REJECTION TO REDEMPTION
I think of Job. I can’t even imagine the agony that he went through, the rejection, the affliction itself, the worst imaginable. Job was a very wealthy farmer, the head of a family of ten children from a place called Uz. Then Job loses everything. The Chaldeans destroy his thousands of sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys by fire and his children are struck down by a great wind that destroyed their house. As if this was not enough, Job was struck with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. His bones burned with fever and his skin grew black and fell from him. When his wife comes to him and asks, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die" Job answers, “We indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? In all this Job did not sin with his lips (Job2:10.) I try to image how he felt, how he could continue to praise God; and yet he did. The poetic Book of Job explores the mystery of human suffering and contrasts the invisible working of the spirit realm against the reasoning's of ordinary people. Even though Job finally asks for death and wonders why he was born, he does not curse God. He says in Job: 19: 25 –27. “For I know that my Redeemer lives. And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know; that in my flesh I shall see God. Whom I shall see for myself. And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Although Job appeared to be rejected, his friends came to “save him” they thought by helping him figure out the sin he had done to “deserve” such punishment from God. Was he being tested by God? Yes, the story seems to say. But it was not because of any sin he had done, but to show us there will always be a struggle between evil and good and to let us know that God does not abandon us but redeems and loves us through our suffering and beyond.
According to biblical scholars, the Book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible. We don’t know when or who wrote the book, but it appears to cover the period of time about 2000 B.C., 600 years before Moses was writing the book of Genesis. At first, Job’s friends try to help Job, but they quickly turn to accusing him of some sort of hidden or known sin. Job knows that this is not the reason and tries to justify himself against their accusations. God visits Job and interrogates him. Finally, Job humbly acknowledges: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you.” (Job 42:2) Job then breathes a prayer of repentance and Job 42:10 says: “After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his [previous] possessions.”
What is the story of Job trying to teach us? It seems to tell us that the Divine Plan will ultimately prevail over Satan’s harmful influence. God will triumph! For those who believe in Him today and put their trust in the Son of God, their suffering will be over someday. They will have eternal joy and fellowship with God.
PRAYER: Sometimes things happen that we don’t understand. May we, like Job, not sin, nor charge You with wrong, but in faith know that after sorrow, joy will come. Let us not forget that You are our refuge and our strength and that You will not forsake us. Amen
Kaye White
I think of Job. I can’t even imagine the agony that he went through, the rejection, the affliction itself, the worst imaginable. Job was a very wealthy farmer, the head of a family of ten children from a place called Uz. Then Job loses everything. The Chaldeans destroy his thousands of sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys by fire and his children are struck down by a great wind that destroyed their house. As if this was not enough, Job was struck with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. His bones burned with fever and his skin grew black and fell from him. When his wife comes to him and asks, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die" Job answers, “We indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? In all this Job did not sin with his lips (Job2:10.) I try to image how he felt, how he could continue to praise God; and yet he did. The poetic Book of Job explores the mystery of human suffering and contrasts the invisible working of the spirit realm against the reasoning's of ordinary people. Even though Job finally asks for death and wonders why he was born, he does not curse God. He says in Job: 19: 25 –27. “For I know that my Redeemer lives. And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know; that in my flesh I shall see God. Whom I shall see for myself. And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Although Job appeared to be rejected, his friends came to “save him” they thought by helping him figure out the sin he had done to “deserve” such punishment from God. Was he being tested by God? Yes, the story seems to say. But it was not because of any sin he had done, but to show us there will always be a struggle between evil and good and to let us know that God does not abandon us but redeems and loves us through our suffering and beyond.
According to biblical scholars, the Book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible. We don’t know when or who wrote the book, but it appears to cover the period of time about 2000 B.C., 600 years before Moses was writing the book of Genesis. At first, Job’s friends try to help Job, but they quickly turn to accusing him of some sort of hidden or known sin. Job knows that this is not the reason and tries to justify himself against their accusations. God visits Job and interrogates him. Finally, Job humbly acknowledges: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you.” (Job 42:2) Job then breathes a prayer of repentance and Job 42:10 says: “After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his [previous] possessions.”
What is the story of Job trying to teach us? It seems to tell us that the Divine Plan will ultimately prevail over Satan’s harmful influence. God will triumph! For those who believe in Him today and put their trust in the Son of God, their suffering will be over someday. They will have eternal joy and fellowship with God.
PRAYER: Sometimes things happen that we don’t understand. May we, like Job, not sin, nor charge You with wrong, but in faith know that after sorrow, joy will come. Let us not forget that You are our refuge and our strength and that You will not forsake us. Amen
Kaye White
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