Job 1-7

I'm played catch up again.  Julie is busy with school and I am a slacker.

When I was discussing the Bible with a girlfriend of mine she told me that she was struggling to make it through Job.  That conversation was months ago.....but as soon as I got to Job I thought, "OH NO!"  This book is about suffering.  Please pray for Julie and I as we read through this book that we don't feel discouraged and we will embrace the message that the Lord is presenting to us.

The book begins with a man named Job.  He was a very honest family man who was faithful and God fearing man.  In Ch. one Satan approaches God.  God immediately demands to know where he came from.    Satan tells him that he was been roaming the earth.  (OUR EARTH!)  God asks him if he has considered Job.  Satan knew that God felt confident about Job.  He then made him a target.  God agreed, but told Satan he was not to lay a finger on him.

Satan tested Job by taking away all that was important to him. (His livestock and children) Job tore his robe in sadness, but did not blame God for the loss of his loved ones and possessions.  (21) "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

Satan approached God again and told him that we wanted another shot at Job.  This time he wanted him to physically be attacked.  The Lord agreed, but told him that Jobs life is to be spared.

Satan afflicted Job with sores from head to foot.

At the end of the chapter 2 Job's wife encourages him to curse God for all of the pain that he has experienced.  He just answered her by saying, (10) You are talking like a foolish woman.  Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"  


To one of his friends Job spoke of his troubles.  He cursed the day of his birth.  The pain he was experiencing was overwhelming.  He goes on talking about wishing he was never conceived or born.  He longed to be asleep or done with his misery.  He longed for death.  He felt as if he had lost sight of God and that caused him stress.

According to enduringworld.com about 3:26.....

e. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes: With these final four blows of the hammer, Job ends his first speech. Through it all he shows us that even a great man of faith can fall into great depression and despair.


Augh.....Can you imagine.  You have lost your children, your job, and now are suffering from head to toe with painful soars.  They are so bad that even his friends don't recognize him.  Job has not cursed God....he has cursed his birth and longed for death....but never cursed God.  I would like to think that I would be faithful like Job....would I?

In Ch. 4-7 Job is having a discussion with Eliphaz.  Eliphaz approaches Job and tells him to remember the advise he has given in the past to people that are suffering.  Basically he says...Look, before you talked to others about their suffering and you told them to be faithful and strong and now look at how weak you are.

He also told Job that he must be guilty of something b/c punishment does not come upon the innocent.  He goes on for a long time telling him how he is being corrected for his sins.  He tells him that he needs to accept his punishments from God.

Job responded to him.

(6:21)  He basically says that Eliphaz's words did not help.  He is still in despare and longs to have his pain relieved.  He does not feel that Eliphaz is correct.  He did not earn this pain.

In book 7 Job starts to talk as if what Eliphaz said was correct.  He is in deep despare.  He asks God why he is a target of this pain.

I planned on knocking everything out.....but kids are all around me and they want to go to the pool.  I will get back to this soon.