Job 1 tells is that Job was “blameless and upright, a man who feared God, and turned away from evil.” He was an extremely good man who pursued righteousness and integrity. God blessed him with seven sons, three daughters and huge numbers of sheep, camels, oxen, and servants.
But in one day, a messenger announced to Job that the Sabaeans had attacked and stolen all his oxen and donkeys and killed his servants looking after them. Another messenger told Job that the “fire of God” had fallen and destroyed all his sheep and servants with them. [V 16] In verse 17, another messenger declared that the Chaldeans had stolen all his camels and killed the servants. Finally in verses 18–19, a messenger came to tell Job, who was still reeling with shock, that all his children had been crushed to death when a tornado tore down the house which they were in.
Satan thought that Job would hate and curse God, but Job’s response to his calamity was based on the value of God for WHO HE IS. Verses 20–21 record the victory: “Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and WORSHIPPED. 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.”
One wonders how a person, who has experienced such extreme pain and loss could still worship and bless God’s Name, but Job’s faith was steady and secure. He knew that God still loved him and remained in control of his extremely sorrowful situation.
The story does not end there. Satan appeared before God again and again concerning Job until God gave permission to Satan to strike Job with a terrible illness. Job 2:7-8 says that Job was afflicted “with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a potsherd with which to scrape himself and sat among the ashes.”
Yet in all his suffering, Job’s faith remained steady and dynamic. His faith did not waver because he knew that God is faithful and would help him, which God did. In the end, after God healed Job and restored all his possessions and gave him more children, Job uttered in Job 23:10 – “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
Precious Lord Jesus, thank You that You know my ways. Please help me to remain steady and strong in my faith so that I too, can ‘come forth as gold” when my life is tested in the furnace of suffering. Please help me to retain my integrity and faith in You no matter what comes across my path. Amen
Myrtle Turunen