James 5:11: Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
The Holy Spirit gave the example of “the patience of Job” to encourage Christians to be patient (cf. Jas. 5:7)
The account of Job began by noting that he was “perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). He had great earthly blessings (Job 1:2-3), leading Satan to claim that Job’s faith was due to God making things easy for him (Job 1:9-11).
Satan desired to tempt Job by taking away some of his blessings (Job 1:11).
Notice God’s response to Satan. Job 1:12: Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.
God had to permit Satan the power to tempt Job. Satan could not force Job to sin, or tempt Job in a way that God did not allow (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13).
Satan was eager to do what destruction he could. He took away Job’s children, servants, and animals (Job 1:13-19).
Job responded with faith, saying, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Verse 22: In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job’s faith did not discourage Satan from continuing to tempt him. Satan next claimed that Job’s obedience was merely a result of God not harming him physically (Job 2:4-5).
God again permitted Satan to tempt Job, this time requiring only that Job’s life be spared (Job 2:6). Verse 7: So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
Satan’s tricks led Job’s wife to assume that the sensible response was to “curse God, and die” (Job 2:9). She asked her husband, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity?” She viewed integrity as something to have as long as God gives us what we want. Job recognized the folly of this and asked, “What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10).
Job’s patience should not undermine the difficulty of the trials he faced. He sat on the ground with some of his friends for seven days and nights. None of them spake a word because Job’s grief was so great (Job 2:13).
Chapters 3-37 of the book detail a discussion Job had with his friends. While they insisted that he must have some sin in his life he was hiding (Job 4:7-8), Job disagreed. After much discussion, God spoke up and asked “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2).
Job and his friends, like many today, attempted to read God’s mind concerning things not revealed (cf. Deut. 29:29).
Job repented “in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6) after acknowledging “I uttered that I understood not” (Job 42:3).
After this, God restored Job’s fortunes. Job 42:12-13: So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters.
God helped Job gain patience by seeing His power, sovereignty, and tender mercy. Through Job’s example, we can understand the need to not stumble because of momentary pain, but to serve God without wavering.
While we often fail to know exactly why things happen as they do, scriptures like that in Job build faith through trials by showing us that God will reward us if we endure and serve Him faithfully.
– Michael Hickox