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Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless, I will argue my ways before Him. Job 13:15
The sufferings of Job.
For thousands of years, have a discussion on suffering, and sooner or later, someone will bring up Job.
Job was a prosperous man. Reading Job 1, we find that he possessed:
- Seven sons and three daughters
- 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys
- Many servants
Also, in chapter one, we read about the worst day of Job’s life:
- The Sabeans attacked and took Job’s oxen and slew his servants
- Fire from heaven burned up the sheep and servants
- The Chaldeans attacked and took the camels and killed the servants
- All his sons and daughters were having a party when a large storm caused the house to collapse, killing all of them
At the end of Job, chapter one, we read:
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Through all the suffering, Job did not sin by blaming God. He did not despair.
The trials of Job continue in chapter 2:
- Satan afflicted Job with boils from head to toe
- His wife challenged his integrity, challenging him to, “Curse God and die!”
- His three best friends arrived, and for several chapters in Job, believing Job’s trials came from his own sin – they confront him, challenge the goodness of God, and speak despair
In the middle of being accused by his friends, Job says (as we read at the beginning of the blog):
Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless, I will argue my ways before Him. Job 13:15
In the last chapters of Job, God speaks to Job, Job speaks to God, Job challenges God, and God answers. After listening to God, Job says:
I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” Therefore, I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
It is easier to despair than hope. The sufferings of Job show that everything has a purpose in God’s sovereign plan. How easy it is to focus on the here and now of difficulty rather than the eternal – praising God for an eternity of Him working all things to the good.
Despair knows only now, while hope sees heaven.