The Question of Job's Wife.
By James White
Job was in sore affliction. From the possession of great wealth, he was suddenly reduced to the extreme of poverty. From being the happy head of a family, he was suddenly bereft of all his children. He was afflicted also in his person; his body was full of sores, and there was no soundness in his flesh. Of all his family only his wife was left to him. In his deep affliction she might have proved a great consolation to him. But she turned against him. I have often thought that the reason why Satan spared her was, he knew her disposition, and knew that he could subject Job to greater suffering through her cruel course than by her death. Instead of pitying and consoling him, she taunted him. As if his affliction was not deep enough, she tried to unsettle his mind and to destroy his confidence in God—his only source of hope and comfort in his sore distress. "Dost thou still retain thine integrity?" said his wife; "Curse God, and die." The German renders it, "Bless God, and die." The original word has exactly opposite meanings; it may be rendered either bless or curse. If that be the correct rendering, then her words had a still greater power to torment. They were spoken in irony. "You have ever been faithful to God, serving him continually. Now see what you get by it. Go on; persevere in serving him; Bless him and die!" A sneering manner adds power to the evil force of ill-spoken words. But Job was not moved. Her words were as the words of foolish ones to him. Foolish, indeed! What could Job have gained by turning against God in his affliction? Even granting, as she seemed to suppose, that God was the sole and direct author of all his troubles, how would his condition have been bettered by rebelling against God and turning to the service of Satan? Job was a man of wisdom. He knew that all the blessings which he had ever received came from God. He well understood that Satan is not the author of any mercies or benefits. How, then, could he profited in his affliction by turning from the service of God, who had so greatly blessed him in times past, unto Satan, who had never blessed him in any case? If we receive evil at the hands of the Lord, we may remember that it was from him we received all of good that we ever received. If the Lord taketh away, we must consider that it was he that gave. And still Satan, through his agents for evil, is tempting the saints of God by this suggestion. How often are they led to exclaim, "My trials are so great that I am ready to give up the service of God. I am discouraged trying to keep his commandments." And why so? Will the service of Satan offer better results? Is the prospect of death and destruction more pleasing than that of life and salvation? Has Satan been so anxious to do you good, and so faithful to his promises in all the past, that it is more safe to trust him than to trust God? Why not maintain your integrity? When your affliction is so great that it turns darkness into light, and changes evil into good, and makes Satan more kind and loving than the Father of all our mercies, then it will be time to think of turning from the commandments of God to the service of the devil. Thousands suffer themselves to be hindered from keeping all the commandments of God in the third angel's message, by the foolish fear that it will result to their injury! They fear that they will suffer losses which they cannot afford. They will lose in their influence or their worldly possessions. They cannot so easily support their families, etc. But they may consider that all they possess they have received from the Lord, or from Satan. If from Satan, the sooner they rid themselves of it the better, for it cannot be to our good to live on Satan's bounty, as he never bestows with good intention. But if we receive our benefits from the Lord, then the question arises, Are the blessings of God more sure to us in disobedience than in obedience? Will he take better care of us in rebellion than in obedience to his law? The thought is absurd. Surely this is as the foolish ones speak. O for more of the firmness and integrity of Job, in these days. "Though he slay me, yet I will trust in Him." And why not? "The righteous hath hope in his death," if he is slain; but the end of the wicked is without hope. Darkness and despair are their portion. True faith in God is rare. The form of godliness prevails; the power thereof is but little known. Zeal has nearly died out; lukewarmness is everywhere. How timely is the third angel's message, to arouse the servants of God to a sense of their danger, and to lead them to engage in the preparation necessary "to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord."