Job 1:1-22
All Job's Children Are Killed
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 hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, 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 make arrangements for them to be 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.
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 throughout the earth, going back and forth on 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 now 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 power, 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 made off with them. 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 heavens 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 made off with them. 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 2:1-13
Job's Loses His Health
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 throughout the earth, going back and forth on 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 now 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 crown 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 maintaining 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.
11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite,heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
Job 42:1-17
The Epilogue of Job
Then Job replied to the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”
Epilogue
7 After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
People have seen other people have pain and suffering for years...But when it becomes personal it is different...One may lose their faith in God when one has personal suffering, while they had continued to keep their faith, as others around them suffered or been in pain...If we see we are losing our faith, we might ask ourselves, why didn't we lose our faith when others suffered, but now that I am suffering my faith is harder to keep -why is this?...We seem to have more questions for God or for someone, when the pain and suffering becomes personal...Questions like why is this happening to me?...It is sometimes difficult to be faithful, when we are suffering and going through such trying times...And in our personal sufferings our attitudes might change -due to our suffering...
Long ago there was a man named Job and he was a good man, a religious man...Job had prospered in his life...And know doubt that Job had seen others who had pain and suffering in his lifetime...But this time it was different...This time it is personal...When Job was told by messenger after messenger of one bad tragedy after another it had to very much weigh on Job...The first messenger told Job, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them...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 heavens 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, still another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them...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!”..
Job first lost oxen and donkeys...Then he lost his servants and his sheep, with the exception of the one messenger servant...Then Job lost all his camels and those servants...Then he lost all his sons and daughters from a mighty wind storm, and now all his children were dead...Job was hit with so much innocent suffering at the same time...And God said this about Job after all his loss and in his grief to the evil one, "And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited Me against him to ruin him without any reason."...All these losses would test Job's faith and his trust...
But Job's pain and suffering would not end here...Now Job's health was taken away from him...Now right after the loss of his children and his wealth, he now has lost his health...Personally Job would have to face all these losses...Emotionally spent, with the loss of family and friends, now he had lost his good health...Both physically and emotionally, Job would suffer...And as we read throughout the Book of Job, he questions God...And the questions seem to be, "Why?"...But Job asks God many questions...Job could have turned away from God, but he does not, but he does question Him...It might seem likely that Job would turn away from God, but he does not...After he loses his wealth, servants, and children, we are told, "In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."... After Job loses his health, his wife tells him, "Are you still maintaining your integrity?...Curse God and die!"...Job replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman...Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"...And through all of these great tragedies, Job did not sin in what he said...
Job hangs on...Job endures...And in the end, God comes and talks to Job...After many of Job's questions to and about God -Job is faced with questions from God...God reminds Job that He is our Creator...In the beginning, God mapped off the earth...He created all the great creatures, large and small...God takes care of the animals of the earth, in a most unique way...Mother nature and the animals live and survive and continue...There is great strength and splendor in the animals and in all of nature and its order...And if God can take care of every living creature, He also can take care of Job's sufferings and his problems...God has moved Job in such a way, through His own questions...Job now sees that if God can control nature and all its animals, he should be able to handle his problems too...Job has heard and now seen that God is, in fact, in control...And although it is possible Job still does not understand his own personal suffering, he now understands that God is sovereign and capable of fixing them...Job admits he has spoke of things he did not understand...And then Job repents - in dust and ashes...
After Job's repentance, God forgives him...Job's attitude has changed, He understands things better after being in the Presence of God...He trusts God again or at least sees things better to trust Him...Our forgiving Father restores Job's health...Job again is blessed with children, and God gives him more wealth than before...The experience of the pain and suffering were lessons in life for Job...God allowed him to suffer...Job will never forget these lessons...Again, Job can say and truly trust and admit, that naked we come from our mother’s womb and into this world, and naked we will depart it...The Lord gives and the Lord sometimes takes away; may the name of our LORD be praised...