When Suffering Comes

KEY VERSE: “The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” —Job 1:21

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Job 1:1-3, 8-11, 20, 21; 2:4-6, 9, 10

JOB’S faithfulness as a servant of God is revealed by the severe trial God permitted to come upon him. His attitude in this ordeal, the lessons he learned, and his final deliverance from it, help to illustrate the reason for the divine permission of evil upon all mankind and the ultimate restoration of the human race to favor with God and to health and life.

Job’s trial was brought about by the evil conniving of Satan, and thus we are reminded that he is the mastermind who set in motion the principle of evil. This fact comes to our attention in the Genesis account of creation. From the operation of the principle of evil comes all the suffering which has blighted the happiness of mankind throughout all the ages.

In the above scripture reading from the Book of Job we are told of a meeting of the “sons of God,” and that Satan appeared also among them. “The Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” (Job 1:7) According to the Scriptures, Satan cannot be relied upon to tell the truth; but in this instance he did, as confirmed by Peter’s words, when he said (I Pet. 5:8) the Adversary goeth about “as a roaring lion … seeking whom he may devour.”

The Lord asked Satan, “Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (vs 8) Satan’s reply to this question was, “doth Job fear God for nought?” This was a cleverly devised attack on the integrity of Job. Satan enlarged upon it, adding, “Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance [margin, cattle] is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.”—vss. 10,11

This accusation suggested Job was serving God for selfish reasons, not because he loved God and desired to live up to the divine principles of righteousness. This was a viewpoint with which Satan was well acquainted, for nearly all false religions stress the advantages gained by their devotees. Many of them offer temporal advantages—such as health, wealth, social standing, and so forth.

It is true that those who serve God faithfully are rewarded, but their chief motive for loyalty to God should be their love for him and for his righteousness. God knew that this was true in the case of Job; so he permitted Satan to bring calamity upon him that his integrity might be demonstrated. The Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.”—Job 1:12

Satan worked quickly. Through an invasion by the Sabeans and the Chaldeans, by fire and by storm, Job’s oxen, asses, sheep, cattle, and camels were either stolen or destroyed, and his sons and daughters were killed while at a family gathering.

But these calamities did not destroy Job’s faith, nor embitter him against God. His reply to it all was, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Foiled in his attempt to shatter Job’s loyalty to God by depriving him of his possessions, even his sons and daughters, Satan again appeared in the presence of God, and said, “Put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.” (Job 2:5) Satan was given permission to afflict Job’s person, although he was forbidden to take his life.—vs. 6

Job was then afflicted with boils from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. At this point his wife turned against him saying, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die.” This must have seemed to Job to be the final blow, yet he did not follow his wife’s advice. Instead, he replied to his wife, saying, “Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”—Job 2:9,10

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