Job's wife

 

Job 2:9

And his wife said to him: “Even now you hold to your integrity? Curse God and die!

These short, recorded words from Job’s wife could paint a picture of a harsh unforgiving woman, uttering ideas called ‘foolish’ by her long-suffering husband.

But I think that the opposite is true. Remember that she had suffered the same devastating losses that Job had – the disappearance of all their wealth and means of generating an income in extremely rapid succession, as well as the death of all their children in one disastrous incident. They had also lost all their servants except for four messengers - the bearers of these bad tidings - who I am sure left the household when they realised that Job had no income left with which to pay them their wages.

I can imagine that the two of them then had many tough decisions to make, not the least of which was finding ways to earn some income to live from. These plans were further disrupted when Job fell ill with a debilitating disease, effectively turning him from the community leader that he was into someone totally dependent on his wife for his very existence. It could not have been an easy time in her life, as she probably could only find work as a servant in another household, a great let-down in status from where she had been all her life!

It is against this background of pain and loss that she then said the words quoted above. We know that Job during his lifetime rescued the needy, cared personally for people with disabilities and people who were dying, and brought orphans into his home. He could not have done all of this without the full co-operation of his wife, showing a soft heart and a willingness to share her belongings with others. Could she perhaps have said those words out of compassion for her husband, wishing only to see his suffering end?  We know only that Job reacted to her words by comparing them to the way foolish women would speak, he did not accuse her of being foolish herself. I am sure that he eventually persuaded her not to react out of her personal pain and loss, but to hold on to the truth of Who God is.

Have you ever wondered why Job’s wife was not murdered by Satan as her children were? In marriage a man and a woman are considered one in God’s eyes (Gen 2:24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.) Therefore, when God forbade Satan to take Job’s life, his wife was included in this prohibition.

Points to ponder:  Is there an area in my life where I have either verbally, or physically responded incorrectly against God out of the pain and agony of my soul? Have I been hiding my pain from people for years and years? Am I not even sure anymore where this pain originated from? There is hope – contact our Healing Rooms where many compassionate people are waiting to show you the way out!

Truth be told