MRS JOB

We are all familiar with the Biblical story of the life of Job, but how many of us have thought of the effect Job’s suffering had on his wife? I really think she gets a “bum wrap” from most of us because she said in her frustration, “do you still maintain your integrity (piety)? Curse God and die!” We forget or don’t think of the effect all this tragedy and suffering had on her…loss of ten children, all of their belongings and wealth gone, household at the very least disbanded…and her husband suffering severely in his flesh, living outside of the city, alone. Remember that no one knew about the scene in Heaven between God and Satan, which is part of the reason Mrs Job and Job’s friends searched for explanations.

The Scripture isn’t clear exactly when the book of Job was written, but most conservative scholars place it after Babel and either before or contemporaneous with Abraham. They knew about Adam (ch 31) and the flood, (ch 12), and it was during the time when the
Chaldeans that murdered servants (ch 1)were nomads, having not yet become city dwellers. I hardly think life was easy for women back then, even when they were wealthy enough to have servants to help. Think about the physical logistics of every day life then, the cooking, cleaning, sewing and weaving, laundry, etc., the lack of sanitation and any kind of medical care other than what was available to them with herbs and roots…this woman  had given birth at least ten times and raised those children. She apparently conducted the household efficiently, honoring her husband, and was a respected member of “the community",” Now again, not knowing the scene in Heaven, what would happen “normally” in this kind of a situation and to US!!!!In dire situations, it is frequently easier to deal with the physical than the spiritual. We would begin to second guess God and His goodness…remember too, there was no written Scripture then, nothing to “go to” for comfort, and I would guess it was extremely difficult at that particular time to remind yourself that God had something “bigger and better.” Let’s take the liberty of conjecture about Mrs. Job, the possible bad and the good…think about it in terms of things and the emotions involved that have happened to us.

1. She scoffed at Job’s dependence on God, she said “do you STILL”

2. She was looking at his predicament, not the Person in charge of the predicament…Job’s condition had received Sovereign authorization, but that was unknown to her,

3. She saw the hardship, not the heart/hearts God was working on.

4. Her feelings for her husbands suffering were getting in the way of her focus on God and what He was doing.

5. Her “name and position” were important to her…what would people think!

6. She couldn’t see an answer or a way out of this terrible dilemma.

7. Her suggestion for solving Job’s situation offered him no comfort.

8. She couldn’t see God’s “character building in action” or the “hereafter”vs here and now.

I offer none of these criticisms of Mrs Job…I have been guilty of these attitudes myself on numerous occasions, and that realization in itself has caused me to take a “deeper look” at the spiritual and emotional issues of life, especially suffering/testing in the life of believers. Let’s think about a few reasons why God allows us to suffer

1). Reasons concerning God Himself:

a. to bring Him glory

b. to show His Sovereignty

c. to give US insight into His nature and character.

2). Reasons concerning us:

a. with regard to fruit bearing, patience, joy, maturity

b . sorrow over our own lack or condition

c. God’s concern /sorrow over us and love for us causes Him to chasten/prune (cut away sin and hindrances that would drain spiritual life)

d. God’s grace…not silent suffering but profiting and giving God glory!

e. Godly suffering is not intuitive, it’s learned!

f. Growing to maturity by means of submission and the learning process.

g. expressing in word and lifestyle change, the grace of God in changing us.

h. accepting hardship as the expression of His sovereign will…He chooses to bring us into line.

i. recognition of our call to maturity…suffering/hardship serves a purpose toward growth and maturity TO HIS ETERNAL GLORY!!

J. we will stand in His presence, mature, TO HIS ETERNAL GLORY!!

k. the entire process of bringing sons to glory, conformed to His image, will be TO HIS ETERNAL GLORY!!