Photo by Debra Davis 2018
Today’s Bible Reading: Job 1-5
I woke up thinking about Job for some reason and how interesting that today I begin his story.
I am struck by a similarity to Noah. Both were righteous men. We read a couple of days ago that, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” (Gen. 6:9) And we read of Job, “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1) The Lord even speaks of Job this way to Satan, “And the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’”
Yesterday we read that Noah offered a pleasing sacrifice to God after the flood had finally receded. The only people on earth God spared from total destruction were Noah and his family, and while one would be grateful for that, still everything else was lost. I can only imagine how grieved I would be at the tremendous loss of life that occurred. Everything else that Noah had before the flood was gone. I can only imagine what it would be like to be cooped up in the ark for months surrounded by nothing but water after surviving the worst rainstorm in history. I just finished reading about Magellan’s voyage of discovery; life on the ocean was far from easy. And yet, when all is said and done Noah worships God.
Now we have Job. Each messenger that came to him that day had horrible news until the final blow-the loss of his beloved children. And yet in all of this Job does not sin. The Lord again speaks to Satan about him after all this has occurred, And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.’” (Job 2:3) As we know from our reading Satan does not stop there. He wants to now go after Job physically. I am not sure exactly what this physical ailment was, but it must have been horrendous, it must have been excruciating for the reaction of Job’s three friends when they arrive speaks volumes; they did not recognize their friend and so distressed by what they encountered when they met him they spoke not a word for but just sat with him in silence for seven days and nights for such was the suffering they witnessed. And yet it is said of Job at this point that, “In all this he did not sin with his lips.”
And then come the friends-they are struggling to understand and reach the conclusion that God would not do this to a righteous person. There must be some wickedness in Job that God is disciplining him for. Oh, we need to be careful in making such assumptions about the suffering of others.
I am struck by a similarity to Noah. Both were righteous men. We read a couple of days ago that, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” (Gen. 6:9) And we read of Job, “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1) The Lord even speaks of Job this way to Satan, “And the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’”
Yesterday we read that Noah offered a pleasing sacrifice to God after the flood had finally receded. The only people on earth God spared from total destruction were Noah and his family, and while one would be grateful for that, still everything else was lost. I can only imagine how grieved I would be at the tremendous loss of life that occurred. Everything else that Noah had before the flood was gone. I can only imagine what it would be like to be cooped up in the ark for months surrounded by nothing but water after surviving the worst rainstorm in history. I just finished reading about Magellan’s voyage of discovery; life on the ocean was far from easy. And yet, when all is said and done Noah worships God.
Now we have Job. Each messenger that came to him that day had horrible news until the final blow-the loss of his beloved children. And yet in all of this Job does not sin. The Lord again speaks to Satan about him after all this has occurred, And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.’” (Job 2:3) As we know from our reading Satan does not stop there. He wants to now go after Job physically. I am not sure exactly what this physical ailment was, but it must have been horrendous, it must have been excruciating for the reaction of Job’s three friends when they arrive speaks volumes; they did not recognize their friend and so distressed by what they encountered when they met him they spoke not a word for but just sat with him in silence for seven days and nights for such was the suffering they witnessed. And yet it is said of Job at this point that, “In all this he did not sin with his lips.”
And then come the friends-they are struggling to understand and reach the conclusion that God would not do this to a righteous person. There must be some wickedness in Job that God is disciplining him for. Oh, we need to be careful in making such assumptions about the suffering of others.
To God be the glory,
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