Job 1:1-22

¹There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. ²And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.⁴And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

⁶Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” ⁸Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” ⁹So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ¹²And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

¹³Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; ¹⁴and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁶While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁷While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁸While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ⁹and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ²⁰Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹And he said: 

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, 

And naked shall I return there. 

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; 

Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

²²In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Commentary

Vs. 1 ¹There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.

From the onset we are told of man named Job from the land of Uz, who is Scripturally declared to be blameless and upright. Now before him only Noah was called blameless in the Scripture (Gen. 6:9); this though is not to be confused with sinless, for that designation belongs to Christ alone. Thus, Job had a sin nature like us all, but he did not live according to it, instead he was a man who feared God and shunned evil. Job then always and actively sought to live righteously before God. Now as for the land of Uz it is said to be in the east, and commentators have varying views on its location, but as for this commentary this is largely irrelevant, for what is relevant is all that is to be found in the Scripture, all the truths and insights given us through it. And in the Book of Job there are many.

Vs. 2-3 ²And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

Now as to Job’s personal life and possessions, he was married, as well God had greatly blessed him with seven sons (seven is a perfect number) and three daughters. As for His possessions, Job had massive herds: seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen (for plowing fields and various other kinds of work), and five hundred female donkeys (these then were breeding animals and very valuable), as well he had a very large household, meaning he had many servants and various types of workers whom he owned or employed. Job then is said to be the greatest of all the people of the East, which would’ve encompassed all of Arabia and lands around it. For a none ancient king to have acquired such wealth and prosperity is truly an amazing feat.

Vs. 4 ⁴And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

Having seen Job’s personal life of righteousness, business acuteness, and his skills in building his home. We are now introduced to Job’s character as a father. Apparently, his sons were also just men, for they would invite their sisters to eat and drink with them. And this in a culture and at a time when women were not regarded as equals, but more often than not were made to be subservient to and servants of their male counterparts. Job then raised his sons to be just and considerate men. Not vulgar and vile dogs.

Vs. 5 ⁵So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

Job’s love for, and fatherly oversight of his children is now expressly shown us. For after the days of his children’s feasting would end, Job would send and sanctify them; that is, he was acting as their priest before God, even going so far as to rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all to Him. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This Job did regularly. Job then wasn’t only concerned about his own standing with God, but he was also very concerned about his children, and he did everything in his power to keep them in His favor. This then is also a duty for a Christian father to keep his children in his prayers before our God.

Vs. 6-12 ⁶Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” ⁸Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” ⁹So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ¹²And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

The scene now shifts from Job on earth to God in heaven where the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them (vs. 6). Now the term sons of God in the O.T. is a Hebrew term referring to God’s angels; however, this term must always be discerned and determined by contest whether these are now His angels, or those angelic beings whom He also created but later rebelled against Him (Rev. 12:7-9; Gen. 6:1-4). And so it was that along with the sons of God also appeared Satan, whose Hebrew name means Accuser, who was once the premier of His angels (Ezekiel 28:11-16), but now having been cast out ,along with those angels who followed him, he through the fall of Adam has been given domain over the earth for a season, however this too has an end, but for now let us stay within the confines of Job’s story. It is then in verse seven with the appearance of sons of god before Him that the Lord first questions Satan, asking him, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Notice Satan in answering His question does not give any specifics about his activities on earth, (for like the sly creature that he is he does not self incriminate), just that he has been walking back and forth on it. Obviously, the Lord does not need Satan to tell Him what he has been doing, and so instead of going any further, the Lord now points to His servant Job on earth, saying, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (vs. 8). Satan though is unmoved by the outstanding and upright conduct of Job. Instead, he returns to his own evil nature and begins to subtly accuse Job by attacking Job’s motives, saying to the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ^{vs. 9-11}

What is so startling to me is the way Satan ends his accusations of Job by saying that if God were to stretch out His hand and touch all that Job has, then surely Job would curse Him to His face! Satan then is incapable of seeing any good in anyone. Now there is a two-fold attack taking place here. First it is quite clear that he is trying to provoke the Lord against Job, trying to get Him to lay His hand upon him, but not for good. Then if the Lord does so, (or will allow him to do so), Satan only wants only to see the righteous Job in the end cursing the Lord to His face in response to his suffering such things. And so, with that the stage is now set for the great testing of our Lord’s servant, therefore the Lord now says to Satan, … “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. ^{vs. 12}

Vs. 13–22 ¹³Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; ¹⁴and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁶While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁷While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ¹⁸While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

²⁰Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” ²²In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

 Now as Satan begins his attack upon Job, it will all come upon in unrelenting catastrophic waves, with each new one bringing more ruin and destruction down upon Job and all that is his. Now in this Satan begins by first attacking Job on the very day all his children are eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; thus during a time of family celebration; Satan begins his assault upon Job’s person by first unleashing some Sabian raiders to steal all of Job’s oxen and donkeys while they are working in His fields, killing all of Job’s servants there, and thus leaving Job with a complete loss of all of his working animals which are foundational to an agrarian lifestyle, leaving only one servant alive to report back to him this most distressing news (vs. 13-15). However while that servant is still speaking to Job, another appears and says to him, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ^{vs. 16} Now the statement “the fire of God” is not saying that God sent this fire upon Job, but that to his surviving servant who witnessed this massive destructive occurrence, this is how it appeared to him as something that came about not by mans hand, but as we know by Satan’s, who as we saw previously also holds sway and control of individuals or groups of people as with the Sabeans. Job then having suffered the lose of fields and animals to work them and harvest his crops, now suffers the loss all of his sheep and those servants that attended them, except one to repot back to him this most unsettling news. Now his sheep would have been the source of his wool for clothing and selling and trading in markets etc., as well as meat for him and all his household thus this too is a devasting loss as it takes years to build up a sustainable herd and so to lose all of them so suddenly would be devasting to one’s household. And yet there is still more to come, for while that servant was still speaking another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ^{Vs 17} This time it is the Chaldeans who form three bands of raiders and steal all of Job’s camels while killing all of his servants tending them except they leave one to return to him and tell him the bad news. Now camels were a needed and valued commodity in ancient times because without them travel or transporting anything is near impossible in arid lands. Now the next wave of destruction and ruin to come upon Job from Satan is the arguably the most devasting one, for Satan now attacks Job in the very heart and soul of his person. For as that servant was still speaking of the loss of all of his camels and servants with them, another now arrives and says to him, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” ^{Vs. 18-19}

In one last very cruel and devasting blow Satan now attacks all of Job's children, and that on the very day when Job would've interceded for them. However, even with all of those loses what we see in verses twenty to twenty-two is not a man who curses God to his face, as Satan said he would do, but a man who though exceedingly devasted; for he tears his robe and shaves his head; does not turn on God, rather Job falls to the ground and worships and say’s, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” ²²In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. ^{Vs. 21-22}

Job then remains resilient in keeping to his upright character and integrity with God. However the story does not end there, and so we will pick it up again in chapter two in the next blog entry.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.