Job 1
Job 1 introduces Job’s character and situation in the context of the entire Bible, and it serves as a starting point for reflecting on the meaning of human suffering and faith. The main structure of the passage consists of Job’s character and life (verses 1-5), the dialogue taking place in heaven (verses 6-12), and a series of sufferings that befall Job (verses 13-22).
1verseThere was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil.
2verseThere were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
3verseHis possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.
4verseHis sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5verseIt was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.
6verseNow on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan also came among them.
7verseThe LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
8verseThe LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.”
9verseThen Satan answered the LORD, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
10verseHaven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11verseBut stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.”
12verseThe LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don’t stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
13verseIt fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
14versethat a messenger came to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15verseand the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
16verseWhile he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
17verseWhile he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
18verseWhile he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19verseand behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
20verseThen Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped.
21verseHe said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked will I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the LORD’s name.”
22verseIn all this, Job didn’t sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.
Job’s Faith and His Way of Life
In verses 1-5, the text emphasizes that Job was the greatest of all the wealthy men in the East and that he was a righteous person who feared God and turned away from evil. Concerned about the actions of his children, Job shows a devout attitude, offering burnt offerings to God continually. His life was full of faithfulness and humility, prompting reflection on the relationship between the blessings he received and his devout way of life.
A Conversation in Heaven: The Beginning of the Trial
In verses 6-12, God’s heavenly council appears, and God and the adversary (Hebrew: ha-satan) speak with one another regarding Job’s integrity. God praises Job as a righteous man, but the adversary questions the motivation behind Job’s faith, claiming it is due to the blessings Job has received. In response, God permits the adversary to take away what Job has. This raises the major question of whether human faith is conditional or based on unconditional trust and love.
Job’s Suffering and Response
In verses 13-22, Job suffers extreme hardship, suddenly losing all his possessions and all his children. However, even amid his sorrow, Job does not blame God and instead confesses, ‘The Lord gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’ Job’s response reveals the sincerity and depth of his faith.
Points for Reflection
- When faced with suffering, check what your faith and attitude are like.
- As with Job, reflect on whether you can trust God’s sovereignty and goodness in circumstances you cannot understand.
- Look back on whether your motivation for faith is not based on “rewards,” and whether you are loving God Himself even more.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- When trials, great or small, come in life, reflect on whether you can respond with humility and faith like Job.
- Practice a life in which you do not forget to give thanks and praise not only for the blessings you received from God, but also even in times of difficulty.
