Job was a man of great wealth. He had seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen and 500 female donkeys, and many servants. He was the greatest of all the people of the east.
Satan, after spending time roaming the earth, is in conversation with God. God asks if Satan has considered his man, Job. He holds Job up to Satan as a man that is blameless and upright, fears God and turns away from evil.
Satan, cynical of Job's motives, says that Job only fears God because God put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has. Satan says, "stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse your face." So God turns over to Satan all that Job has. Satan proceeds to tear Job down. Oxen dead. Servants dead. Sheep and camels dead. Sons and daughters killed by a strong wind.
Job tore his robe, shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped God. He said, "the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
God holds up Job in front of Satan again, stating that Job still holds fast his integrity although Satan inticed God against him to destroy Job without reason. Satan replies cynically that he wasn't able to hurt Job directly, only his offspring and possessions. So God allows Satan to cause great physical suffering on Job, but only demands that he not take Job's life.
So Job was struck with terrible, loathsome sores from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head. Job took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself as he sat in the ashes.
Job's wife tells him he should curse God and die. He told her she was speaking foolishly, and in all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
Evidently the passing of time brought Job no relief but only continued the irritation of his persisting pain. In chapter 2 Job restrained his words and manifested a submissive attitude. In chapter 3 his statements are assertive and angry. In this section Job articulated a death wish. He really expressed three wishes. (from Soniclight.org study notes)
The wish that he had not been born: "Let the day perish on which I was born."
The wish that he had died at birth: "Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?" All the past joys in his life could not compensate for the present misery he felt. The rest of death was better than the turmoil of life for him now that he was suffering.
The wish that he could die then: "Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul, 21 who long for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures."
Job wanted to express in many ways his regret that he had been born. Evidently the reason Job longed for nonexistence was his failure to understand his relationship with God or his place in the universe.
Here is a summary of Job's feelings when he uttered this soliloquy. He was bitter (v. 20) but not out of control. He was angry with God (v. 23) but not cursing God.47 He was in despair but not defiant toward God. He was feeling his pain intensely but not accusing God of being unjust. His grief had not yet descended to its lowest depths.
Many people reach the same level in the strata of grief that Job did here. They long to die but do not contemplate suicide. The pressure of pain squeezes out the memories of past pleasures. The present agony becomes so overwhelming that they cannot see hope beyond it. My own father suffered with bone cancer and before he died longed for death even though he was a godly believer. This experience of great pain is the will of God for some people. We must not make the mistake of misjudging those who are going through this "valley of the shadow of death" as Job's friends did. (soniclight.org)
A few observations of my own:
God is in control - sovereign over the good stuff and the bad.
Satan can only do what God allows him to do.
Job didn't do anything to deserve this suffering. It was meant to glorify God.
God is not disappointed at Job for his words of misery. Pain and suffering are real and God knows it.
God has not allowed me to expereince a great deal of suffering in my life. Maybe it's because he can't trust me with more than a 24-hour stomach bug at this point? I don't do suffering well. For now, am I being faithful and fearing God in my health and lack of suffering? Am I sympathetic to those experiencing great suffering? Will God, one day, hold me up as an example of one that experienced suffering with integrity, without cursing God.
