Job, an upright man who feared God and turned away from evil, lived in the land of Uz. God blessed Job with 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants so that "he became the greatest of all the people of the east." (Job 1:1-3) He was a deeply religious man who regularly offered sacrifices for his children. He said, "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." (Job 1:5) and this he did regularly.
One day, when the sons of God presented themselves before the Lord, Satan came among them. God asked Satan where he had been, and he answered "going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." Then God asked Satan if he had considered his servant Job, that he was an honorable, upright man who turned away from evil. Satan challenged Job's integrity by insinuating that Job served God because God richly rewarded him by causing all that he did to prosper; and if God discontinued these rewards, Job would renounce Him. The Lord replied, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord." (Job 1:6-12)
Satan acted swiftly and furiously against Job by taking away his possessions--first his donkeys, then sheep, and after that his camels. Then came the cruelest blow up until this point in Job's trial; he lost all of his children in a great storm (Job 1:13-19). "Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 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.' In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." (Job 1:20-22)
Again, there came a day when the sons of God presented themselves to the Lord, and again, Satan was there. God asked the same question and received from Satan the same answer as before. Then God asked Satan if he had noticed that Job continued to serve Him and "holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason." (Job 2:1-3) Satan wasn't about to admit that he had been wrong about Job; he replied that a man will give anything to save his own skin, and if Satan were allowed to attack Job personally, Job would "curse You to your face." The Lord replied, "Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life." (Job 2:6)
When Satan left the Lord's presence, he smote Job "with loathsome sores from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head." And Job took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. "Then his wife said to him, 'do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.'" (Job 2:9) Job told her that she was speaking as one of the foolish women would speak. He pointed out to her that we should be ready to receive bad things that befall us in life, as well as good things. "In all this Job did not sin with his lips." (Job 2:10)
Job had three friends who learned of his misfortune and set a time to come and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, he was unrecognizable, because his disease had so disfigured him. They wept, rent their garments, sprinkled dust upon their heads to show their grief for him, then sat in silence for seven days. It was Job who broke the silence by lamenting the day of his birth and asking why God continues to give light to one who is in misery (Job 3:20) and "whose way is hidden" (Job 3:23).
The book of Job provides background information and tells us of the conversation between God and Satan and of the way Satan impugned Job's motive for serving God. Satan accused Job of serving Jehovah for only one reason--because He had rewarded him so handsomely for his service and had put "a hedge around him and his house." Satan said that if God took away what He had given Job, "he will curse you to your face." (Job 1:9-11)
Because Satan said these things, God allowed him to take away all that Job had. When Job remained faithful to God, Satan responded, "All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand and touch his bone and flesh, and he will curse You to your face." (Job 2:3-5) So, after taking away his possessions and children, Satan was allowed to strike Job, but he wasn't allowed to take his life. But Job was unaware that these accusations filed against him by Satan were the reason for his suffering and the loss of his possessions.
Job's wife did not encourage him to be faithful to God. Her solution to his problems was for him to renounce God and die. Death may end one's suffering here; but what about the hereafter? Regarding the death of a person suffering great pain, I've heard people say, "He's better off." Well, that depends. Things can get worse, for there is suffering far greater than any physical pain we endure in life (Matthew 13: 41-42). Only the death of His saints is precious in the Lord's sight (Psalm 116:16).
Wives are to be helpers meet, or suitable, for their husbands (Genesis 2:18), and finding a wife is finding a good thing (Proverbs 18:22); but this is true only if the wife is prudent (Proverbs 19:14). Adam's wife induced him to sin (Genesis 3:16). Solomon's wives turned away his heart after other gods (1 Kings 11:3-4); and it was Jezebel who plotted Naboth's death to enable her husband, Ahab, to have Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21). Athaliah was her son's "counselor to do wickedly." (2 Chronicles 22:3) Job's wife did not comfort or support him in his time of trial.
Nor were Job's friends helpful. Solomon said, "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17) And, "Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so does the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel." (Proverbs 27:9) In times of adversity, we expect wise counsel and comfort from friends, but Job didn't receive this from his friends. They accused him of hypocritical living, which he had been able to conceal even from them, but had been unable to hide from God and said the calamities that had befallen him had come as punishment for these. Job steadfastly maintained his innocence and his faith in God, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him: but I will maintain mine own ways before Him." (Job 13:15) In the end, Job was vindicated, his friends were rebuked, his property was restored two-fold, and he was given another family (Job 42).
Many lessons may be learned from Job, but none more clearly taught than that attainment of fidelity to God sometimes comes at the expense of not having support from those who should be the dearest to us in life--our marital companions and friends. Where Job succeeded without such support, others have faltered and failed.
Brother Blasingame presented some good thoughts regarding Job's wife. We need to remember that she witnessed everything that happened to Job. Job's children were also her children; the wealth he lost was also her security for her life. Each of us must remember that faith is personal, and no two people-not even marriage partners--have the same depth of faith. Hopefully, we can learn the value of being steadfast supporters of our spouses, no matter what life situations we face. (KMG)