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I always cringe when I hear folks tell the story of Job. Because in most cases they will expound on how callous Job’s wife was to say to him, “Curse God and die!”
Now, imagine you are Job’s wife. She and Job had a wonderful life together. They had ten children whom they raised to honor God, she and Job were prosperous, and God called her husband perfect and upright. I’m sure Job married a godly wife for he wouldn’t have chosen otherwise. What perfect man would choose a wife who was not also perfectly godly? And I’m sure Job’s wife was the heart of that loving family as they were all very close-knit and feasted in celebration together quite often.
Then Job and his wife became bankrupt when everything they owned was stolen from them. Even the servants were murdered. Their very livelihood was taken away and the beautiful life they once knew was completely gone. They went from wealthy to destitute in one day’s time, most likely forced to beg for food.
Then their children were killed when a wind blew the house down on them while they were eating together. Ten times Job’s wife bore a child from her womb. Seven sons and three daughters she nurtured at her breast and raised each one to honor God and their father, Job. Can you imagine the grief and trauma she endured as she and Job had to have ten fresh graves dug for all of their precious children?
Then Job was stricken with boils and his wife had to care for his ravaged body. She would also find him outside the gates of the city as an outcast, scraping his skin with pieces of broken pottery for relief. He would even let dirty stray dogs lick his wounds. Can you imagine your loving spouse in such a horrid condition day after day?
When Job’s friends saw him from a distance, they were so traumatized at the sight of him, they tore their robes, threw ashes on their heads and wept loudly in agony. That was from a distance! Job’s wife witnessed his devastated body up close every day! Can you imagine the mental state of mind she must have been in trying to keep her diseased husband alive and grieving for her ten children at the same time?
This last attack of the devil upon Job almost broken his soul. Each day he was on the brink of death and only received a little relief from the heat from the burning dump and scraping his now unrecognizable distorted body with shards. Can you imagine being Job’s wife watching your beloved husband's skin being scraped from his precious body?
While we can certainly understand the devastating situation Job endured, we should also realize that his wife did not leave him. She had no resources left, no family to depend on for help, no money, no network of people to help them, while watching her husband lose his sanity and suffering most likely in loud howls of agony and debilitating pain day after day.
The only words we have recorded of Job’s wife are those she spoke at the lowest point in her life. She was losing her mind. “Why don’t you just curse God and die?” This sounds like a woman so exasperated, so out of strength that the only hope she could think of was Job going home to God.
God thought it worthy to record this in scripture, not to make Job’s wife appear unloving, but to show how devastating it must have been for Job to watch his wife suffer in a state of shock on top of everything else.
But Job didn’t condemn his wife. He told her she was talking like one of the foolish women. He was saying that she was not herself, because we know he would not have married a foolish woman. Job lovingly reminded his beloved wife that they had to expect both good and bad from God’s hand.
Though God rebuked Job’s friends for accusing him of sin, God did not rebuke Job’s wife. God understands when we are at our wit’s end. The Lord understands the loving bond between a husband and wife. We know the end of the story how God restored their lives together and blessed both Job and his wife with ten more children. Job’s wife stuck it out with him, was with him every day even though they both almost lost their minds. Job’s wife endured with him to the end.
Now, imagine you are Job’s wife. She and Job had a wonderful life together. They had ten children whom they raised to honor God, she and Job were prosperous, and God called her husband perfect and upright. I’m sure Job married a godly wife for he wouldn’t have chosen otherwise. What perfect man would choose a wife who was not also perfectly godly? And I’m sure Job’s wife was the heart of that loving family as they were all very close-knit and feasted in celebration together quite often.
Then Job and his wife became bankrupt when everything they owned was stolen from them. Even the servants were murdered. Their very livelihood was taken away and the beautiful life they once knew was completely gone. They went from wealthy to destitute in one day’s time, most likely forced to beg for food.
Then their children were killed when a wind blew the house down on them while they were eating together. Ten times Job’s wife bore a child from her womb. Seven sons and three daughters she nurtured at her breast and raised each one to honor God and their father, Job. Can you imagine the grief and trauma she endured as she and Job had to have ten fresh graves dug for all of their precious children?
Then Job was stricken with boils and his wife had to care for his ravaged body. She would also find him outside the gates of the city as an outcast, scraping his skin with pieces of broken pottery for relief. He would even let dirty stray dogs lick his wounds. Can you imagine your loving spouse in such a horrid condition day after day?
When Job’s friends saw him from a distance, they were so traumatized at the sight of him, they tore their robes, threw ashes on their heads and wept loudly in agony. That was from a distance! Job’s wife witnessed his devastated body up close every day! Can you imagine the mental state of mind she must have been in trying to keep her diseased husband alive and grieving for her ten children at the same time?
This last attack of the devil upon Job almost broken his soul. Each day he was on the brink of death and only received a little relief from the heat from the burning dump and scraping his now unrecognizable distorted body with shards. Can you imagine being Job’s wife watching your beloved husband's skin being scraped from his precious body?
While we can certainly understand the devastating situation Job endured, we should also realize that his wife did not leave him. She had no resources left, no family to depend on for help, no money, no network of people to help them, while watching her husband lose his sanity and suffering most likely in loud howls of agony and debilitating pain day after day.
The only words we have recorded of Job’s wife are those she spoke at the lowest point in her life. She was losing her mind. “Why don’t you just curse God and die?” This sounds like a woman so exasperated, so out of strength that the only hope she could think of was Job going home to God.
God thought it worthy to record this in scripture, not to make Job’s wife appear unloving, but to show how devastating it must have been for Job to watch his wife suffer in a state of shock on top of everything else.
But Job didn’t condemn his wife. He told her she was talking like one of the foolish women. He was saying that she was not herself, because we know he would not have married a foolish woman. Job lovingly reminded his beloved wife that they had to expect both good and bad from God’s hand.
Though God rebuked Job’s friends for accusing him of sin, God did not rebuke Job’s wife. God understands when we are at our wit’s end. The Lord understands the loving bond between a husband and wife. We know the end of the story how God restored their lives together and blessed both Job and his wife with ten more children. Job’s wife stuck it out with him, was with him every day even though they both almost lost their minds. Job’s wife endured with him to the end.
My heart-felt thoughts go out to you. Blessings of grace and peace to you and your beloved family, in our Lord Jesus. {{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}
