Job 1:1-22
Prologue
1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.
Job's First Test
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"
Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."
Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."
22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Job 2:1-10
Job's Second Test
1 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"
Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
3 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."
4 "Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."
6 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.
9 His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
10 He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
There is Great Mystery in the cross...I sometimes think of the cross and how it signifies suffering...Why is the symbol of suffering or the cross I wear on my neck not a happy symbol...Is the cross about happiness?...I once read where man searches throughout his life for happiness...Daily he pursues ways to be happy...But can happiness give life meaning?...Is my personal happiness one of the meanings of my life...Or is there as much or more meaning in suffering as there is in my personal happiness and my pleasures?...Maybe suffering gives us some of the answers to life...Maybe suffering teaches us things that happiness never can...Maybe suffering makes us reflect more on life than just happiness...Maybe suffering makes us reflect more on God Himself...And the classic book on suffering is the Book of Job...
We cannot ask the question "Where was God when all these things happened to Job?"...We cannot ask, "Where was God, when Job was suffering?''...We cannot ask this because God brought up the name of Job to the evil one...Job's story goes like this...One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them...The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"...Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."...Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job?...There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."..."Does Job fear God for nothing?"...Satan replied..."Have You not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?...You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land...But stretch out Your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face."...The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."...Then Satan went out from the Presence of the LORD...One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off...They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"...While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"...While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off...They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"...While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house...It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"...At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart...The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."...In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing...
And Job's suffering continued on... On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before Him...And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"...Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."...Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?...There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited Me against him to ruin him without any reason."..."Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life...But stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face."...The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."...So Satan went out from the Presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head...Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes...His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity?...Curse God and die!"...He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman...Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"...In all this, Job did not sin in what he said...
Messenger after messenger came to Job to bring him His bad news...Problem after problem came upon Job...And God could stop suffering at any moment, if He wanted to...But God allows suffering...God allowed the evil one to get into Job's life...And maybe He did so to teach us different things...Evil is all around us...It can confront us in various ways and at any time...The evil one got to Job...The evil one caused the suffering, not God...But God could have stopped him and his evil...No wonder Job has so many questions for God...But God knows what is going on and He is in control...It seems like some suffering may be a test of our faith, as I read about Job...And in all of this, Job did not sin in what he said...Job did not sin with charging God with any wrongdoing...And trusting God in the middle of suffering is very difficult, even for the strongest of faith, like Job...Listening to God and feeling God's Presence was a great help to Job...Job learned from God's questions...He learned from some of the things he did not understand...He learned that God knows much more than he and we will ever know...Job learned from the experience...In the end of the Book of Job, good triumphs over evil...
But Job and we still did not get the why God had Him suffer through these trials...The Great Mystery of God and the question of why still remains...Maybe there are some Great Mysteries we will not in this life have the answers to...Maybe we are just to think about them and reflect upon them...