job 1 and 2

Read Job 1 and 2 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for these chapters are:

Job 1:1-5 {p} Job, the greatest man of the East
Job 1:6-22 {p} Job loses his possessions and children, but does not curse God
Job 2:1-10 {p} Job loses his health, but does not curse God
Job 2:11-3:1 {p} The coming of Job’s three friends

The Scripture tells us that Job lived in the land of Uz. After the Tower of Babel dispersion of the peoples, Shem’s son Aram settled Aramaea, so named after him in the ancient histories, but the same territory is known as Syria today. The son of Aram was Uz (Gen 10:23), and Josephus tells us that he founded Damascus, its capital city. Damascus is still the capital city of Syria today.

It is interesting that Abraham’s brother Nahor retained the names of Uz and Aram in his family line (Gen 22:21), as we read yesterday. This tells us that we are on the right track by associating the land of Uz with Syria, as common names become attached to the places of their history. Furthermore Scripture records that Abraham’s family arose from that vicinity:

And you shall answer and say before the Lord your God: ‘My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.’ Deu 26:5

We have seen that one of the common teaching tools employed by Scripture is pattern and repetition, and breaks in a pattern previously established. Consider that Job 1 and 2 establishes a pattern, but then breaks it:

Introduction, Job 1:1-5 {p}
Satan proposes to test Job’s integrity by afflicting his possessions and health, Job 1:6-12 and 2:1-7a
Disaster befalls Job’s possessions and heath, Job 1:13-19 and 2:7b
Job’s righteous response, Job 1:20-22 and 2:8-10

The break in the established pattern occurs in chapter 2:

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job 2:9

Her counsel might be considered normal, considering the losses she has also suffered. But notice whose counsel she is repeating? The adversary’s, and not that of the Holy Spirit. As a wife, I am doubly mindful of whose voice I am listening to, taking care to repeat the word of God and not the bitter words of the adversary!