Job 1:1: “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.”
There once was a wealthy cattle owner who lived in the land of Uz, the southernmost part of Transjordan – later known as Edom. He cared for his family and loved God. His name was Job.
One day the heavenly beings presented themselves before the Lord, among them the Adversary, also known as Satan. The Lord addressed him and said: “Have you seen a man like Job who honors Me and loves people? Satan scoffed: “Of course he does. Your angels watch over him day and night and he is filthy rich. This man will curse You into Your face when he loses everything he has.” The Lord knew His creature, formerly known as Lucifer, and had anticipated his reproach. He replied: “Job’s heart is devoted to Me. Do as you please and take all that he has, except his life. You will see it won’t affect his love for Me.”
And Satan went to work. Within a day’s time Job’s cattle was stolen while all of his children were killed in a tragic accident. His wife had a meltdown and decided to leave for good. Her parting words were: “What are you doing, praying at a time like this? Curse this God of yours and die!” Job replied, “Should we only adhere to El Shaddai in good times, wife?” He hoped he could persuade her to stay, but she did not listen to anything he had to say.
Meanwhile the heavenly counsel came together again and Satan joined them. “Where have you been?” the Lord asked him. “I have been roaming the earth”, was his answer and the Lord remarked to the adversary of all mankind: “You must have noticed my servant Job. He is faithful to Me despite of all his losses. However, you have incited Me against him for no good reason.” – “Skin for skin”, was Satan’s response. “You have allowed me to take his wealth, but now let me take his health too and You will see, he will curse You into Your face.” The Lord had expected nothing less from Satan who could not see anything good in people. – “You may touch his health, but you must spare his life,” decided the Lord.
Immediately Satan departed to inflict Job with a skin disease so terrible that people began to avoid him and his neighbors moved away from him. A social outcast, Job ended up under a fig tree, outside the city walls. He sat there and tried to get rid of his many sores by scratching his itchy skin with a potsherd. This is how his three friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar found him.
Job’s family had belonged to a nomad tribe for generations. He was the first one in his family to settle down in Uz. While Eliphaz was a local friend of his, Job knew Bildad and Zophar from his childhood days, when they roamed the Arabic desert together.
Now his friends almost did not recognize him – Job’s trauma was so severe, his grief beyond words. For seven days and seven nights they sat with him without uttering a word. Finally Job broke the silence and said: “I wished I was dead! Better yet: I wished I was never born!”
Eliphaz was the first to respond to his outburst and said: “I am so sorry to see you like this. Now tell us what happened? Why is God angry with you?” Job froze and looked his friends in the eyes, speechless. “What do you mean?” he finally managed to say.
“Your sins,” Eliphaz said, “What sins have you committed to be brought so low? Everything happens for a reason.” Job shook his head in disbelief and said: “There is no sin, Eliphaz, at least nothing I can think of, that would initiate this kind of nightmare. I swear to you, I’m innocent.”
“Are you sure?” Bildad interjected. “That’s not the God I know. El Shaddai punishes the wicked and blesses the righteous. You must have done something wrong!” –“But I haven’t” Job insisted. “I have no idea why God treats me this way. If I could get a hold of Him I would defend my case in court.
“Seriously?!” Zophar exclaimed, “I have never met a saint in my life and neither have you.” Job chose to ignore this remark, but Zophar persisted: “Job, what are you trying to do? Accusing the Almighty? He knows all your secret sins, the things you try to hide. Step into the light. Confess what you have done and God will reward you with peace. You know what I say is true.” Job buried his face in his hands and groaned: “Oh God! I thought I had it bad, but now my friends make everything worse.” And turning to Zophar he said: “How can you ignore the fact that life in this world is completely unfair? There are saints in dire straits while sinners live in luxury. I’m telling you, I am innocent!”
But the mood had dramatically shifted from compassion to outright hostility.
“If you have trouble recognizing your shortcomings, here is a list for you”, Eliphaz said icily, “You probably cheated on your wife, but refuse to admit it. Or you took advantage of your clients and stole land from underneath them. God is aware of any instance when you chose to mistreat the poor and fatherless.” Bildad agreed: “No man can be in the right before God, everybody knows that!”
Job however stood his ground and emphatically made his point [Job 27:5]:
“I will never admit that you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity.”
Eliphaz’s teenage nephew who had been sitting idly by while listening to the whole conversation suddenly became very angry. His name was Elihu. “Who do you think you are?” he said, “God is not unjust or capricious – you are! And your hardship is God’s way of telling you that you need to repent.”
In the end, Job had nothing more to say to his friends and there was frustrated silence. Suddenly a first rumble announced an approaching storm. Within a very short time the day turned into night. Several lightning bolts flashed in the sky, followed by deafening thunder. Terrified, Job and his friends fled into a nearby cave for shelter. But Lord spoke to Job out of the storm and said [Job 38:4-7+21]:
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years!”
The air was electrified and Job’s friends were paralyzed with fear. Elihu hid behind his uncle Eliphaz while Job fell to the ground and prayed: “I have made ignorant claims about You, God, without having the faintest idea Who You really are. I have only received second-hand information about You, but now my eye has seen You. Oh Lord, please forgive my foolishness!”
And the Lord spoke to Eliphaz and said: “You, your nephew and your friends have not spoken the truth about Me or My servant Job. You all need to apologize to him and make things right.”
Then Job interceded for his friends and God listened to his prayer. He restored his health and wealth and blessed the latter years of his life more than the former. Job married a second time and had many more children. He lived to see the fourth generation of his family.
Job left a legacy to all believers who suffer innocently. He died a blessed man, contented and rich in years and experiences.