“‘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 ... ‘Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” (Job 1:21-22, 2:10b) Poor Job. Here was a very pious man, faithful to the Lord, who perhaps enjoyed God’s favor much more than many others. And when Satan attacked his family, his livestock, his possessions, and even Job himself, we see that Job still maintained his faith and reliance on the Lord. That was the topic of discussion between the Lord and Satan: Satan was sure Job would be his if only the Lord didn’t shield him with a hedge of protection. So when God gave Satan the go ahead, Satan took away everything from him, including his health. People believed at this time that any bad event must be a punishment from God for some sinful act they’d done, whether the sin was intentional or accidental. So when Job’s “friends” came to sit and mourn with him, they told Job it was his fault. Much of the rest of the book is devoted to discussions and arguments among them, until God finally stepped in and silenced it all, then restored Job to a position that was even greater than before.
Religion
November 15, 2023
The Trials of Job