity. When we depart this life, all that we leave that has even the promise of a measure of permanence is the memory of how we lived; and that heritage is destined to fade with the passage of time. The way we live, however, has tremendous impact not only on the life to come, but also on the present life.
The passage begins with an unusual construction in the Hebrew language. The English accurately reflects not only the intent of the author, but also the precise grammar. Instead of beginning the sentence with a verb, as would be the usual form of a Hebrew sentence, it begins with a noun—“a man.” The reason for this would seem to be emphasis on the events that are about to be related instead of encouraging the reader to be caught up in the secondary features of the events. The author does not want us to become fixated on who this man was or where he lived; his name and His residence are not important. It is his character that is vital to all that the divine author is going to relate.
What was Job like? According to the text, he was “blameless and upright,” he “feared God,” and he “turned away from evil.” Job was “blameless,” translating the Hebrew term tam, which is first used in Scripture of Noah [Genesis 6:9]. The word implies that that Job was a man of integrity, or that he was a man without any obvious moral blemish. Moreover, this aspect of Job’s character is affirmed by God when he attested to his character before Satan [Job 1:8; 2:3]. His wife, also, testified to his integrity [Job 2:9].
Job was also “upright,” he did not deviate from God’s standard of righteousness. The combination of the two terms, “blameless” and “upright” indicate the peak of moral perfection. Job was not plastic, rather he was real; and integrity and careful avoidance of anything that would dishonour God characterised his life.
Job also “feared God.” He was reverential toward God, knowing that God ruled over his life and that God also overruled his life. He had worshipful respect for God, taking time to exalt the Name of the Lord both through formal worship and through the way in which he conducted his life.
Finally, Job “turned away from evil.” Job not only did what was right, but he also avoided all that God had designated to be sinful. Because he “feared God,” he resolved not to stumble into sin. Job did not create his own set of rules, but he rigorously adhered to those standards that God set.
Those who turn away from evil will not attempt to justify wickedness by establishing their own standard of righteousness. Many people today decide that they can set their own standard for life. They decide that they will live together, testing whether they are compatible, though such lasciviousness is condemned by God. They attempt to justify surrendering to their own desires through appeal to popular, ungodly sentiments, asking, “How can anything that is wrong feel so good.” They become captives of their own passions, and thus sacrifice intimacy both with God and with one another.
Job was a wealthy man; he was the Warren Buffet or the Bill Gates of that day. He had acquired unimaginable riches in the form of livestock. The massive herds of livestock required immense land holdings and a large retinue of servants. He had sheep to provide wool and meat, camels to provide transportation and food, oxen to work the land and to provide milk and meat, and he had female donkeys that were prized for their milk, a delicacy in that day, and for their ability to transport goods.
Job’s wealth permitted him and his children to live in luxury. His children dwelt in houses, and not in tents. They gathered from time-to-time to feast, perhaps on their birthdays. Nevertheless, Job was concerned that his children might have sinned, and he therefore offered burnt offerings for each of his children, interceding with God, just in case any of his children had begun to neglect the Lord.
The actions of this godly man serve to encourage us to be careful for the spiritual welfare of our children. Godly parents intercede for their children, pleading with God to be merciful to them and asking that He convert them. Parents cannot assume that their children are saved just because they were raised in the Faith, but they must continually seek the face of the Lord until they are assured that their child is walking in the Faith.
In all, Job enjoyed the respect of all who knew him. Not only did people look up to Job because of his wealth, but they also admired him for his character. People did not see him as hypocritical or duplicitous. Later, after all his wealth and his family and even his health was removed, his three friends came to commiserate with him, and though they wounded him deeply and wronged him greatly, they were still his friends.
Their error was in thinking that they had to explain what had happened to Job. How much more meaningful would their presence have been had they been content to simply be present with him, instead of thinking that they had to counsel him how to reverse his situation. Though they became estranged as result of their unwise counsel, in the end, Job and his friends were reconciled [Job 42:7-10].
The Testing of a Godly Man — “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, ‘From where have you come?’ Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
“Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and there came a messenger to Job and said, ‘The oxen were ploughing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ‘The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ‘The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’ While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, ‘Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’”
Each new section of the account of Job’s suffering begins with the identifying phrase, “Now there was a day…” Understanding this, we know that a new scene unfolds with verse six and yet another scene opens with verse thirteen. The first time we have a scene change, we move from earth to heaven. The third scene that unfolds transports the reader back to earth again. God is permitting us to see what is going on behind the scenes, though Job was unaware of what the Adversary planned against him.
The Adversary slanders Job and asks to sift him like wheat. Permission is granted, and the godly man is hammered. With merciless blows, Job’s wealth vanishes. The oxen and the donkeys are stolen, the sheep are all consumed by lightning, and yet another herald of misery brings the message that the camels were taken. As each successive messenger relates the news of devastation of Job’s wealth, he also informs the reeling man of the loss of human life. In each instance, the servants were killed, either by the raiders, the brigands, or in the storm.
Never were the words of Solomon truer, “Man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them” [Ecclesiastes 9:12].
His wealth gone, destitute, you might imagine that nothing worse could happen. However, while Job was digesting this devastating news, news of still more painful loss was delivered to this godly man. Yet another messenger came racing in to inform Job that all his children were feasting in the house of the eldest son when a great wind collapsed the house and killed all Job’s children.
How often have we witnessed the devastation left in the wake of a hurricane, of a tornado, following an earthquake, or after a wildfire has raced through the area consuming all the homes, and in the rubble that was once a home a woman or a man say, “I have my family. We are all alive.”
So long as our children are alive, we are not utterly impoverished. However, it is difficult to imagine a greater calamity then that our children should be taken from us. Job received the devastating news that his children—all of them—had been killed in a great windstorm. Perhaps you have been devastated at some time with news that led you to believe that you would be bereft of your children, only to receive a merciful reprieve. Twice that has happened to Lynda and me. We have known the terror that accompanies the threat of death for our children. The relief we experienced when the children were spared was immense and washed away the dread that previously hung over our lives like a dark cloud. However, most of us mercifully will never know the gnawing agony that comes from knowing that the voices of our children are forever stilled in this present age.
Stripped of his wealth, Job was also bereaved of his children. Reading further, we will see that yet more injury will be inflicted on this godly man as the Adversary continues his furious assault. Job would suffer intense physical pain and even desertion by his wife. At the last, it seemed that even his friends deserted him, and God no longer answered his pitiful cries. However, at the moment in which we are focused in this particular study, Job was reeling from the loss of wealth and the loss of family. The testing he endured and his reaction to his overwhelming loss is what occupies our attention in this hour. These issues are vital to our growth as godly people.
Job knew what happened to him, but he did not know why it was happening. Similarly, when we experience severe injury, we know what is happening, but we really do not know why the trial is happening. Beginning with verse six and continuing through verse nineteen, our attention is shifted to reveal unseen events that preceded his suffering. With this information, we know the why. The curtain of Heaven is drawn back, and we witness what is happening before the throne of God. Several truths emerge that are important for us to keep in mind.
The first truth revealed is that God is sovereign in all things.[2] God is on the throne despite every appearance. The angels of Heaven attend Him, and even Satan is unable to do anything without God’s permission. No matter what happens in our lives, God is on the throne and everything is under His control. God does not permit anything to come into our lives except that which will honour Him and benefit us.
Another truth is that Satan has access to God’s throne in Heaven. Does this surprise you? We have a caricature of Satan that he rules in Hades, but Jesus told us that he is “the ruler of this world” [John 14:30; 16:11]. We are informed that Satan goes “to and fro on the earth,” and that he walks “up and down on it” [Job 1:7; see also 1 Peter 5:8]. For all that means to us in our own struggles for righteousness and purity, we must understand that this malevolent creature also has access to the presence of God.
Perhaps we have been influenced by Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, which has Satan saying, “Better to reign in hell, than serve in heav’n.” However, the Hebrew title “the satan,” provides insight. The Hebrew term ha satan means “Adversary.” Satan obtains this title through slandering the saints, just as he does here in the opening scenes of the Book of Job. In part, this explains the role of the Saviour as our Advocate or Defence Lawyer. In his first Epistle, John writes, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” [1 John 2:1].
I do not want to leave you with the impression that the Word of God teaches ditheism or dualism. There is “one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” [1 Timothy 2:5]. Satan, though a powerful adversary, is nevertheless a created being that at the last, will be cast into the pit where he will be incarcerated forever. The Devil is a defeated foe, though for the moment he is a formidable foe of the righteous. The great mystery for the people of God is God’s patience in permitting the wicked one to slander us at this time. We cannot understand God’s patience, and we chafe under the injustice of the old serpent’s accusations.
The text presents a third vital truth that is important for each of us to remember, God did not find fault with Job, Satan did. Never does God condemn His children. Always, the evil one slanders the people of God. Though Satan repeatedly slandered Job, God’s verdict, repeated three times [Job 1:8; 2:3; 42:7], is “Not Guilty!” There is nothing in Job’s life that leads God to condemn him. Satan’s accusations continue throughout the Word. He accuses Joshua the high priest, but the Lord Himself rebukes the wicked one [Zechariah 3:1-5]. Revelation 12:10 informs us that the Devil accuses the saints of the Most High God day and night, until he is at last cast to the earth and judged.
When Satan slanders the people of God, he is actually slandering God. Look carefully at the words of the Devil in Job 1:9-11. “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”
The Accuser says, “The only reason Job fears You is because You pay him! You protect him and enrich him as long as he worships you. It is a contractual issue. You are not a God worthy of worship! You have to ‘buy’ worship.”
Well, why do you worship the Lord our God? Is it because He is God? Or do you serve Him for what you can get out of your service? Do you go through the routine simply to attempt to secure an escape from judgement? Or do you worship and serve the Living God because He is God and worthy of your best service?
Job’s three friends contended that Job suffered as he did because he had sinned. Job’s suffering was not the result of his sin, but in their effort to “fix” Job, that was their premise. Elihu said that God chastened Job to make him a better man. That was partly true; however, the primary reason for Job’s suffering was to silence the blasphemous accusations of Satan, proving that a godly man would honour God even though he lost everything. Job’s life was a battlefield where a vital and essential question was settled. That question was, “Is God worthy of man’s worship?”
Had Job succumbed to the suggestions of his wife, had he accepted the reasoning of his three friends, Satan would have been proved correct. Job, however, clung to his integrity, even though he did not understand what God was doing. Tenacious in his determination to do what was right, Job delivered a defeat to the prince of darkness.
There is a fourth truth that can comfort us when we are hurting. That truth is that Satan can injure God’s people only with God’s permission. At the time of testing, it is difficult, if not impossible, for us to believe that good can come out of our sorrow. Though we quote Romans 8:28, the practise is much hard. Recall the words Paul wrote, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Can it truly be that all things actually work for our benefit if we love the Lord? Does the threat of injury or loss actually work to our good? We would benefit from considering the remainder of Paul’s words in that context.
“Those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” [Romans 8:29, 30].
The people of God are not destined to remain forever upon this earth. Neither is our presence in the earth at this moment the reason for us to continue living. Though we have a responsibility to glorify the Lord Jesus, we live in light of eternity and we live in anticipation that we are being changed into the image of God’s Son. We are saved to the praise of Christ’s glory and we will spend eternity sharing in His majesty.
What blessed knowledge is given to the people of God in the words John wrote. “We are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” [1 John 3:2]. Christians, beholding the glory of the Lord—glory that is seen as we serve one another, as we worship Him, and as we witness to others of His grace, “are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” [2 Corinthians 3:18].
The Apostle Paul continues in the passage in the Letter to the Romans as he considers our present situation, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord“ [Romans 8:31-39].
God is always at work in the lives of His people, perfecting us and transforming each one into the image of His Son. Through the pressures of this life, we become more like the Master. Phillips Brooks rightly said, “The purpose of life is the building of character through truth.” God uses even the slander of the Devil to transform us. When in the path of obedience, you find yourself enduring severe trial, remind yourself that nothing can come to you that is outside the will of a Father who is too wise to make a mistake and too good to needlessly hurt His beloved child.
A corollary to this is that God uses our suffering for our good and for His glory. Some of what we are tempted to call tragedies in the lives of God’s people are actually divine weapons “to still the enemy and the avenger” [Psalm 8:2]. For instance, we know that the angels of God watch the response of the saints to learn from God’s dealings with His people [see 1 Corinthians 4:9; Ephesians 3:10]. What is certain for us is that we will not know until we get to Heaven why God allowed certain events to take place. How true it is that “we walk by faith, and not by sight” [2 Corinthians 5:7]. And, as we walk, we say, with Job, “Blessed be the Name of the Lord” [Job 1:21].
The Response of a Godly Man to Sorrow — “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’
“In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
All Heaven and hell watched to see how Job would respond to his devastating loss. We, also, as we have read the narrative, have been kept waiting by the narrator. Finally, in the twentieth verse we witness the sufferer’s response. Five of the nine Hebrew words in verse twenty are verbs, and Job is the subject of each of these verbs. He arose, he tore his robe, he shaved his head, he fell to his face, and he worshipped. Absorbing the devastating messages, he moved with determination and resolve to maintain his integrity and to glorify the Lord.
Through each successive message that hammers out a dirge of loss and sorrow, Job has remained seated, as was the custom throughout the Middle East when receiving visitors. From Job’s reaction, I infer that the loss of wealth was not of particularly great moment to him, however, the report of the death of his children at last brings him to grief. His values were in line with his character; relationships were more important than wealth. Lands or livestock could not be compared to his children.
Job mourns, expressing his grief according to the custom of that region and of that day. He tears his outer garment as an expression of dismay and shaves his head to reveal his sorrow. God does not expect us stoically to accept injury in our lives. The Word of God does not say that we do not grieve; rather, we are taught that we Christians do not “grieve as others do who have no hope” [1 Thessalonians 4:13]. You know that even “Jesus wept” [John 11:35]. It is impossible not to grieve when our world caves in and all hell breaks loose. Job grieved and mourned, but it was in falling to the ground to worship that Job was distinguished from so many who grieve.
What Job did not do is significant. Job did not shake his fist at Heaven and curse God. He did not scream out his defiance of the Holy One. Rather, Job bowed to the ground and humbly acknowledged God’s sovereign will. Job recognised that he “brought nothing into this world,” and he also knew that he would take nothing “out of this world” [1 Timothy 6:7].
Anyone can say that the Lord gives, and anyone can say that the Lord takes away. However, to affirm these truths in the midst of sorrow, and to follow through with worship, reveals the integrity that characterised Job’s life and that elicited God’s commendation of Job. It is truly remarkable that Job did not, and is so often true of saints with less grounding in truth, “charge God with wrong.” “Devotion is possible without dollars received in return; people can be godly apart from material gain.”[3]
Job blessed the Name of the Lord. In doing this, he proved God was right and that the Adversary was wrong. In the text, there is a play on words that adds much to the narrative. Satan had said that Job would “curse” God is His face. The word that he used, the Hebrew word baruch, is normally translated “bless.” Satan uses the word as a euphemism. Job uses the same word, but in the context, he blesses the Name of the Lord, acknowledging that God is sovereign, and that He has every right to do as He wills.
Notice the final sentence: “In all this Job did not sin and charge God with wrong.” The antecedent of “this” is the loss of his wealth and the death of all his children. Such blows removing what we normally consider important will cause lesser men to lose faith, to abandon hope, or even charge God with malfeasance or caprice. However, Job refused to charge God with wrong. He did acknowledge that God was in charge of his life, permitting these griefs to come into his life. He did not, however, question God’s justice, love, wisdom or sovereignty. In this godly response and self-restraint, Job serves as an example for all who will be godly in the face of life.
The chapter ends with “the greatest of all the people of the east” destitute, childless, and broken. In a moment of time, Job went from the greatest of men to the least of men. We, however, know something Job did not know. Therefore, we cannot enter into his sorrow. Because we read the book, we, like God, know the end from the beginning. We know that it was because of his godliness that Job was permitted to pass through this trial. God permitted this testing, and Job was unaware that his troubles were a great honour. We might well wonder, had we been present to witness Job’s trials, if Job would remain faithful. The question for us, however, is will we remain faithful?
The rebuke of the Wise Man holds each of us to account.
“If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.”
[Proverbs 24:10]
Rather than fainting in the day of adversity, God encourages His people.
“Call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
[Psalm 50:15]
As a young man, Horatio G. Spafford had established a most successful legal practice in Chicago. Despite his financial success, he always maintained a keen interest in Christian activities. He enjoyed a close and active relationship with D. L. Moody and the other evangelical leaders of that era. He was described by George Stebbins, a noted gospel musician, as a “man of unusual intelligence and refinement, deeply spiritual, and a devoted student of the Scriptures.”
Some months before the Chicago Fire of 1871, Spafford had invested heavily in real estate on the shore of Lake Michigan, and his holdings were wiped out by this disaster. Just before this, he had experienced the death of his son. Desiring a rest for his wife and four daughters as well as wishing to join and assist Moody and Sankey in one of their campaigns in Great Britain, Spafford planned a European trip for his family in 1873. In November of that year, due to unexpected last minute business developments, he had to remain in Chicago; but he sent his wife and four daughters on ahead as scheduled on the S.S. Ville du Havre. He expected to follow in a few days. On November 22, the ship was struck by the Lochearn, an English vessel, and sank in twelve minutes. All four of the Spafford daughters—Tanetta, Maggie, Annie and Bessie—were among the 226 who drowned. Mrs. Spafford was among the few who were miraculously saved.
Several days later the survivors were finally landed at Cardiff, Wales, and Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband, “Saved alone.” Shortly afterward Spafford left by ship to join his bereaved wife. Horatio Spafford stood hour after hour on the deck of the ship carrying him to rejoin his sorrowing wife in Cardiff, Wales. When the ship passed the approximate place where his precious daughters had drowned, Spafford received sustaining comfort from God that enabled him to write, “When sorrows like sea billows roll … It is well with my soul.”
It is noteworthy that Spafford does not dwell on the theme of life’s sorrows and trials but focuses attention in the third stanza on the redemptive work of Christ and in the fourth verse anticipates His glorious second coming. Humanly speaking, it is amazing that one could experience such personal tragedies and sorrows as did Horatio Spafford and still be able to say with such convincing clarity, “It is well with my soul.”[4]
May God give us courage and strength to the praise of His glory. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] An excellent summary of the truths revealed through study of the exchange between God and Satan is provided in Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Patient (Victor Books, Wheaton, IL 1996) Job 1:6
[3] John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Volume 1 (Victor Books, Wheaton, IL 1983) 720
[4] Sources for this account include Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 Hymn Stories (Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI 1982) 127, and Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories (Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI 1990) 202
