EXEMPLARY JOB

 

I revisited the story of Job today for personal reasons I will not go into here. I have written about Job extensively in the past but I have never written about him from this vantage point.

At the onset of his trial of faith, Job received a taste of Satan’s objective through his wife who told him: “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9).

This was the worst affront to Job, “a perfect and an upright man, one that feared God and eschewed evil” (Job 2:3). His love for God was beyond fault. How could he possibly curse Him and sin with his lips? (v 10). It was unthinkable for him. As things grew worse from there, that temptation was never yielded to even though Job came to the point of wishing that he would die (Job 7:15,16). In fact, he started wishing he was never born (Job 10:18,19) but still he would not curse God.

Then something interesting happened. Through the merciless taunting of his friends who offered no support, Job stood firm defending God. The more they opposed his strength, the more Job praised God insisting ‘with him is wisdom and strength’ over and over (Job 12:10-24). And in his sorrow, he exclaimed: “My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God” (Job 16:20). And then the strength of his testimony: “I know that my redeemer liveth!” (Job 19:25).

To fully appreciate Job’s faithfulness and tenacity we should reflect on his life as it was and how acutely intolerable it became.

Job was righteous, did good continually, was incredibly respected in the community and he was fabulously wealthy. You could say, his life was perfect. Job went from the pinnacle of society to living in rags on the outskirts of the city, in constant pain, not understanding what has happened to him. 

Basically, he went from the picture of perfection to being disfigured with boils and worms and maggots were bred in his sores (7:5). He ended up living outside the city on the refuse heap where outcasts and lepers lived. Pain was his constant companion (30:17,30) as were also terrifying nightmares (7:14). Whereas, everyone in his community honoured him before, he suddenly became an outcast.  

 

Job, however, did not foresee in the midst of his suffering that his life would take a turn for the better. This turn did come as 'the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning' (Job 42:12). Job lived another 140 years in prosperity and wellness after the trial of his faith. Would he have had such a glorious ending to his life if he had cursed God and died???

When Joseph Smith sat in Liberty jail and cried out in anguish: "Oh God, where art Thou?”, the Lord responded with: "My son peace be to thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.....Thou art not yet as Job” (D&C 121:1,7-10)

In the words of Neal A. Maxwell, endurance is “passing beyond breaking points without breaking”.

ODE TO JOB:

You sank so deep

Into the mire of your pain;

Nobody followed you,

Nobody sang praises to your name.

 

In your hour of agony

You gloried in His name,

You became my beacon

Of hope that I can do the same.

 

Your blessings multiplied

As the stars of heaven do

Each night I see them,

I am reminded of you.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Lord, I Believe by Liz Lemon Swindle)