Have you taken note of my servant Job? (Job 1:8)

6 min readOct 25, 2024

Meditation on the book of Job

This meditation will be based on Job’s dialogue with his three accusers or his false friends, on Elihu’s speech and finally the intervention of Jehovah God, the Heavenly Father, in order to discipline Job on his words. The dialogues between Job and his three accusers, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, has three parts (1 — Job 3:1 to 14:22; 2–15:1 to 21:34; 3–21:1 to 25:6. Job’s latest speech, before Elihu’s intervention, is in Job 21:1 to 31:40). There will be some biblical verses mentioned as highlights, with or without comment.

The Book of Job chapters 1 and 2:

“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was an upright man of integrity; he feared God and shunned what was bad. 2 Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 His livestock amounted to 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 cattle, and 500 donkeys, along with a very large number of servants, so that he became the greatest of all the people of the East.

4 Each of his sons would hold a banquet at his house on his own set day. They would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 After a series of banquet days was complete, Job would send for them in order to sanctify them. Then he would get up early in the morning and offer up burnt sacrifices for each of them. For Job said: “Maybe my sons have sinned and have cursed God in their heart.” That is what Job would always do.

6 Now the day came when the sons of the true God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and Satan also entered among them.

7 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where have you come from?” Satan answered Jehovah: “From roving about on the earth and from walking about in it.” 8 And Jehovah said to Satan: “Have you taken note of my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth. He is an upright man of integrity, fearing God and shunning what is bad.” 9 At that Satan answered Jehovah: “Is it for nothing that Job has feared God? 10 Have you not put up a protective hedge around him and his house and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock has spread out in the land. 11 But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your very face.” 12 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! Everything that he has is in your hand. Only do not lay your hand on the man himself!” So Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah.

13 Now on the day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said: “The cattle were plowing and the donkeys were grazing beside them 15 when the Sa·beʹans attacked and took them, and they killed the servants with the sword. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

16 While he was still speaking, another one came and said: “Fire from God fell from the heavens and blazed among the sheep and the servants and consumed them! I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

17 While he was still speaking, another one came and said: “The Chal·deʹans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them, and they killed the servants with the sword. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

18 While he was still speaking, yet another one came and said: “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house. 19 Suddenly a great wind came from the wilderness, and it struck the four corners of the house, so that it fell on the young people and they were killed. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

20 At that Job got up and ripped apart his garment and cut the hair off his head; then he fell to the ground and bowed down 21 and said:

“Naked I came out of my mother’s womb,

And naked I will return.

Jehovah has given, and Jehovah has taken away.

Let the name of Jehovah continue to be praised.”

22 In all of this, Job did not sin or accuse God of doing anything wrong.

2 Afterward the day came when the sons of the true God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and Satan also entered among them to take his station before Jehovah.

2 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where have you come from?” Satan answered Jehovah: “From roving about on the earth and from walking about in it.” 3 And Jehovah said to Satan: “Have you taken note of my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth. He is an upright man of integrity, fearing God and shunning what is bad. He is still holding firmly to his integrity, even though you try to incite me against him to destroy him for no reason.” 4 But Satan answered Jehovah: “Skin for skin. A man will give everything that he has for his life. 5 But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike his bone and flesh, and he will surely curse you to your very face.”

6 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! He is in your hand! Only do not take his life!” 7 So Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, and he was sitting among the ashes.

9 Finally his wife said to him: “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her: “You are talking like one of the senseless women. Should we accept only what is good from the true God and not accept also what is bad?” In all of this, Job did not sin with his lips.

11 Three companions of Job heard about all the calamities that had come upon him, and each came from his own place — Elʹi·phaz the Teʹman·ite, Bilʹdad the Shuʹhite, and Zoʹphar the Naʹa·ma·thite. So they agreed to meet together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. They began to weep loudly and to rip their garments apart, and they threw dust into the air and onto their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great” (Job chapters 1 and 2).

Why did God allow suffering and wickedness?

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