Job
I am always amazed that when people speak of Job, it is his patience that is at all times mentioned. Well what about all the other things we can learn from him. Such as his integrity, how he respected GOD so much, he refused to do anything that would cause GOD not to bless him or remain with him.
Let’s take a stroll through the life of Mr. & Mrs. Job; I want to point out something’s that will be very beneficial to us as we learn to live a life of integrity. You are going to see the dos and don’ts.
We must acknowledge that when Job is spoken of regarding his integrity nothing is mentioned about the integrity of his wife and kids. However, I’m a firm believer and I hold the knowledge that “As for me and my house we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15) so maybe that speaks for itself.
Mr. & Mrs. Job were extremely wealthy, the parents of 10 adult children, 7 men and 3 women. Everyone was healthy and wealthy, no one wanted for anything. Now it gets interesting.
The very first thing I noticed about Job was that he would consecrate each of his sons daily because he did not want to take the chance that any of them possibly disrespected GOD in their hearts and deeds. This looks innocent enough; however, what I noticed most was that Jobs motive for doing this was fear. I never read that Job was thankful to GOD that his sons kept themselves from sinning. Job was more concerned that they were sinning than not.
I also noticed that satan along with the other Angels came before GOD’s Throne. Job was so well protected that satan had to get permission to mess with him. This too is the case with us. We are so well protected from the enemy and his devices that there are times when GOD will allow the enemy to mess with us just to show the enemy that we can handle whatever he throws our way. To show us how much we’ve grown in the Grace of GOD.
When the enemy got the okay from GOD to pick with Job, he was allowed to have free range over all with the exception of his life. He was not allowed to kill him. You may be wondering why GOD would allow this to happen. As far as I can see this lesson was for the following his self righteous friends; his crazy wife and himself.
The first attack on Mr. & Mrs. Job was the lost of their wealth and servants. The second attack was the murder of all 10 of their children. Instead of blaming GOD for his lost he began to worship GOD. Believe me if he did not miss the wealth I’m certain that his heart was overwhelmed with grief from the death of his children.
I’ve lost wealth before and GOD showed me that I had the wealth the wealth did not have me because I was able to keep it moving. I’ve never lost my children and pray that I don’t. However, I have tried to imagine life without them and my heart broke, that was enough.
Finally, Job lost his health. He became a weak sickly man who from this grew in depression. You would too if you had so called friends like these.
Bildad: Job should repent; the wicked are punished; how can man be righteous?
Elihu: Responds to Jobs other friends; claims to speak for GOD; asserts GOD’s justice; condemns Job; extols GOD’s greatness and proclaims GOD’s majesty.
Eliphaz: The innocent do not suffer; accused Job of being punished by GOD; Job your wickedness is great.
Mrs. Job: Curse GOD and die.
Zophor: You deserve worse; the wicked does suffer.
Tell the truth. If, what happened to Job happened to you, would you be able to keep your integrity? No wonder the man suffered from depression those no good friends of his accusing him of things they know nothing about and he was innocent of.
The very thought that his own wife told him to curse GOD and die, what was she thinking? When we read all the responses to all the accusations Job endured you will begin to see the shift of his speaking defense to his being depressed and having a pity party about himself. Yet the man never once blamed or cursed GOD. He kept his integrity.
Notice this that when GOD had had enough, GOD began to speak with Job and snapped him out of that depressive state and remind him who he was and who GOD is. Job began to pray for those self righteous friends of his and his wife and he also repented for cursing himself.
The end result was GOD gave him double for his lost. The enemy was defeated LOL.
The enemy had to return Jobs original 10 children and all of his wealth.
GOD then multiplied everything. So in the end Mr. & Mrs. Job became the parents of 20 children; 14,000 sheep; 6,000 camels; 1000 yoked oxen and 1000 female donkeys and an abundance of servants.