Titus 2 Men And Women

Job's Wife
By Teddi Neevel

Scripture: Job 2:9-10

Background: Job was an upright man who feared God and hated evil, and yet for some reason we do not know, God allowed Satan to try Job’s faith. I don’t believe that this was some idle whim on God’s part. I also do not believe that God was playing a game with Satan. I do believe that there are things we need to learn from Job and Mrs. Job.

Job 1:18-22
(18) While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
(19) And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
(20) Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
(21) And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
(22) In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job recognized that God is in control of all things. God is not the author of all things. In Job’s case God allowed Satan to have some limited control and Satan authored evil against the man that loved God. God created each of us as human beings with a free will. Many times the choices we make impact those around us either directly or indirectly. Sometimes we act intentionally to cause a specific reaction in or for others, but many times our actions are based on our own thinking of the moment with no consideration of the effect it will have on others.

Job 2:8-10
(8) And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
(9) Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
(10) But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Grief can cause people to say and do foolish things. Mrs. Job suggest Job give up on God. Would that have helped Job at all? Would she have been better off without her husband? Might she have been so grief stricken with the loss of her children that seeing her husband in anguish was more than she could carry at that time?

Job 2:11-13
(11) Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
(12) And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
(13) So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

While Mrs. Job was speaking foolishly in her grief, Job had friends to uphold him in mourning.

Job 19:14-21
(14) My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
(15) They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.
(16) I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.
(17) My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.
(18) Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.
(19) All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
(20) My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
(21) Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

One of the hardest things on a marriage is the loss of a child. This should come as no surprise to any of us but men and women grieve differently and their differences need to be respected and accommodated.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-7
(1) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
(2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
(3) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
(4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
(5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
(6) A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
(7) A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

During times of grief we need to uphold each other. During times of mourning an individual, family or church is under a microscope. The community as a whole will be watching us. Every word we say, every gesture we make, every scripture we quote will be held to the light and examined. If we condemn, or speculate, or judge it will have effects that last for eternity. We need to come together…to weep…to comfort…to mourn…to show love and compassion that goes beyond the norm. There will be people in and out of an grief who may not know Jesus as their Saviour, we must keep our focus on comforting the grieving and on souls for eternity.

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
(Romans 12:15)

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