(Minghui.org) Many people may be familiar with the story of Job in the Old Testament. His story is told in the Book of Job, the first book in the Old Testament, which is not only part of the Christian Bible but is referenced by various religions.
Job was charitable, and people respected him. He was a righteous man, and God blessed him with wealth and children. One day, God asked Satan for his opinion of Job’s piety. Satan said Job was pious only because he enjoyed material blessings; if God took away everything Job had, then he would surely turn away from God.
God gave Satan permission to strip Job of his wealth and kill his children and servants. Nonetheless, Job praised God: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
God then allowed Satan to afflict Job’s body with disfiguring and painful boils. As Job sat in the ashes of his former estate, his wife prompted him to “curse God, and die.” Job answered, “Shall we receive good from God and shall we not receive evil?”
Job’s Tests Begin
Satan then used Job’s three friends–Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar–to give him sympathy and comfort, but also to test him. When they saw him, they could hardly recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads to express their grief. They sat with him for seven days and seven nights. At first, no one said a word to him because they saw how great his suffering was.
Job finally opened his mouth and wept. He asked God how he could continue living. Eliphaz chided him for not having enough faith in God, and explained that those who are upright will never be destroyed. He told Job what he saw at night and that a voice told him that God did not trust his servants, especially those whose foundations are dust. He said Job was suffering because God wanted to discipline him.
Job replied that any creature in extreme suffering would groan like him, and that only death could relieve him of his pain. He admonished his friends for making things more difficult for him.
Bildad suggested that perhaps Job’s children had offended God, and that Job may not be as upright as he seemed, or else God would surely look after him.
Job answered that he believed God was not being unjust, and that He does not need to be responsible to humans because, “He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.” Job said he could only plead with God for mercy. Besides, what good is it to try one’s best to do good deeds? There is no fair trial on Earth. He asked, “Why do I have to go through all this suffering?” He pleaded with God to “remember that you molded me like clay.” He knew God’s past kindness to him, but even if Job was blameless and continued to defend himself, it would only increase God’s wrath—if so, he would rather die.
From Job’s conversations with Eliphaz and Bildad, we can see that for someone like Job, who is faithful to God, when his physical suffering reaches a certain extent, he hopes those around him will understand what he is going through, and he hopes God will understand his thoughts and emotions, and stand on his side.
Zophar then joined the debate and said, “We are not children. Who will believe your words? You insist you are innocent, but if God speaks, he will surely expose your sins.” Zophar asked Job, “Can you fathom the mysteries of God?” He told Job that if “he allowed no evil to dwell in your tent,” God would bless him again.
Job knew he had been upright in the past, yet he also knew the pain and suffering he was going through. Hence, he told his friends sarcastically, “Doubtless you are the only people who matter, and wisdom will die with you!” He thought that if his friends saw everything God created, they would learn some lessons. Job firmly believed he was righteous, and pleaded with God to hear him. “Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble” “If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If someone dies, will they live again?”
Eliphaz then mocked Job for his lack of wisdom and tried to undermine his reverence for God. According to Eliphaz, God placed no trust in mortals and holy ones. He criticized Job for thinking too highly of himself, and said that his helping people were just bribes.
Job thought his friends were ignorant and that “they comfort people with empty words.” He hoped God would vindicate him because he believed God was well aware of his suffering.
The argument intensified, and Zophar accused Job of being a sinner who would be punished.
Job argued, “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. The good suffers till death.”
At this stage, we can see that Job is not a wicked person, but when he is faced with unfounded accusations, he emphasized that he was right and refused to see where he went wrong.
Eliphaz began to vilify Job’s good deeds. He accused Job of being evil, refusing to give food to the hungry, and treating orphans and widows badly. Eliphaz said Job’s situation was due to his not being as frugal as he appeared.
Those who knew Job would know that Eliphaz’s accusations were contrary to the facts. Hence, Job began to defend himself with facts. He said confidently that he was willing to put his case before God because He surely knew he was right. Bildad argued that no one is pure in front of God.
We know that Job was suffering because of the tribulation imposed on him by Satan. But Job did not know this—he only knew that Bildad was falsely accusing him, and he could not calm down and reflect.
However, Job described God’s wisdom, and from this we can see Job’s reverence for God. He said God’s wisdom is seen in things we can see, such as space, the earth, clouds, ocean, and wind, yet all these reflect only a small part of His greatness. People know where various treasures are in this world, but “where can wisdom be found?” Only God knows where it dwells.
Job pointed out, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”
Job firmly believed in his innocence and said, “Till I die, I will not deny my integrity!”
Job went on to recount his past deeds and how he longed to regain the intimate relationship he once had with God. He once saved those in trouble. To the blind, he was just like their eyes. Everyone looked and waited quietly for his advice, but now, he had lost all his glory, and even young ones mocked him. Now that he was in such a painful and pitiful state, they spat on his face and attacked him wantonly.
Job said he was one who had sacrificed for God and pleaded for judgment. He also asked those who accused him of wrongdoing to find his sins from his deeds.
Job’s words silenced his three friends.
Elihu spoke and explained that he quietly listened to the debate and waited to speak because the others were older than him, “Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.” He said he was angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. At the same time, he was even more angry with Job’s three friends because they were ignorant and made assertions on God.
His words were sincere. He first admitted that God was his Creator, and then pointed out that Job did not position himself correctly in his relationship with God. God does not need to answer Job, yet Job tried to argue with Him.
Elihu urged those with wisdom to listen to him. He pointed out Job’s mistake in saying previously that those who hold on to their integrity are acting in vain. Elihu said, “Far be it from God to do wickedly, nor from the Almighty to commit iniquity. He will repay a man according to his deeds, to each one according to his deeds. God acts impartially, but Job overemphasizes his own righteousness. He said Job spoke rashly without realizing it because he has “no knowledge,” but God sees Job as showing “long-suffering.”
Elihu recounts God’s remarkable deeds and his ability to control nature. He reminded Job to pay attention to and think of God’s miracles, and remember that God’s magnificent glory and awesome majesty are beyond human comprehension. God loves everyone who reveres him but will not care for those who only think he has wisdom and is not humble, he said.
At this moment, Job pleaded to God to reply to him. As humans are not fit to see God’s true image, God appeared in the form of a storm and answered Job.
The Lord asked Job a series of questions that made him realize how small human beings are, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”
God said that all this happened eons before Job was born!
The Lord then raised many questions, one after another. He mentioned the ocean, clouds, morning, gates of death, brightness, and darkness. “Because you were already born and had lived for a long time, would you know all these?” What about storms, stars in the sky, various creatures, and so on?
Job admitted humbly, “I am unworthy, how can I reply to you, I put my hand over my mouth.” He admitted his mistakes and ignorant words. “My ears had heard of you before, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
The Lord then admonished Eliphaz and his two friends for not speaking the truth about him. He asked them to make offerings and get Job to pray for them. The Lord restored Job’s fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. The Lord blessed Job’s latter life with more than he previously had—he gave him more cattle and children. Job lived another 140 years and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.
When Job was about to die, God pitied him and sent a messenger, “Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s; he shall return to the days of his youth.”
From the story of Job, we can see that God is compassionate to people, but this compassion is not confined to human emotions and notions. When people revere God, it does not mean they are perfect. As long as one is human, one will err, and people’s sins and the karma can only be eliminated through suffering. Through Job’s story, we see there are other reasons people suffer... In his case, God gave permission to allow good people to suffer. As long as we are able to hold on to our reverence for God, no matter what happens, we will receive blessings in the end.
Those who don’t believe in the divine will still be held responsible for their wrongdoings. The laws of the universe will not disappear just because some people don’t believe in them.
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