There was upon a time, a righteous man before God and man, a leader of the community in which he lived, and respected by all. There was a day, however when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came among them, who had been gone to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it, when the Lord made mention of this man’s righteousness to Satan, he answered, Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side? You have conferred prosperity and happiness upon him in the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face…. God then put Job to the test. Satan wanted Job destroyed to prove to God that he was righteous because he was blessed with riches. The Bible says that Satan moved God against Job without cause. As a result, he lost everything including his health, his children, and his properties. Job was covered with sores in his body. Day and night, he struggled without sleep. Life was now for him a moan and groan, for pain had taken his entire body. In that condition, he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself. Seeing the misery he was in, his wife suggested to him to curse God and die. But Job called her a fool (and said), Shall we accept good at the hand of God and shall we not accept misfortune?… In all this, Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2). Thinking about Job’s experience, it comes to mind the two women Eve and Sarah who changed the world for their idea contrary to God’s plan for the world.
Much we learn when we read the book of Job, for its poetic writings and for his knowledge of God in Job 9:4-10: “God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has [ever] hardened himself against Him and prospered or even been safe? God, Who removes the mountains, and they know it not when He overturns them in His anger; Who commands the sun and it rises not; Who seals up the stars; Who alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the waves and high places of the sea; Who made [the constellation] the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades and the [vast starry] spaces of the south; Who does great things past finding out, yes, marvelous things without number.” This was the God Job knew and feared and worshipped.
Job had a close relationship with God by the way that he expresses himself. It shows throughout the book. “Oh, that I knew where I might find God, (was his desire) that I might come even to His seat! I would lay my cause before Him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn what He would answer me, and understand what He would say to me… He knows the way that I take. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold; I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food; He performs [that which He has] planned for me, and of many such matters He is mindful” (Job 23:3-5,10,12-,14). Amidst his sufferings, Job never denied Who God was; he believed in God’s sovereignty and also in God’s works of sanctification. Knowledgeable of God’s creation, he understood his position with God’s protection and guidance. His relationship with God showed his spiritual maturity in those days when there was not a Bible to be guided by. He was an amazing man of faith, believing even the resurrection of the righteous in the last days, saying, “For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives and at last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin, even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh or without it I shall see God, Whom I, even I, shall see for myself and on my side! And my eyes shall behold Him, and not as a stranger! My heart pines away and is consumed within me” (Job 19:25-28).
Light from the Word 