Page 26 - Reading Job to Know God

stock market fell, many people lost their life savings, investments and
their fortunes overnight. When people lost their money, they ran to
buildings and bridges and they took their own lives, because they lost
everything. Job did not take that path. His stock market fell. His tragedies
happened quickly and they were incredibly numerous.

A second thing I see is that he had no context to understand what was
happening to him. Job did not have the book of Psalms. Job did not have
any part of the Bible. One of my favorite books, when I am going through
any kind of little trouble, is Isaiah. Boy, there are so many blessed verses
in Isaiah. Job did not have II Corinthians, Paul’s diary of struggles and
how he experienced the all sufficiency of Christ. Job did not even have
the book of Job. He had no part of the Bible. Perhaps we take this Book
for granted when we are going through things. God has given us so many
sustaining promises in His Word. Job did not have any of that, and that
added to the severity of his suffering.
A third aspect of his trials was their all-inclusive nature. I think it is pretty
accurate to say this. Job suffered in every way that it is possible for a
human being to suffer, this side of the grave. I believe that is accurate.
Now let me try to illustrate it for you. Chapter 1:3, mentions his
possessions – 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen and 500
female donkeys. Look at verse 14 and 15 again. When the Sabeans
attacked, they wiped out his oxen and his donkeys. He lost his possessions
and his means of support. Remember, that was what he was doing. He
was a farmer. It wiped out his paycheck. That is what he was talking
about. This was his means of support. What would your attitude be if God
took away your livelihood and your paycheck?
Not only did he lose his possessions, but look at verse 18 and 19. He lost
his children. In one tragic accident, he lost all ten children. Now I have six
children and I cannot imagine losing one. What would I do if the news
ever came to me that all six were dead at the same time. I have no way to
imagine or deal with that. And frankly I don’t care to. Job had no idea
whether or not his children suffered in the collapse of that building.
Sometime we take comfort from the fact that death is swift and
immediate. Someone says, “Oh, he was killed, but he did not know what
hit him. He had no idea”. Or else they say something like: “At least he
did not linger. At least he died right away. Death was swift and
peaceful”. Well, I think Job must have suffered mentally because he had
no idea how long they suffered before they died.
Not only did he lose his possessions and his means of support, not only
did he lose his loved ones, his children, but he also lost his health.
26