"YE have heard of the patience of Job." Have you ever heard of the im-patience of Job?
The story of Job—the story of a "perfect and upright" man under trial—surely reveals patience, but it also brings to light impatience.
Job's afflictions were very real and very severe. He was called to the loss of property, the loss of children, the loss of health, the loss of wife's moral support, the loss of confidence on the part of his friends.
From a position of great affluence and influence, he was instantly reduced to one of poverty and disrespect. Some of the SIGNS readers may have known, at least in part, how tremendously such change tends to depress and discourage.
But Job took the loss of property without sin, saying, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
What a splendid testimony of faith, trust, and good will! Patience was beautifully demonstrated.
Following loss of property, came the loss of his beloved children. Job's loss in this respect was terribly real. Jacob's loss of Joseph was only a supposed loss. Joseph had not died—was only taken away for a short time. Job's children were destroyed and gone.
But even when this loss was made known, the grand old patriarch offered no foolish charge against Providence. He fell down and worshiped Him who gave and who had taken away. His testimony was, "Blessed be the name of the Lord."
Ah, how strikingly trustful and submissive and patient! Yes, we have "heard of the patience of Job."
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Then came bodily suffering. Some hold, and not without reason, that Job was subjected to smallpox. He was covered with boils "from the sole of his foot unto his crown."
However, smallpox had no effect upon the integrity of God's servant. Illness seemed only to confirm his loyalty and devotion.
A step further: While he was suffering most intensely, enduring a world of physical agony, his companion came with that wretched word of doubt and reproach, "Curse God, and die." More terrible than all that had preceded was this withdrawal of wifely sympathy and comfort. Through the wife's infidelity, Satan was striking at the very vitals of Job's life experience.
Did he fall before the attack?—No. He simply reminded her that he who daily receives good from the hand of God, should be willing to receive ill as well. "In all this did not Job sin with his lips."
From these exceedingly great trials, Job emerged triumphant. He had been able to see, in all that came, the hand of a loving Father, a faithful God. He read aright the messages that came. And because he thus read and understood, he maintained his equilibrium, he preserved inviolate the privileges of sonship, he pleased God, he continued to bless those around him.
WHEN HIS FRIENDS DERIDED HIM
There came a time, however, when trial was misunderstood, when his eyes became focused upon circumstances, when he thought and spoke of things seen.
That which the good man failed to appreciate as from God, was the "comfort" of his three "friends." From the day when those "friends" began their effort to help(?) Job, he began to lose in experience. From that point forward, we shall read and hear of the impatience of this man of God.
But why should Job have been thus changed? What did his "friends" do that caused him to lose his footing?
A careful reading of the record will show that in the eyes of his "friends," Job was one who sought to cover sin. One questioned his innocency. Job 4:7. Another doubted his uprightness, and insinuated that he was a hypocrite. Job 8:6, 13. A third openly accused him of dishonesty. Job 11:3. And now the first returns to charge him with egoism and self-conceit (Job 15:7-10), telling him finally that his wickedness is great, that his iniquities are infinite, and that he had turned against the widow and the fatherless. Job 22:5, 9.
These and many other accusations, all of which Job knew to be unjust and untrue, caused him to lose sight of God, and led him to make statements of which afterwards he repented. "No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you," he cuttingly replied. "Miserable comforters are ye all," he said at another time. And as his brethren continued their scourging, Job continued to answer back in words of self-defense and self-justification.
By and by God came and spoke to His servant from the whirlwind. Note the divine words of reproof: "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou Me." Job 38:2, 3. Some one had been allowing himself to speak unwisely, to utter that which brought darkness. Some one had been reading wrongly the message contained in the writing on the wall.
BROUGHT TO HIS KNEES IN VICTORY
The divine interpretation and explanation brought the grand old man to his knees. He saw himself to be the guilty one. In shame and mortification he acknowledged the charge brought against him, and then said: "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:5, 6.
Looking back from our day of light and life, we may easily see that throughout all Job's dark hours, God was ever with him, making all things work together for his good. Had he resolutely waited, and kept the door of his lips, even the wrong course taken by his "friends" would have worked untold and unmingled good. He would have come forth from the furnace of trial without burn or scar.
Good came at last, notwithstanding his failure, because God interposed and specially reproved and corrected. But, O, how much more would have been his, had he taken his last trial as he took the first!
His remarkable patience and trust manifested in the beginning were but the necessary result of seeing God, of recognizing His hand, and of acknowledging Him in all that came. "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away."
Impatience and sarcasm, of necessity, resulted from a mere seeing of men. Nagging remarks hurt and cut to the quick when God was left out; for it is only with God in the soul that man can take injury without suffering short circuiting of the nerves, with its consequent fires and explosions. For some reason, the patriarch lost his clear view of God, failed to interpret His message; and being alone in the trial, he found he could not bear what came, and thus impatience came in.
O, how much Job lost by his failure! And while it is true that in the end, he repented and found his way to victory, yet how much more might have been his, both while in trial and afterwards, had he maintained an unbroken connection with God!
"Ye have heard of the patience of Job." Let us remember the cause of his im-patience, and forever avoid it.
