8B
RELIGION/Sie Ctsrione $0t
Thursday, April 6, 2006
When tragedy occurs, what will you do?
Continued from page SB
The Sabeans were a gang of
raiders who stole Job’s ani
mals and killed his servants.
These people may have been
finm the land of Sheba in
southwest Arabia-present
day Yemen. They engaged in
caravan trading, which woxild
account for their being so far
from home. They obviously
did not confine themselves to
peaceful commerce! (It is pos
sible that there were other
Sabeans already headquar
tered in northern Arabia, clos
er to where Job lived. These
Sabeans would then have
been more like local raiders.)
4. Why is it that the attacks
on Job almost seem invented?
Job’s attacks almost seem
invented becaiose in a sense
they really were. Satan
brought Job’s losses in a
rapid-fire and uniform way
that was sure to put Job’s
faith to the sternest test. The
author of this historical
accoimt has also arrar^ed the
material so that we can better
understand the overwhelm
ing nature of these calamities.
There could be no question of
mere coincidence. Job would
be compelled to consider what
in the world was going on.
There will be times in our
lives when we wiQ think sim
ilarly to Job and wonder,
“Lord, why are these things
beir^ allowed to happen to
me? Are you testing my faith?
Is there a lesson to be learned
at the end of all this? Can I
expect a great blessing as a
result?”
5. How is it that the attacks
on Job can be said to have
come finm all directions? (Job
1:18-19)
John Hartley, author of
“The Book of Job” (Eerd-
mans), observes that each of
the four calamitous events
affecting Job came finm one
of the four points of the com
pass. ^e Chaldeans that
‘Termed three bands (and)
raided the camels and took
them away.., and kUled the
servants” (v. 17) came finm
the north- The Sabeans who
“raided” Job’s “oxen (that)
were plowing and the don
keys feeding beside them” (v.
14) came finm the south. The
wind that killed Job’s sons
and daughters “came finm
across the wildemess” (v. 19)
or fiom the east. Finally, the
lightning that formed in a
Mediterranean storm and
that was called “fire of God
('falling) fixim heaven (burn
ing) up the sheep and the ser
vants (consuming) them” (v
16) came fiom the west. Job
was attacked fi-om the north,
south, east, and west. Hart
ley adds that “the number
four also symbolizes full mea
sure, totality”
6- How did Job demonstrate
his righteousness in his
response to his children’s
deaths? (Job 1:22)
Already in shock over the
loss of his property. Job was
in a weakened state when he
received the worst news a
parent can receive-the death
of his seven sons and three
daughters. We might weU
wonder how we would react
in the face of this sorrow. For
his part. Job maintained a
remarkably good attitude at
this point. He acknowledged
that everything he possessed
had come fiom God, who had
the right to do with His gifts
as He saw fit. Job maintained
a spirit of worship and praise.
He refused to accuse God of
acting sinfully in the things
that had happened to him. Tb
have done so would have
been foolish, for it would have
involved a failure to remem
ber God’s character and
man’s place in the world.
7- What accounts for Job’s
change of attitude in chapter
three? (Job 3:1-3)
There are a number of fac
tors at work. Not ready to
give up, Satan had received
(jod’s permission for a second
attack on Job, this time
affecting his physical health
(2:4-5). Job was afOicted with
painful bods all over his body
As anyone who has experi
enced intense and prolonged
pain will know, there are few
sterner tests of spiritual
steadfastness-
There were other factors at
work in Job’s fife. His wife
was not an encouragement.
Beset by grief herself, she
told Job, in eflfect, to just give
up and forget about God (2:9).
Job rejected this idea, but it
certainly did not make main
taining a ri^t spirit any eas-
ier
The simple passage of time
was another force at work
with Job- Sometimes we can
find great strer^th to face
troubles when they first
appear; but with time, grief
and pain have a way of wear
ing down our spiritual
defenses. For at least a week,
and probably much longer.
Job had been dealing with his
seemingly ruined life. Appar
ently he had reached a break
ing point. He began to pour
out his despair to the fiiends
who had gathered around
him
THOUGHTTO
REMEMBER
The ultimate loss is to
reject God.
Preachers’ wives battle isolation
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SELMER, Tenn. — The
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