Preface

The Book of Job is an excellent Book to study to get insight, comfort and spiritual strength to get through the rough days on the way to Heaven. Job's experience tells us how bad things can get on the journey. We are living on earth, not in heaven, and earth is a battleground. Job got through the days of suffering and the nights of sorrow - how ? This Book tells us how. We learn from it not only how to understand and help others, but also how to get help from God for ourselves. Perhaps the greatest lessons of the Book are to prove that Christians can have a ' disinterested faith ' ( contrary to Satan's sneer in ch.1:9) and that God's promise will be kept, the promise to keep them enduring to the end ( Heb. 7:25). - Someone prays for us, and His prayer never fails ( John 17:24).

My thanks again to my friend Harry Woods for all the technical aspects of putting this book together.

James Clark. MA MSc MEd MTh.

JANUARY 1

" There was a man in the land of Uz..."   Job 1:1.

Job lived about 2,000 BC in the Middle East. The common conservative view is that Moses wrote it down. Several reasons have been suggested for its place in the Bible.

1. The aim is to remind us of the mysterious but righteous dealings of God with his people, and    with the world.

2. It is an antidote to the ' prosperity theology '.

3. It is a case study of bereavement and depression.

4. It shows how God's people grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Author of grace ; it can be a painful process.

5. There is a sovereignty in suffering, and it is not necessarily connected to a particular sin in the person's life.

There are doubtless aspects of all these (1-5) in the Book. We must also remember that much of Job's distress arose from the fact that he did not know the cause ( hidden in the invisible world ) for what was happening to him in the visible world (ie. satan's activity ). It also perplexed him ( as David in Ps.22:1) that God did not intervene or explain why He did not intervene to relieve him. Thus Job endured while deprived of understanding, strength and social support, but the Master enabled His servant to stand ( Rom.14:4) though he lay in the dust. 

JANUARY 2

" There was a man...whose name was Job."    Job 1:1.

Job was a historical, real person ( Ezek.14:14,20. James 5:11). He was a man, with all the flaws that belong to fallen human nature, imperfections which continue in some degree even in a renewed state of grace. And what a comfort his history has brought to others who are cast down in self-conscious weakness. ' The excellency of the power of God ' shines through him ( 2 Corinth.4:7,8 ) as he continues to trust in God, through unimaginable sufferings, right to the end, however weak his faith became at times.He was a man born into the devil's service, but taken out of that to serve God ( Gen.3:15. Ps.110:3. Heb.2:14) ; and his former master resented his devotion to his new One ! He was a marked man, not only by God but also by the devil, as every believer is. His soul became a battleground between two powers, and much of the action hidden inside there. " He was a man who was about to be taught " how to handle a cross, how to behave when we are in a conflict, what spiritual warfare is, and with what patience we need to bear the hand of God and His dealings with us." ( Joseph Caryl ).

There are ways in God's Providence " past finding out." ( Rom.11:33). Moreover, God's ways of making us " grow in grace " are sometimes extraordinary, as John Newton found when he prayed to grow in grace. Job is a man now in heaven. We cannot judge a man's life  ( as his ' friends ' tried to, regarding Job ) until the book is ended ( ch.42). Let us look to the end, to Revelation 21 and 22, and see the end for God's people ; they all, like Job, made it Home.

JANUARY 3 

" That man was perfect and upright."  Job 1:1.

Like Zacharias and Elizabeth, Job was outwardly irreproachable. He was not sinless, but had sincere integrity, known to be upright in his ways. As a man justified by faith in his Redeemer alone, he consequently pursued holiness, even though he knew perfection in holiness was unattainable in this world ( Eccles. 7:20). Job was, like Melchizedek, a Gentile, and walked more consistently than most, but not yet perfect. He was perfectly justified, and a perfect beginning in sanctification had begun ; our hope is according to His promise that at death the soul shall be made perfect in holiness. ( 1 John 3;2. 1 Thess. 5:23,24).

But the pursuit of godliness does not exempt us from suffering ; it is often holiness and devotion that attracts suffering ; the faithful in Hebrews 11 all suffered. This was something his friends failed to understand. They were early proponents of the ' prosperity theology ' ie. ' If you are good, God will be good to you '. The book of Job disproves this heresy. Psalm 1 : 1-3 could indeed be written of Job, but he had to pray that God would enable Him. The ' fear of the Lord ' kept him constant in prayer as he was constantly aware of his weakness. While perfect sanctification is impossible to achieve in this world, it is nevertheless the ideal and the aim of the believer ( Philipp.3:13,14), and Christ shall ensure we have it at death ( 1 Corinth.1:30. Philipp. 1:6). We have but to fight on, and soon we shall enter the promised land ; it has been won for us already.

JANUARY 4

" that feared God and avoided [ turned away from ] evil."  Job 1:1.

The fear of God was the foundation for Job's character ; not a slavish terror but a reverential love for God, a love which does not wish to offend Him. Our view of God affects how we worship Him, how we address Him etc. and this view is informed by the Word of God alone ( John 17:3). If Job could not avoid sin, he prayed for the strength to resist it. He was not sinless like Jesus ( John 8:29 ) but he had the faith to sincerely purpose to be like HIm. There is an awe in knowing ( lacking in many today ) ; it keeps us from straying back into worldly ways. This fear is " chastened and elevated by intelligence." ( E.Johnson). It makes us wise ( Job 28:28). Love and fear dwell together in the new heart ; it is our proper response to the greatness of God. " If the fear of God is absent, it makes them proud and presumptuous. But if it is present, it makes them humble and reverent." ( Martin Luther).

Job was a man of integrity, not perfect but reliably upright. He turned away from evil, but evil did not turn away from him ; it met him often on the path. Such temptations can help us to self-knowledge. Temptations bring our weakness and self bias to light. " If these discoveries serve to humble him, bring him to repentance and lead him to be more watchful against his besetting sins, the ends of Divine grace in permitting him to be overtaken by this temptation will be and answered. " ( W.H.Green) cf.ch.42:6. The gates of hell shall not prevail !

" If you have integrity, nothing else matters.

  If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters." ( Anon.)

JANUARY 5

" When the days of their feasting were gone about...Job rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings."  Job 1:5.

Children are not born innocent, but born sinners ( Ps.51:5). The root of sin is in the heart and can spoil any good act ( Rom.7:21), whether feasting or even worship. Job knew that the only remedy for sin, including sins of ignorance ( " It may be that my sons have sinned.. " ) was sacrifice. All the sacrifices of the Old Testament religion were pointing to One who would make the one sacrifice (Ps.40:6,7 ). Until He came to sacrifice Himself, the sacrifices appointed by God were to be offered up in faith, a faith which looked forward to the fulfilling of God's promise in Genesis 3:15 ( Heb.9:26. John 1:29).

Job prayed for his children, and was concerned that they would not dismiss God from their lives. His great desire was that they would share the same Hope as himself ( 1 Tim.1:1), and take the same journey of faith as he did, following the Lamb of God. He had been young himself and knew the world's ways, its temptations and empty promises. He prayed to be a good, consistent example to his children in the ways of God ; because our children do observe us more than anyone else. His children were prosperous, and gathered in rotation at one another's feasts, but how much time did they give to God. " Adversity has slain its thousands, and prosperity its ten thousands," said Spurgeon. As the patriarchal head of the household, Job acted as a priest, watching over and interceding for his family. Let us pray that we and our children will not become less mindful and less thankful to God (Ps.103:2).

JANUARY 6

" It may be that my sons ( and daughters ) have sinned in their hearts."  Job 1:5.

Job had been young himself and knew that young people were in danger, because they did not yet discern  the relentless and subtle enmity of ' satan', a word which means ' the enemy ' ( cf. Matt.13:28). His children enjoyed feasts ( ' parties' ) and Job prayed for them ' just in case ' they had gone too far in their celebrations and offended God. Some things are alright as long as they do not go 'too far.' He was probably concerned that they also continued their own family worship, something he had taught them as they grew up with him, now that they had left home. There is so much danger in the world and parents long to protect their children from it." The very exuberance and high spirits which make young people so dear is one of the things that produces anxiety in a parent's heart. Job knows this, like any parent, and evidently worries that his children would not think through the consequences of their actions, would get caught up in the partying, and do something foolish...with possibly fatal consequences." ( C.A.Newsom)

There are ' sins of ignorance ', with the appropriate sacrifice for them ( Ps.19:12. Levit.4:27ff ). The sacrifices did not replace prayer, but were aids to prayer. Prayer for someone else is an act of caring, and Christ does this continually and effectively ( Heb.7:25). Our prayers cannot ensure the safety of our children, but His can. Let us therefore, like Job, commend them to His care.

JANUARY 7

" and Satan came also among them."   Job 1:6.

Perhaps he had been summoned to appear because God knew he had been ' eyeing up ' Job ( vs.8). He was granted access, not according to his own will but by God's. A similar appearance is recorded in 1 Kings 22:17-23. Satan can only work by permission ; as in the Garden of Eden, or tempting Peter (Lk.22:31).He is already a defeated enemy ( Coloss.2:15. 1 John 3:8), but still a very dangerous one, especially to those who bear a great likeness to Christ. This is the fallen angel of whom John Milton wrote that he preferred " to reign in hell rather than serve in heaven." (Paradise Lost ) As our great accuser ( Rev.12:10 ) he begins to accuse Job, that he is only serving God for what he can get out of it ie. using godliness for gain. But ' we have an Advocate ' to answer all accusations.

Satan is mentioned as separate from the other angels, signifying that he is in a real way different from the other angels there. This ' roaring lion ' wants the fence around Job taken down so that he can get at him. However, as we shall see, Job loves God for who He is and not just for what He gives. " The devil is never satisfied with but one attempt to bring down a believer, nor is he ever willing to admit defeat. The Christian should not expect a long period in which he is exempt from trials...though God may permit His people to be tried ( severely), He does not cease to love them. He may hear Satan's charges against them, but He will never believe them ! ( Rom.8:33,34) ( Thomas Whitelaw)

JANUARY 8

" Satan answered the Lord,...from going to and fro in the earth. " Job 1:7.

" Whence ? " asked God. Satan had not been with the elect angels, around God's throne. He is restless, restless to do evil. Not being omnipresent like God, he  walks up and down  the earth and " cannot pretend he has been doing any good." ( Matthew Henry ). Satan has others with him to attack God's people, and he may not give you his personal attention, like Job, but you will know when he does ! That indeed will be an ' evil day ' ( Ephes.6:13). Satan, not know anything about humble obedience himself, accuses Job of hypocrisy ; of which he has seen a lot on earth. Satan, from experience, does not believe that many professions of faith are genuine. He accuses Job of self-serving (vs.9,10), still under a covenant of works, working away at his ' prosperity theology ' ; he volunteers to expose him. But God knew that Job was within a 'covenant of grace ', the grace of Christ ( Ephes.2:8-10), and would be safe in that covenant, no matter what happens to him.

In a way, Satan is really challenging God, questioning whether He is actually worth serving unless He bribes people ( with prosperity) to do so. He knows from experience that a little bit of loss, disappointment, persecution is enough to turn many aside from following Him ( John 6:60,66) ; he knows the parable of the 'stony ground '. But did these people genuinely follow the Lord in the first place ? ( 1 John 2:19) Or were they " going to Mt. Zion for praise ? " ( Pilgrim's Progress). Satan is out to take as many to hell with him as he can. He is still in the world, still going ' to and fro ', but the Lord's eyes go there too ! ( 2 Chron.  16:9).

JANUARY 9

" Hast thou considered by servant Job ? "   Job 1:8.

God knows that he has, that he has 'painted a target ' on Job's back ! Now he comes seeking God's permission to hurt Job, to go to war against him, and God gives it. Job did not know the cause of his suffering, and this was an ingredient in his suffering, but even if he had known, he would have found it mysterious. Like Paul, Job " had a reputation with the devil ", as Spurgeon comments on Acts 19:15. Satan has left many a sinner alone, as they were no threat to him, but Job's words and lifestyle were a threat to the devil's influence on people. He prefers that they 'sleep on' themselves, and do not awaken others to their danger. However, Satan can only work by permission ( Mark 5:12,13 ) and now he comes to get it. He is permitted by God's decree to go so far and no more, and he does not question this limitation ; he knows his limits, just as men do ( Ps. 76:10). In attacking Job Satan makes use of natural forces ; men, lightning,winds. But again, he could not have used them without permission ( Ps.78:26). God created nature, and it can only be used by His permission. Christ limited ( ' rebuked ' ) the storm on the sea of Galilee, He limited its use, just as He did with Satan ; Job and his wife were not struck down by it. The world sees only ' natural disasters ' when these things happen, but faith sees behind all ( Job 1:21). Job suffered a dreadful loss - how would we ourselves have responded ? Suffering sifts faith, whether it is genuine or not, no matter how weak it becomes. It was a severe test for Job, but God still loved God, and God still loved Job !

JANUARY 10

" Does Job serve God for nothing ? "  Job 1:9

People have different motives inwardly for serving God outwardly. Satan knows this and does not like the way Job is held up on earth as a faithful witness to God. The devil expects Job to be like many others in the ' visible church ', just a part time believer, giving God an hour or two a week of their thoughts and time. He hopes to expose Job to the world as just another ' fair weather ' hypocrite. What do many people in the church hope to get out of it ? Reputation, applause, promotion, a pacified conscience, social acceptance, company ? Many join as the church makes no demands upon them, just gives them what they need. But with privileges come responsibilities, and every Christian has their duties to God. Some join the church thinking this is a group who will uphold high moral ideals, but much of the ' modern ' church has altered its moral stance since the times of the Apostles, and the Bible is no longer their standard for living. There is such a thing as a religion without the Holy Spirit, a profession with ' no oil in the lamp '. 

( Matt.25:8). There are others who want to hang on to some sins ( and take them with them ) instead of fighting against them. Others are like the Pharisees, it is all outward show with no inner life. Whatever our motive is, Satan will discover it, and act accordingly. The church is still made up of ' wheat and tares'  ( Matt.13:25,30). God knew that Job loved him for Himself, and not for personal gain, and would soon prove it !

JANUARY 11

" Then Satan answered, Does Job fear God for nothing ? [ for no benefit ?]  Job 1:10

No, says Satan, he looked for riches by serving God, and he has attained them. When a man's actions are honest, it is devilish to accuse him of dishonest intentions ; but the word ' devil ' does mean ' slanderer ', and as is his name so is his work. envy and malice accuses what others do sincerely, but love will cover imperfections when there is a good intention but flaws adhere. Serving God will not be for nothing, - we receive so many benefits before and after we begin to serve God, - but all is of grace, there is no merit ; we are not in it for the rewards. Christ Himself is our Reward ( Gen.15:1). To love and serve Him suffices us. The devil finds this hard to believe, as he hates Christ. But to make benefits the sole or supreme cause of our service would be sinful. " Their love is for the table and not for the host." ( Spurgeon). Satan believes Christ only has a following because of what He gives His followers ; take away the benefits and replace it with losses and you will take away the followers - that is his belief.  God would use Job ( as He did Abraham, Gen.22) and others to prove that His followers have unconditional devotion. Faith is magnificent when it says, " Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him ". Even the devil was impressed by that - but how many have that faith today ? We will soon see. 

" Sooner or later every bar of gold must pass through the fire." ( Spurgeon)

JANUARY 12

" Hast thou not made a hedge about him ? "  Job 1:10.

" In circumstances of prosperity and happiness we must never forget that it is God who plants a hedge about us, blesses our work and increases our substance. It is good to realize that whatever be the malignity of our foes, there is always the Divine restraint, and we are not tempted beyond what we are able to bear. It is not enough to bear our griefs sullenly or stoically. It should be our aim not only to hold fast to our integrity, but to trust God.There is the clue to the mystery of human life, which comes to the man who differentiates between the Real and the unreal, the seen and the Unseen.

At some time or other we come back to study this book, the profound study in the Bible which deals with the great problem of evil. It is the clue to life's maze, the expression of our heart's cry, and the solution of life's mystery in the Will and Love of God. The supreme questions are contained there, - Can God make man love Him for Himself alone and apart from His gifts ? Why is evil permitted, and what part does it play in the nurture of the soul of man ? - ' My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart.'  "  ( F.B.Meyer)

JANUARY 13

" There was a day..."  Job 1:13.

This was a day when Job had to stand and endure, and at the end of this day, his worst day, his faith could still ' stand ' although his body lay in the dust. Apollyon, the ' Destroyer ', came to visit him and his family. It was a day of one loss after another, and the worst was reserved for last of all, his children. It is a dreadful day when a parent has to bury his child, ...but ten of them ! job was like a rock in the ocean, being battered by one wave after another ( Ps.42:7). Job was given no opportunity to recover from one affliction and prepare for the next." Sorrows come not as single spies, but in battalions ! " ( Shakespeare). Job was indeed protected by God ( vs.12), but it didn't feel that way ! His wife also was so broken that she couldn't give him any consolation, she also was emptied. Satan cumulatively wore down Job's defences, especially striking on what was a happy feast day.He leaves one person alive each time to bring the sad  report to Job. What a difference a day can make ! But that can, by God's grace, work another way - as Paul found on the road to Damascus." When a child dies, a part of the parent is buried." ( J.Bayly ) When Spurgeon put all infants into heaven when he presided over their funeral services, someone objected. The critic received the memorable answer, " If Mr. Spurgeon put those children into heaven, I am not going to take them out ! " Soon the days shall be over, and the evil with them.

JANUARY 14

" There was a day...there was a day..." Job 1:6. 2:1.

Things were happening in heaven which would change the course of Job's life on earth ; the smooth path he had enjoyed was now going to become very rough indeed. He did not know that yet, nor do we...until it happens ! A decision had been made in heaven concerning him ( as with ourselves) ; he was not consulted, he was not informed. This highlights God's sovereignty over all His creatures, over all events. " Though Satan was permitted to afflict Job, it was God, not Satan, who laid down the rules of combat and drew up the battle lines. At no time did Satan challenge God's prerogative. At every point in this strange and bitter conflict God, not Satan, was in control. Satan's power to afflict him was restricted by the hand of God. (Margaret Clarkson). He was delivered into Satan's hand (vs.6 ), but he was still in God's hands ( John 10:28,29). This was because there had been another ' day ' in heaven before this, when the Trinity entered into a covenant to save sinners, a covenant of grace. Grace was 'given to them in Christ Jesus before the world began ' ( 2 Tim. 1:9 ) - they would therefore be preserved, no matter what. We must keep this in mind, God's promise, as we have been born into a world of suffering. " When we resist our sufferings we make life much harder for ourselves." ( M.Clarkson) A world of anguish watches us and how we suffer. May our confession be like that of another, " I do not know what my future holds, but I know Him who holds my future. " ( as Paul in 2 Tim.1:12).

JANUARY 15

" Then Job.. fell down upon the ground, and worshipped." Job 1:20

Even in the dust the worship of God continues. There is still much to be thankful for, and Christ shall not be among our losses ; He is always gain ( Phiilipp.1:21). Job could go on, survive, because God had said, " I will be their God, and they will be My people." Satan's first plan was defeated, as his last shall be also ( Rom.16:20), and all his strategies in between. Job would prevail, because, like Jacob, he was hanging onto God when his strength had gone ( Gen.32:26) - and he saw no strength within him now. He proved he was not serving God for the reward of prosperity, and uttered no ' foolish talk ' about God ( vs.22. 2:10). Satan will tempt us to this also. The word ' chance ' was not in Job's vocabulary, but ' trust ' was. " By faith he conquers himself, and in so doing, Satan is conquered too. Job is in the dust but the eyes of faith rise to God." ( John Kitto). Job does not understand the purpose of his sufferings, nor does he foresee the benefits, but he trusts God. He knows His ' Name ', His character as revealed. He had many thoughts inside which disturbed him, but did not speak foolishly in public. Job's own character, as described in verse 1, continues. But the battle inside would be long and painful. 'Keep remembering', he would say to Himself, 'God is still here with me.'

JANUARY 16

" The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away."  Job 1:21.

It has been accepted down through the ages that we seem to learn more about God and ourselves by affliction than by prosperity ; although not a path we would choose ourselves. God's pity is for those in misery, suffering makes us pray more and draw closer to Him ; He now has our undivided attention ! " Once some kind of acceptance has occurred in suffering, the path is clear for the exploration of a deeper kind of faith." ( Katherine Dell). Job glorified God in his sufferings, but doubtless under great strain as he uttered the words - this was real, the words did not come easily. ' Job restored his children to their Owner, they were but on loan here.' He fell to the ground in his weakness, but could not stop worshipping. " Surely no man, besides the Son of Man in Gethsemane, ever rose to a greater height of resignation...How thoroughly beaten the evil spirit must have felt. May the Holy Spirit help each one of us to triumph over him in like manner." ( Spurgeon)

" Tis God that lifts our comforts high, or sinks them in the grave.

   He gives, and blessed be His name, He takes but what He gave." ( Anon.)

Job's faith was not restricted to what he saw, felt or heard in this world - he could look beyond. Suffering makes us search out the deep certainties of God. We live by promises, not providences ( 2 Corinth. 5:7). In our sufferings we look to God for strength to get through them if it is not His Will to remove them.

JANUARY 17

" And Satan also came among them." Job 2:1.

The Devil is found among the saints. Sin never gives up, nor does the Devil working behind them. Taking away Job's possessions didn't work out for him, so now he asks that Job's health be taken away, and as painfully as possible ! This conference is an example of how our lives are planned in heaven, with planned, permitted works of the Devil involved. Many, like Cyrus ( Isaiah 45:4) do neither perceive or accept this fact. They prefer the theology of Dualism, but God has ' foreordained whatsoever comes to pass ', and that means ' whatsoever ' ! ( Ps.115:3) We live in a world of opposing forces, and that includes the inner world of the Christian also ( Romans 7). Job said, " The Lord gave...the Lord hath taken away " - he knew this, do we accept this in our own lives ? The beginnings, means and ends are all decreed by God. Nevertheless,we are responsible for our choices.

Whether it be in the heights of heaven or the depths of earth, there is a mysteriousness about life on earth ; an earth filled with selfishly flawed human beings among whom we have to navigate our course to heaven. We are continually finding that ' God's ways are not our ways ' ( Isaiah 55:8,9). " God is working on such a different level that human beings are put in their place when they realize it. ' ( K.Dell) We cannot predict what God has not revealed for the future, but the means which lead to the end are made known to us. Each of the two paths ( Matthew 7) lead to a certain destination. " I do not know what the future holds, but I know Him who holds the future." ( Anon.)

JANUARY 18

" And Satan answered, ...Skin for skin. yea, all that a man has he will give for his life. "   Job 2:4.

This seems to mean that ' a man will give his skin to save his skin.' Again Satan accuses Job of self-interest, that godliness is a means of gain, of prosperity. He thinks that although Job can endure a bit more than others, all that is needed is to increase the pressure on him and he will crack ; this would show that his love for God is conditional after all - so Satan thought. " it is true that when a man's life is at stake he will give all that he has for it, and think that he has made a good bargain." ( Joseph Caryl) But Job would rather lose his life than his soul. Satan thinks that we prize Christ as little as he does ! we may have losses and griefs but " all our gains are safe in Christ." ( J.Caryl) Satan is still looking for weaknesses in Job's defences, and he will do the same with us. He knows that every sinner has a weakness, converted or not, and he will seek to exploit it. We ought to be aware of our own weak spot, and apply to God accordingly ( Ps.46;1). Each has his or her own personal battle in life on the way to heaven, but faith holds on, faith believes God knows what He is doing ( Rom.8:28)

JANUARY 19

" Satan...smote Job with sore boils, from the sole of his feet to his crown."      Job 2:7.

There was no part of Job, in soul or body, which did not suffer ( an early limited type of Christ ? ). The Devil was like an Arminian theologian, he thought that grace could be lost if the believer suffered enough. So he was emboldened to have another attempt on Job when God declared that Job still remained faithful to Him. God againn gives Satan, but again imposes a limit ( 1 Corinth.10:13). Even Job would soon know by experience that he could bear more than he thought he could ; we shall find that also. " God is not moved to do anything He has not decreed, and what He decreed in eternity He brings to pass in time. " ( James Durham). Affliction is decreed, but God still holds the troublers responsible ; they made the choice to afflict. Their motive in afflicting is also different from God's ; His is done " out of love, holy wisdom and goodness.Whereas Satan and the wicked afflict His people out of hatred and malice, to sweep them off their feet, and discredit God's work in them. " ( J.Durham) Job was living in constant pain, with no relief in sight. There are many temptations in such a condition. It is easy to doubt God's care and say, 'Why me ?' We are tempted to limit our view of life to this world and ourselves, and to forget the One who said, " I am with you always."

JANUARY 20 

" He took a potsherd and scraped himself."   Job 2:8

Job met his disease, which seemed incurable, with patient submission ( so far ). It is how we respond to afflictive providences that is so important for our going forward under it. If we see only the negatives we shall collapse under it ; anxiety will quickly drain us of energy. But how difficult to endure constant pain ! Job was about to discover this. For the present he indulged in no complaints, he still had the strength to bear it silently, to ' wait upon the Lord.'  It quickly became apparent that his condition was offensive to his friends and neighbours, and he removed himself to the ash-heap ; the equivalent of today's dumping ground. He scraped himself, attending to the physical, but his bodily pain was slowly but surely affecting the state of his mind also.

The Devil seeks to wear him down, and ourselves also. He is adept in assaulting us in unexpected ways ; they may be new to us but he has used them in one generation after another. His aim is to make people renounce their religion and blame God's alleged character for it. Satan attacks God's character indirectly, ie. through the complaints of those who professed to be His trustful people. Down through the ages, Satan has used illness and bereavement to turn thousands away from God. They cry out, " What kind of a God would do this ? " - while the Devil hides his involvement. But God's genuine people, like Job, although strained to breaking point, still look for God - they have nowhere else to go, and this is what ultimately saves them

JANUARY 21

" Then said his wife to him...Curse God and die."  Job 2:9.

 Job's wife did not have his ' patience ' (1:21), " for better, for worse ", as the marriage lines go. Her suffering, like Job's , was also unique. Moreover, patience is a gift from God, to yield our lives to God's rulings ( which involves resistance to the opposite forces within). She was lonely, and loneliness can make you say and do strange things.. Her husband was isolated, an outcast and immobile. Her words probably reflect what she felt herself, this desire to get away from this constant pain. We cannot measure a person's character by one outburst - how would we measure up ourselves if that were the case ? We are " not in her shoes', and we should restrain any swift judgement in this case.

The death of a child often leads to tensions in a marriage, and often to divorce. She lost all her children in one day ! Each spouse finds it difficult to cope with their own grief. This is understandable, and it usually leads to strained communication, sometimes recrimination also. They live together but have little they can share. There are few words recorded between Job and his wife in this period. Job has been struggling to maintain his faith, his wife has been less successful. Perhaps she found it difficult to grasp how Job continued to love his God above his children, and did not show as much grief as she did. Job understood her, even though she struggled to understand him, and he used measured language. " You speak like.." he said, not ' you are foolish ' ;  also 'foolish' is not ' evil'. Job tried to concentrate on his duty ; this is always a way to avoid being swallowed up by emotion - and he was not insensitive to what had happened, despite how his words may appear to some.

JANUARY 22

" Then said his wife to him.."   Job 2:9.

Job's wife has been portrayed as a second Eve who tempts her husband ( Augustine), a further scourge of the Devil against Job ( Chrysostom), the Devil's co-worker etc - opinions about her are still mixed today. Job tried to comfort her and gently correct her. In chapter 42 God does not deal harshly with her ( like his three friends), and she becomes the mother of a second family. But she, like Job, did suffer terribly upon the death of all the children in the first family. Samuel Rutherford saw several of his children die in infancy. When asked about this, he replied, " God has sent them on ahead." This is a comforting view of death in infancy.

David McKenna, writing in 1986, had a sympathetic view of Job's wife :

" Job's wife suffers with her husband. To see him devastated now with disease and ridiculed by former friends and others is more than she can take. Her reaction witnesses to the intensity of Job's near fatal suffering. Who has not sat at the bed of a loved one in intense suffering...and prayed that death would come quickly and mercifully. Job's wife speaks as many have felt. Of course, she gives the wrong advice, and inadvertently serves Satan's purpose, and along with her husband, we may well call her foolish, but not evil."It should be noted that the word translated from the Hebrew original as  'curse ' in this verse also means ' bless '. A second way of looking at this is therefore possible.

JANUARY 23

" Thou speakst as one of the foolish women."  Job 2:10.

Job's wife did not fully understand the piety of Job' sufferiings, the wrestling inside with his past spiritual experience with God and 'natural' reactions. She felt that Job should 'shake his fist at God.' But his wife's attitude reinforced his sense of loneliness. He had hoped that she would understand, but no, only God could...but would that change his condition ? He said that her words were foolish ie. that she lacked trust in God and her words did not glorify Him in public ; which is always our duty, no matter what. He knew the struggle he had with this himself, and he could empathize with her attitude ; but this did not excuse her. It is lack of trust, unbelief, which causes us to stagger ( Rom.4:20). The attitude of faith is to assert that Providence is no safe guide for us, and also that God is above our judgement. " It is faith's work to challenge lovingkindness out of all the roughest strokes of God." ( Rutherford). It is easy and tempting to give up hope, but faith has its reasons for resisting despair." Job puts her down, not with rage but with reason. He uses words that tend to convince the judgement and to stir up the conscience to a due consideration of her fault. " ( John Trapp). Job's wife struggled to see through the pains of time into the peace of eternity. In effect she was saying to Job, " Forget God now, death is your best friend. For her life seemed to her to be a continual death." (J.Kittto). Her response at this time was anger, and many would have agreed with her. But Job's trust was holding out against all words to the contrary. Wives, and husbands, can give the wrong advice sometimes. " In times of suffering we need to ask God to guard our lips." ( J.A.Blair) It is indeed difficult, as Rutherford says, to catch a glimpse of Christ in the storm...but He is there.

JANUARY 24

" Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil ?  [ suffering]. Job 2:10.

it is easy to be thankful to God in prosperity, but, as Satan knew, affliction will sift ' believers'. " Shall we be all for comforts and nothing at all for crosses ? Is it not equal that we should share in both, since it is the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed ( Ps.103:10)...God has set such an order and vicissitude in the life of man that we are to acquiesce in both." ( J.Trapp) This is not easy for faith, but surely what happens to us should not affect our view of God's character ? We often have no choice but to go through some form of suffering, and must trust God as we go through it - it will have an end. Job's wife perhaps thought that we shall have ' health and wealth' as we follow God, but this has not been promised. God is mysterious in His dealings with us, and Seldom predictable. We do not know enough to judge His ways properly or perfectly ( Ps.115:3. Isaiah 55:8,9)Job still believed that his one Gain outweighed all his losses ( Philipp.1:21). Spiritually speaking, there is such a thing as a profitable loss ( Philipp.3:7-10). We must take what God gives us in this world ( is there a choice ? ), and whatever we get, it is not what we deserve. Grace gives us what we do not deserve, Christ has made the eternal difference. " Job could pray 'Thy Will be done ' with a depth of meaning that it does not always possess in so-called Christian prayer." ( E.Heavenor)

JANUARY 25

"  When Job's three friends heard..., they came...to mourn with him and to comfort him.      Job 2:11.

They came without being asked, and they were the only ones who did come. His relations were ominously absent. Unfortunately they were tainted with the beliefs of the Pharisees. They wanted to help Job, but they could not do so on the basis of their legalistic theology. They could only understand his experience against the background of the Law ; they had no 'good news' for one they regarded as a sinner, who brought this suffering upon himself. Seven days was the patriarchal custom for mourning ( Gen.50:10), and they sat with him for seven days before speaking. And it would have been better had they remained silent ! For they reasoned that if Job had really been ' upright ', God would have rewarded him, according to their ' prosperity theology '. They therefore concluded that he had been a hypocrite and spoke accordingly. Job's condition was a mystery to him, but not to them. They had a mechanical view of God's Providence ie. ' if that happens, then this follows,always'. What held them back from speaking ? Was it not that they knew what they were going to say, that it was Job's sin, perhaps secret sin, that had led God to punish him ( the word ' chastisement ' was not in their punitive vocabulary). They were self-appointed counsellors, but as Job said, miserable ones ! They were serious, learned men, but overconfident about their own wisdom. This lack of perception is probably found in everyone, especially in those who claim to be infallible in everything they say.

JANUARY 26

" And when they lifted up their eyes...they knew him not ; they lifted up their voice and wept. " Job 2:12.

They came to sympathize with Job upon this severe catastrophe. To be present and ' weep with those who weep ' was a comfort, but their speech soon took away that comfort. In bereavement it is wise to say as little as is needed, or it soon becomes cliches. To say to a bereaved person, " How are you feeling ? is to mock them, it is to show that you don't understand what the person is feeling ? "They sighed andsprinkled dust upon their heads ( vs.12) ; a reminder of our own mortality. They did well to sit with him silently for 7 days. It must have been uncomfortable for them, but they did put in the effort. Many ' comforters ' disappear after a few days visit. It shows us that kind deeds can still be done by those who have bad theology. However, it soon became apparent, when Job resisted their arguments, that they had no pity for Job ; nevertheless, God did ( Ps.103:13).

Some people become so ill that you can hardly recognise them. Gone was the old Job ; inside and outside they had faded away. They had nothing to say to make him feel better, no-one has, except to refer them to God and commend them to His care. There are some wounds which can only be healed by God alone ( Ps.147:3). There was Another whose suffering made him almost unrecognizable (Isaiah 52:14), but this One knew how to comfort people.

JANUARY 27

" And none spoke a word to him."   Job 2:13

" On the arrival of the friends, seeing Job's condition, so different from the last time they met, now sitting in the open air, banished by disease from his dwelling, defaced by disease beyond recognition, an utterly broken man, they express their grief by all the significant gestures of eastern manners. They weep, tear their clothes and sprinkle dust upon their heads. They then keep a profound, mournful silence for a week. The Bible teaches us true sympathy, " There is a time to keep silence." ( Eccles.3:7) In great grief we recognise the hand of God, and He bids us to be still and acknowledge Him. Our smaller feelings bubble, our deeper ones are dumb. There are times when reverence demands silence, and a single word is too much.

Leave the sufferer alone at first, let him collect himself; let him ask what God has to say to Him in the still, small voice that comes after the earthquake and the storm ( 1 Kings 19:12). sit by your friend's side, clasp his hand, and comfort him. In the early stage of a fresh and sudden grief this will be enough ; there will be a time to speak soon. A wounded heart, like job's, can be greatly comforted by the silent presence of sympathising friends. It was better for Job in this case that they were silent. But spoken attempts at consolation can go too far, into well-worn cliches and platitudes. God's words are the best words for comfort eg. Psalm 23. John 14:1-3). "  ( E. Johnson 1895) Silence is often a kinder ministry ( Job 13:5).

JANUARY 28 

" After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day."    Job 3:1

This is the cry of a broken heart ; if it did not cry it would burst. Job has been overwhelmed and, seven days later, he realizes that he is not as strong as he thought. He begins to fall into depression, but not complete despair. He has no-one to go to but God, and He is at present hard to find. Jeremiah had a similar experience ( Jerem.20;14-18 ). iIIt is noteworthy that God does not condemn him later for this outburst. " May He whose grace supported Job also give us the grace to bear according to the measure of the burden laid upon us. " ( W.H. Green ). Job asks the question ' Why ? ' five times ( vs.3,11,12,23 ) - " But you must expect to have God know some things which you cannot understand." ( Spurgeon) cf. Romans 11:33-36.

Like Job, we must take up our cross daily ( and Job did suffer for identifying with God's Redeemer) and shuffle along, in slow motion ; piety and pain live together in the same heart. Was Job's cry also a prayer ( as David in Ps.22:1), a cry to Someone who seemed far away in silence ? This outburst shows Job at the lowest point in his life, still not sure if he will go lower still. He is walking in spiritual darkness ( Isaiah 50:10, and see Thomas Goodwin on this verse for profound insight). Goodwin notices that this kind of experience often precedes some great blessing from God. " But life can still have a great deal of meaning , even when it looks absolutely useless." ( Ray Stedman ) Just as for Job, is not this the challenge for every believer who is experiencing what seems to be unjust suffering - how to speak correctly about God in the midst of it ?

JANUARY 29

" After this Job cursed his day."    Job 3:1.

He cursed his day, but not his God. What changed Job's attitude of quiet submission into unrestrained complaints ? It is possible that the sleep deprivation incurred by constant pain had exhausted him mentally, physically and spiritually. He was now exceedingly weak and weary, too weak now to restrain the cries which rise up in prolonged suffering. " Did the faces of his friends, aghast with unutterable pity, mirror too faithfully  the ugliness of his present ? " ( Meredith Kline). Perhaps their silent brooding reflected his own futile attempts to understand his reversed condition ; now the ' whys ? ' came out with a rush. He seemed to have lost his way, and could find no way back - had God perhaps abandoned him ? Some of the Psalmists asked the same question. He did not renounce God with a curse, as Satan had hoped, but he did come close to disputing the rights of God's sovereignty sometimes. But ' whatsoever is not of faith is sin ', and this was the reason why Job was required to repent later ( ch.42:1-6). Repentance ( and now he was given an explicit reason for it by God - something his friends failed to do) was the way to a renewed sense of peace with God.

These opening words of Job angered his friends, and the debate with them would become increasingly heated as the days went by. The debate would involve definitions of sin, and the role of the law in our relationship with God ; which would involve questions about the character of God and the purpose of suffering.

JANUARY 30

" Let the day perish wherein I was born."  Job 3:3.

" Job wanted his birthday blotted out from the calendar ( vs.6). What was there to celebrate ? There was no joy in his life now. He could find no pleasure in anything now ( 'Anhedonia '). The day of his birth had been a joyful day, but now he asks, 'Why was I born - just to suffer ? ' Job's prayers, cries and depression reflect what we experience when we experience sufferings which feel beyond our ability to cope with. Instead of remembering his birth much, his thoughts concentrate more on death ( vs.11,21) ; this would be the happy day, it would end his sufferings. It is usual for a person plunged into the dark depths of depression to think like this. ( cf. ch.6:8,9. ch.7:9,16. ch.16:22). But Job acknowledges that only God had the right to end a life ( ch.1:21).

Death is the 'great leveler ' ( vs.19) ; there are no small or great when we meet death ; and therefore there is only one Gospel for small and great  ( Acts 26:22). Adam's sin ensured we all began to die at birth ( 1 Corinth.15:22). There are no exceptions ( apart from Enoch, Elijah ). But Christ has led the way through death for those who follow Him with trust. " Follow Me ," He said. The death of Christ has changed the character of death for believers, like Job. Now it is the way Home, and not the way to the eternal prison of Hell. It is Christ who makes the difference, and He that ' makes sinners to differ.'

JANUARY 31

" Why did I not die from the womb ? "   Job 3:11.

This was more of a wish than a question. This was the same man as ch.1:21 ! But " he has been wounded, received blows, and staggers , his steps slip." 

( John Calvin ). How difficult it is to maintain our inner harmony with God when we are suffering. In the midst of his experience of great spiritual barrenness, Robert Bruce commented, " I think it is a great matter to believe that there is a God ! " Job, like Jeremiah, longed for death as the way out of his misery ( Jerem. 20:14) ; he had not yet the strength to think of the way through the misery. Job has broken his long silence. There are still things he cannot talk about, but his cries reveal what he is feeling inside ; not all the details, but the effects his thoughts are having on him. Death is mentioned, but he is more concerned about his life with God ; he has experienced a new and dreadful aspect of that relationship. He expected some suffering in being faithful to God, but now it is all suffering. Job cries out in bewilderment, he is not like those people who ' always have an answer.' He knows that God is mysterious, but there is a mystery about human nature and human suffering also. At this point he wished that he had never been born, but would that have been better ? Yes, his children were dead, but they now enjoyed heaven. They were not wishing they had never been born, their journey to happiness was but a short one. Christ's death has changed the character of death. It meant, as John Owen memorably said, ' the death of death ! ' Job did not repress or deny his feelings. He was not stone, but sorrowed - yet not as others sorrowed ( 1 Thess.4:13), for he was remembered in the Intercession of Christ ( Heb.7:25). Remember, our life has only begun here, there is a lot more to come.