Job 1:4
And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
Job 1:4 opens the story of Job as one of God's appointed witnesses who accepted reproach and persecution for the sake of truth. It stands at the beginning of an account meant to display what such witness costs and what it proves. The man introduced here would be stripped of worldly possessions and afflicted in body until he was abhorred by relatives and friends, yet he maintained his integrity.
His steadfastness gives strength and comfort to others in trial. It shows that God does not prevent the plottings of wicked men but causes their devices to work for good to those who in trial and conflict maintain faith and loyalty. The experience gained in the furnace of trial and affliction is worth more than all its pain. Through it God brings His children near to Himself to show them their weakness and His strength, teaches them to lean on Him, and prepares them to meet emergencies, to fill positions of trust, and to accomplish the purpose for which their powers were given.
His example bears witness to the faithfulness of God's promises and to His abiding presence and sustaining grace. It bears witness to the power of faith to withstand the powers of the world, to rest in God in the darkest hour, and to look beyond time to eternal riches.