We must meditate and realize how Job, who had been admitted that he was a righteous man why with his own mouth, hated himself and repented in dust and ashes. At that time, God did not choose the people of Israel yet, nor did he give the law. Obviously, at that time, people were living by their own conscience. Clearly, Job was one of the most righteous man among them, fearing and honestly following his conscience given by God.
When Satan told God to accuse Job, God allowed him to try Job. But God said not to touch his body. Finally, Satan used his power in God’s permission to kill all the cattle in his household as well as all his servants with fire and blade in the morning. In addition, Satan blew a great blast and killed them all by hitting four corner of the house where Job’s sons and daughters feasted. Indeed, he lost everything in a day
In everything that happened to him, he did not sin nor blamed God foolishly. We must ponder how many of God’s children today be like Job, and how we will walk before God. At that time, he was not born again by the Holy Spirit nor cleansed of conscience by the blood of Christ Jesus. Only with the good conscience from God never he blamed God for such great tragedy. As God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel, like Noah and Daniel, he was righteous among men at that time. However, we must realize how Job prayed to God in miserable repentance.
When God heard Job’s confession, he told Satan that Job was a complete and honestly righteous man. Once again Satan asked God to try Job again. Again God allowed Satan. Satan said if God would strike Job’s bones and flesh, Job will curse God. God gave Job once more into Satan’s hands and told him to leave his life.
Finally, Satan struck Job with a heavy boil from his soles to his head. It was so painful that Job took a piece of earthenware, scratched his body, and sat among the ashes. At this time Job suffered more than his boil. The last remnant of his wife cursed him and inserted a dagger deep into his heart:
“Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die ”(Job 2: 9)
But even then he did not sin with his lips hearing her words:
Finally, Job’s three friends came to comfort him. How could they comfort Job? They couldn’t imagine why such great pain came to Job. They did not know that God allowed Satan try him with such suffering. They did not know the plan for God to make Job like pure gold after he is tried by God. They cried in a loud voice, crying at Job’s unfathomable face, and they said nothing to him as they sat with him seven days and nights.
Eventually they later had to say words condemning instead of comforting him.
Finally Job opened his mouth and spoke in front of God, Satan, and three friends:
The words he spoke openly were not words of resentment to God, but wishes that he had never been born, that is, words to himself that his servants and children would not have died miserably without him if he had not been born.
Finally, Job began to open his mouth to say unto his friends. Elihu, who was listening to what Job and his three friends were saying one another, was angry with his three friends. He also got angry at Job’s speaking to his friends seeing him for himself more righteous than God. Because they did not find the answer but condemned Job. As Job spoke with his friends, his righteousness was deeply embedded in him. This is why Elihu told Job:
Job could not answer a single word to God, who poured out enormous questions from chapters 38 to 41. No one in the world will be able to answer even one question.
Through the trial of the great tribulation, the Jews shall realize how dirty their own righteousness by the law before God and repent like Job miserably saying: “But we are all unclean, and all our righteousness is like dirty rags, and we are all withering like the leaves, and our iniquities have carried us like the wind” (Isa 64: 6).
To Job who realized his sin before God regarding as righteous to God, God restored everything and blessed him in double than before. And God will bless the Jews when they repent as Job in the midst of the Great Tribulation in his kingdom. Apostle James testified of the sufferings and blessings Job received: