Job 1: 1 – 22
The Truth Behind The Scene
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. 4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify 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 sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly. 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” 8 Then 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, one who fears God and shuns evil?” 9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” 12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. 13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 16 While he was still speaking, another also came 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!” 17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
Right off the start I have to share with you a weakness that I had. Over the years I have gone through the bible verse by verse by some which I consider very good bible teachers. However, one strange thing that I always did as I went through Genesis through Revelation I skipped the book of Job. Yes you heard me right. You see I had a really hard time dealing with the fact as to why God would allow Job to go through so much pain and heartache. You see the problem was and is not with God it is my ignorance.
At a Pastors conference due to a shortage of chairs I had to sit in the front row. When the speaker came up to the podium he informed everyone to turn to the book of Job. Well my first reaction was, ‘ I’m outta here’. However being stuck in the front I realized that it would be more embarrassing to get up then to sit through the teaching. I am glad our Holy Master arranged for me to be at that spot.
You see when you take the time is that our Magnificent Holy King was speaking very highly of Job. In fact I do not think it would be too far off the description that our Holy God was bragging to the angels about His servant Job.
Now I look at this book with admiration towards our Holy Maker. He Is Great in all that He does.
The book of Job is, perhaps, the oldest book in the Bible. No one knows who wrote it.
The time period when the events of the story occurred historically, however, is much easier to determine. The evidence shows almost certainly that the events occurred during the period of the patriarchs. This is demonstrated by the following facts:
1. The lifestyle of Job and his family is described much like that of Abraham and other patriarchs. They are keepers of flocks and herds, whose wealth is indicated by the extent of their flocks. They have a large household of servants who assist in this work. Having many children was considered a sign of blessing and greatness, etc. The Chaldeans live a similar wandering life style – 1:17.
2. Since this is an Old Testament story, if it did not occur during the period of the patriarchs, then it must have occurred during the Mosaic age. But virtually every story that occurred during the Mosaic age directly or indirectly involves Israelites. Yet there is no reference of any kind in the book of Job to the Israelites, either to the nation or to their worship, etc. There are no references to the Law of Moses, the tabernacle, the priesthood, the judges or kings, etc. On the contrary, God speaks directly to Job, just as He does in the patriarchal age with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and other heads of households (see Job 38-42). Furthermore, Job offers his own sacrifices and sacrifices for his friends, rather than bringing them to the Levitical priests at the tabernacle or temple, etc. (1:5; 42:5-8). If these events happened after the giving of the Law, it must be one of the only Old Testament books written then that makes no reference whatever to the history, nation, or religion of the Israelites or Jews. This strongly implies that it occurred before the giving of the law.
3. We are not told Job’s tribe, which would be a very unusual omission if this were under the Mosaic Law.
4.The most conclusive evidence, however, is Job’s age. When the story begins, he already has ten grown children (1:2-5), as well as great wealth and notoriety. This would imply significant age. However, he lived another 140 years after the main events of the story, having another ten children, etc. (42:16). Such ages are most common during the period of the patriarchs, but are unheard of even shortly after the giving of the law. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each lived about 150-180 years. While Moses lived to be 120, neither he nor any of his contemporaries approached Job’s age. By the time of David, ages over 70 were unusual. This evidence, taken together, indicates strongly that the story of Job occurred during the age of the patriarchs, before the giving of the Law of Moses.
Our Holy Ruler has placed this book in our bibles in order for us to think. The issue of suffering is used to demonstrate the authority of God in His universe. A major question to consider is this, ‘Does God have the right to control events according to His will, and should we trust Him to do right even when it does not make sense to us?
Many critics of the bible say that it contains errors. To this I say to them you are right in your observation. The bible is inerrant yet it reveals the humanness of us mortal beings.
The Bible writers recorded when people in error spoke falsehood. Many examples can be cited. The serpent told Eve, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). The Jews said Jesus cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24). Peter denied Jesus saying He did not know Him, etc. And in the book of Job, Job’s wife says, “Curse God and die” (2:9). All these statements are accurately recorded in the Bible because they really were said. But they were said by people who sinned in saying them.
The result is that the Bible accurately records these false statements. But we are expected to know by context or other passages that they are false, and that we should not believe them to be truth. This is especially of concern in the book of Job, because we have chapter after chapter spoken by Job’s friends, yet they are clearly in error, speaking many things that are not true. At the end God rebukes them for not speaking truth (42:7,8). This tells us that there are many things they say that we must not believe as truth, yet the book accurately records that they said them. Of course, like all people in sin, they do say some things that are true. So we must face the challenge of determining which is true and which is error. And even Job at times says things he should not. He too repents at the end and admits that he said things that he did not understand and did not know. He repented in dust and ashes (42:1-6). He spoke more truth than his friends did (42:7,8). But still he spoke some things that we should not believe to be true.
Job was a real man, not a mythological figure. He is mentioned by Ezekiel and he is classified as one of the three great men of the Old Testament, along with Noah and Daniel, (Ezekiel 14:14, 14:20). He is mentioned also in the New Testament by James, who refers to Job's patience and steadfast endurance (James 5:11). According to the opening part of the book Job lived in the land of Uz, and he was probably one of the most prominent citizens of that land.
Chapter 1 gives us the setting, and introduces the main character, Job, and we are told first of his piety
1:1 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.
We are told that these events occurred in the land of Uz, but we do not know for sure where that was. It is said to be in the east (v3). It was in an area where Chaldeans and Sabeans might raid (1:14,17). And obviously it was an area suitable for maintaining large flocks and herds. Its place was probably east or northeast from Palestine. Much more important to the story than its location, however, is the character of Job.
The most noteworthy thing about Job, evidently, was his godliness. He feared God, and everyone knew him because of that. He was blameless, and many who have read that thought it meant that Job was sinless. But it is not the same thing. You can be sinful and still be blameless if you have learned how to handle your sin the way God tells you to. Evidently Job had learned how to handle sin, so, in that sense, he was blameless. I do not think, however, that this is the best translation of the Hebrew word that appears here. It is really a word that means "a complete man." Job was well balanced and the reason he was well balanced was that he feared God. He was not a materialist; he did not just look on life as a means of getting ahead in the world. Job also was aware of God, and he saw God's hand in everything he did and that made him a complete man.
Job was not a theologian either. He was a practical, down-to-earth man. I think these terms are best explained by the last part of Verse 1: "He feared God, and turned away from evil."That is, he was complete because he feared God; he was upright because he turned away from evil.
2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East
The second thing we are told about Job is that he was very prosperous. He had a large household, which implies, not just children, but also many servants (like Abraham) to help in caring for such large herds. All this describes a man of great prosperity, richly blessed both in goods and family. Wealth was apparently measured or indicated by great flocks of animals. And a large family with many children indicated rich blessings from God. Job was richly blessed.
In fact he was the greatest man among the people of the East. This could imply great and important position as well as prosperity. Job was not just a good man, he was important, wealthy, and influential. No one in that area was greater.
This helps us understand how completely his eventual suffering would contrast to what he was accustomed to. When people live in poverty and deprivation all their lives, they may become resigned to suffering. But one who is so richly blessed would experience a great shock when his
great blessings are replaced by equally great suffering. The very contrast of his suffering as compared to his former prosperity would make additional temptation for Job.
The last thing we are told about Job personally is his love, his fatherly concern for his children:
4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify 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 sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
Job’s sons had feasts from time to time. Each of the seven of them, on their appointed day, would invite the other brothers and sisters to come and feast with them. Please take note that this describes a close family. Though they are apparently grown and married, or at least living in their own houses, they still enjoyed one another’s companionship. They displayed the attribute that they were good friends.
The reference to each brother’s day might possibly refer to a birthday, so they took turns celebrating one another’s birthday as many families do today. We will see in chapter 3:1,3 that Job’s “day” refers to the day of his birth.
When each feast had ended, Job would rise early in the morning and offer sacrifices for each one of his children. Nothing implies the feasts were riotous or lascivious, but he was concerned that maybe they may have said or done something sinful, perhaps even cursing God during their feasting.
The passage says Job regularly did this. The fact he arose early shows his diligent dedication. This illustrates the patriarchal concept of that day. The father, as the head of the extended family, was a spiritual leader. He was responsible to teach the family about God, lead them in serving Him, and rebuke them when they erred. And he would offer sacrifice on behalf of those who sinned.
Please take special note of that little phrase, "cursed God in their hearts." It becomes a kind of theme to the book of Job. Ultimately, that is the test to which Job himself is put: Will he curse God in his heart? This was a matter of great concern to Job about his children. He had seven sons, and as each had a birthday that meant seven times a year they had a feast to which they invited their sisters. What Job did, according to the record, was the equivalent of our holding a special time of prayer for someone we have a concern about. Job offered burnt offerings, because he recognized that his children needed spiritual help most when things were going well, not during times of stress. I think this indicates a great deal of spiritual insight on the part of Job. He knew that the pressure to deny God, to forsake God, comes most strongly when things are going well.
Job did not offer a sin offering, because that was something only the sinner himself could do. (Sin offerings are of no value if you do not repent of the sin.) So Job offered a burnt offering which, in the Scriptures, is always a symbol of total dedication to God, an awareness of God's rightful ownership of us. When Job made this offering he was expressing the burden of his heart for his children, that they might be wholly God's. He was praying for them by means of this burnt offering. So we have this picture of Job: a godly man, a great landowner, and a good father
In any case, Job was clearly concerned for his children’s spiritual wellbeing. Just because children leave home, that does not mean their parents no longer have a sense of concern for them. Godly parents continue to pray and seek God’s favor for the salvation of their children.
In Verse 6 the scene suddenly shifts to that world of invisible realities.
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
This is surely a most impressive scene, very similar to what John describes in the fourth chapter of the book of Revelation, where he sees tens of thousands and thousands upon thousands of angels gathered in the great audience chamber of heaven, in the very presence of God himself. These angels were called the sons of God because, like Adam, they were a direct creation of God's hand. But, unlike Adam, they were not given the authority nor the command to multiply and produce others like themselves. No one knows how many angels there are. There seems to be countless numbers of them, but all of them were created by God, directly, and, in this instance, were present before God to give a report of their activities.
These ministering angels, then, came to report, and in the midst of them is Satan. Satan means "the Adversary," and that is how he first appears in the book of Job. You can see him there with all the angels and obviously he has already fallen. In the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel we are told how he fell. Once the greatest of the angels, now lifted up by pride, Satan has become the enemy of God, the rebel within the kingdom of God.
I think the significant fact in this account is that though he clearly is fallen, he still has access to God. That is what we must yet recognize about Satan: he has not been excluded from God's presence.
But there is still a deeper level of truth behind the book of Job. Basically, it is given to us to reveal the relationship of Satan and God, so that we are not confused about the power of this vicious enemy against whom we all wrestle. Satan is not the equivalent of God. We do not have two gods, a good god and a bad god, struggling against each other. This book helps us to understand right from the start that God is in control of all things. All forces are at his command, and nothing ever takes him by surprise -- nothing goes beyond his word and his will, including Satan.
This book, I think, will help us more than any other book in the Bible to catch a glimpse of the greatness and the majesty of God. We will see what we desperately need to see -- that God Is not just another man, great in power and authority, Whom we call, influence, and command. God Is not a heavenly bellboy, ready to run at our command. No, God Is The Supreme Ruler over all creation in is in charge, and he will always be in charge. If we are going to deal realistically with life, this is the way we must see him.
Satan is a real spirit being. His name means “adversary.” He most certainly proved himself to be Job’s adversary, but he is just as much the adversary of all humans. He does not seek our good, no matter what he may pretend. Since he works by deception (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), many people do not see his real evil. And even more likely we do not know when he is working in any given situation to mislead us. But we can be sure that he is always working to cause our spiritual downfall, just as God is working for our good. (1 Chronicles 21:1; Zechariah 3:1)
When God asked Satan where he had been, Satan said he had been going to and fro, walking back and forth on the earth (cf. Job 2:2). Indeed, 1 Peter 5:8 says he prowls about like a lion seeking whom he may devour. He did not here tell God the intent for which he travels around the world. It is like he says vaguely, “Oh, I’ve been here and there.” But of course God knew, as we should, that he travels everywhere seeking opportunity to lead men to sin. Satan’s presence is real. We do not understand the nature of spirit beings and how they travel. Whereas God is omnipresent, able to see everywhere at once, Satan must be more limited. But it seems that he can appear at any place at any time, and he also has his demons who work for him to achieve his will.
8 Then 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, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
Our Holy Father God challenges Satan to consider the case of Job.
In calling Job His “servant,” God is not insulting Job but praising him. Some people today consider it to be beneath their dignity to be a servant. But our Lord Jesus taught that service is the greatest of honors – Matthew 20:25-28. Servants in that day were often highly honored, serving in roles of great responsibility. To be a trusted and respected servant in a great house was a great honor. How much more then should we rejoice in the role of servants of God?
Jehovah Elyon God says, "Satan, where have you been?" "Oh," says Satan, "I've been here and there, looking over the earth, trying to find somebody." And God says, "Have you taken a look at Job? There's a man that I'm proud of!" God's own assessment of Job is that there is none like him in all the earth. Job is blameless and upright, i.e., he is complete and balanced, and he turns from evil as soon as he recognizes it. So God asks Satan, "Have you tried Job?"
9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
Satan says, "Well, I certainly have tried. I've looked that man over very carefully, and examined how to get at him, but I can't get near. You've got him hedged in, surrounded by protection. I've tried every way I can to get at Job, but you've got him so protected there's no way I can get through."
Satan argues that people serve God only for the blessings they hope to receive in this life. They expect that serving God will lead to material benefit, so they serve so long as the blessings continue. But they will turn from God if the blessings cease. At least he challenges God that this was so in Job’s case. He says Job fears God because God has protected him (built a hedge around him) on every side. He has blessed his work and given him great possessions. But Satan affirms that, if God were to touch all that Job has – i.e., destroy it – Job would curse God to His very face. Satan discounts that any man would serve God out of love for God or out of true respect to God as the Creator and proper ruler of the universe.
There are many reasons given in Scripture why we should serve God, but material prosperity in this life is not one of them. God deserves our service simply because of who He Is. He made us. He rightly rules the universe. He Is all-wise, all-powerful, and infinitely good and holy. Therefore, He deserves our service.
God almost appears to be reminding Satan that not all people will submit to Satan’s temptations and deceits. Surely they both knew that many people fail to serve God, yet there are some who are faithful (Matthew 7:13,14). God appears to hold Job’s case forth as a victory for His work on earth, as if He said, “If you have been walking back and forth on the earth, Satan, then you must know that you have been unsuccessful in seducing Job.”
The devil's answer to God is, "You've protected Job, and that's why he serves you. But if you take away your protection, he'll curse you right to your face." In other words, Satan's philosophy says that self-serving is the fundamental law of life. "'What's in it for me?' is the ultimate question for every human being," Satan says, "and nobody will ever deny that." "Put them in the right circumstances, where they have to choose between what is best for them and something else, and they will choose for themselves every time," he challenges.
12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Satan had challenged God that Job would lose his faith if he suffered sufficiently. This was, in effect, a slander against Job’s faith. The temptation that resulted gave Job the chance to demonstrate his faith. Job became the test case.
Our Righteous Holy God granted Satan power to test Job, but limited how far Satan could go: he could not bring physical harm on Job.
Please take note that Satan, not God, is the one who brings temptation into our lives (James 1:13-15). In particular, Satan, not God, is the ultimate cause of suffering on earth. God originally created a world that was “very good,” blessing man with an ideal garden in which to live (Genesis 1,2). He warned man what he must do to avoid suffering. But Satan, through the serpent, tempted Eve and Adam. They gave in, resulting in suffering of all kinds being introduced into the world (Genesis 3:1-19).
We learn that our Holy God allows Satan to use suffering to
tempt us, even as he uses other means to tempt us. God allows it in order that we might demonstrate our faithfulness and willingness to serve Him. Satan is the one who initiates and carries out the temptation. He hopes we will sin and be lost. The resulting temptation, terrible as it may be, becomes an opportunity for His people to prove their faith and grow stronger.
Satan brings the temptation, but God uses it for the ultimate good of those who are faithful. We may suffer in the process, but God will bless us in the end. God also limits what Satan is permitted to do in tempting us. He is not permitted to bring into the life of any individual a temptation beyond that person’s ability to handle.
In Job’s case, God refused to allow Satan to physically harm Job. So, while God does allow Satan to tempt us, His motives are different from those of Satan, and He makes sure that we have the means to endure every temptation faithfully without sinning. If we sin, then, it is because
we have failed to take the way of escape.
Now the rules of the test are clear. Job is going to be stripped of his possessions because Satan's argument is that when they are taken away, Job will deny God right to his face. So God says to Satan, "All right, we'll see. Go at it. He's in your power, but don't touch his body." The last part of chapter one gives us the terrible results:
13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
Having received permission to test Job, Satan began bringing one calamity after another on Job, all in the same day. This was one of the days when his sons and daughters were having a feast in the house of the oldest brother.
First, a messenger came saying the Sabeans had made a raid and had captured all Job’s oxen and donkeys. The servants who were tending them were all killed by the sword, and the messenger was the only one who escaped.
16 While he was still speaking, another also came 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!” 17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
Even as he spoke, another messenger came saying fire had fallen from heaven (lightning?) and burned up all Job’s sheep and the servants who were tending them. Only the one servant remained, and he came to tell Job.
Then even as he spoke, another messenger came saying three bands of Chaldeans had come upon the camels and captured them, killing all the servants who had been tending them with the sword. And only the one remained to take a message to Job.
We know from the context that Satan intended Job to turn against God because of the loss of these material possessions. When we lose what we value, we may tend to blame God. Some may think God Himself has caused the harm, though we know from the context that this was not the case. Others may think that, if they serve God, then God ought to reward them in this life or at least should protect them from harm. So they view such tragedies as Job suffered as an indication that God has failed to keep His word or that He cannot be a good God if he allows such suffering.
All such views imply that God is somehow obligated to reward us in this life for our service. It fails to consider the long-run consequences; including the possibility that God will give us an even greater reward in the end if we are willing to suffer for Him.
The effect of such suffering is multiplied when several tragedies happen in succession. A single tragedy we may be able to handle or may adjust to. But a series becomes especially troubling. The series of events Job faced was so unlikely and such great loss, that it could not be explained away as coincidence. Some supernatural power must be at work here.
Remember, again, that we know why this was happening and who is responsible, but Job did not know. Likewise, today, we cannot know specifically why we are suffering. We observe here also the power of Satan. We may not know what all he is able to do, but this case shows he had power above normal human power, and he can use that power to work us harm.
We should not view suffering as a sign God is trying to reveal a message to us. When problems come, some people argue that God is giving us a sign we are traveling a wrong or mistaken path; God is trying to hinder us by placing roadblocks in our way. But if things go well, that is a sign that God wants us to do as we are doing. This is just a variation of the theory of Job’s friends. It makes hardship or ease into a means of revelation from God. But Job’s suffering was not a message from God, nor was it an indication he had been traveling the wrong road. On the contrary it was an effort by Satan to discourage Job because he was on the right road.
What a terrible day! The next time you get bad news, I hope you will read through this chapter. If you think you have been mistreated, look at this. The malignancy of Satan is revealed in that he struck to the full extent of his permission. He went right to the boundaries that God permitted him, and took away everything Job had. Satan did not ease the load, he did not stretch it out, he gave no time for preparation of heart and mind. One after the other, four times, the hammer fell, and every time Job's heart was crushed. Finally, he lost all his sons and daughters.
Only a parent who has lost a child can begin to appreciate such a tragedy. Parents naturally expect to die before their children do. You expect them to have to bury you, not vice-versa. When a child dies an early death, it is a special tragedy that seems to be out of the natural order.
To have ten children, and they all die prematurely would be an unbelievable tragedy. And to have them all die at the same time would be unthinkable. And then to have it follow on the very same day that one loses all his other possessions, the grief would be unimaginable. Yet that is what Satan did to Job.
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
Satan had anticipated that Job would be so discouraged or grieved by such losses that he would turn against God. And Job surely was deeply grieved, as we would expect. He tore his robe and shaved his head, both of which were ancient ways of expressing great grief.
It is proper to sorrow when we face financial reverses and even more so when we suffer death of loved ones. But we must not allow our grief to lead us to turn against God or otherwise sin.
In his grief, Job did not turn against God. Instead, he fell to the ground and worshiped God. Though he did not understand why these tragedies had befallen him, he did not see it as reason to turn from God. Instead, he turned to God for strength. Too often, in time of suffering, people tend to feel so bad they think they cannot worship God or do not want to worship. Instead, however, times of sorrow and hardship are times when worship is needed more than ever. Instead of neglecting or rejecting worship, we should view it as a source of strength and help that we need more than ever.
Job recognized that all that he had lost were just temporary things anyway. He had none of them when he entered the world, and he would take none of it with him when he left. So why should he blame God if he must live without them between birth and death?
A proper understanding of the temporary, passing nature of material things is essential to proper service to God. Too often we become so attached to them that we let them hinder or prevent our service.
He also expressed trust in God’s wisdom and goodness. God had given him all these blessings anyway. If God saw fit to remove them, then God had the right to do so. Job did not understand why this was happening, but he left it in God’s hands and accepted the result. In all this he did not sin by blaming God as though God had done him wrong. Had he blamed God, he would have done exactly what Satan wanted. Instead, he maintained his spiritual integrity.
We do need to take heed that Job’s statement may express some misconception of what was happening. While he did not turn from God, he did place the responsibility for the loss of his blessings on God: “The Lord has taken away.” This concept may have been a germ that led to some of his later problems in which Job did criticize God unjustly. In truth, God had not taken Job’s possessions and children. Satan had taken them.
There may be times when God justly does bring suffering into our lives as punishment for sin or as consequence of natural law. And it is true that death and suffering were brought by God into the world as a consequence of sin (Genesis 3). But specific acts of suffering, especially the suffering brought upon the righteous who serve God faithfully, must be blamed on Satan.
Many people today make the same mistake as Job did, sometimes having good intent like he did. They say, “God took my loved one to be in heaven with Him.” Such statements imply that God is responsible for death of suffering of a loved one. Generally speaking, such is simply not taught in Scripture. And the effect of it, like Job’s statement, is to make God responsible for suffering which He has not caused.
Death is an enemy. Satan has the power of death – Hebrews 2:14. Let us take care, even in good intent, that we do not accept false concepts that can lead to spiritual danger.
Job’s trials have just begun. Yet to come is the full force of Satan’s temptations, as the subsequent story reveals.
