"Consider my servant Job"

[dadof4]

I would like to pose a questions, and then see what your responses are before I give my thoughts.

Consider Job and all of his problems that he faced. He lost his animals, wealth, children - basically everything except one thing - his wife. Why is this when God gave Satan power over all that Job had (Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. . .)

[Jerry]

His children are his - but you could argue that his wife is not. She is her own person, and perhaps he would have needed permission to touch her as well. More speculation: perhaps the devil knew her general character and that she would stumble in her faith and be a possible stumbling block/thorn to Job if he left her alone (rather than taking her life).

[Anon]

I agree probably Satan knew she would tempt Job to give up on God. After all, SHE lost everything as well and was grieving herself.

[Colin Stolzer]

It looks to me like she was more of a benefit to Satan than a hinderance, she said "Job why don't you just curse God and die" (paraphrased)

C

[HappyChristian]

After all' date=' SHE lost everything as well and was grieving herself.[/quote']

Right - so she was touched in everything that Job was except for his boils. She reacted with emotion, just as women do. Perhaps her statement was a lack of faith, and thus used as yet another goad to Job, or perhaps it was a statement of frustration and fear. Here she has lost everything that mattered to her except her husband, but he sits covered with boils...maybe he's going to die too, so just curse God and get it over with. Or maybe part of her blames him because he wasn't able to stop the problems. I think it's telling when he says that she spoke like the foolish women...that maybe he's telling her she's not really foolish, so stop talking like that?

[Guest Guest]

Possibly it is a reference to the one flesh relationship. Maybe his wife was included in the prohibition to kill Job. Just a thought, I certainly wouldn't be dogmatic on it. :wink

[qwerty guy]

Possibly it is a reference to the one flesh relationship. Maybe his wife was included in the prohibition to kill Job. Just a thought' date=' I certainly wouldn't be dogmatic on it. [/quote']

Yea. You posted pretty much verbatim what I was going too.

[matie-k]

Interesting question Trent. I've never really thought about it before, and you've got me curious. I'd like to hear your thoughts on it and anyone else's too.

[Madeline]

The devil didn't kill Job's three friends either, and they turned out to be a tremendous stumbling block for him. This was true in the case of his wife too, if we recall:

"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die." Job 2:9

Job handled this part of the test perfectly, but had more trouble with his three friends, which only goes to show I suppose that everyone has a tipping point. We should all be so very grateful to Job that he endured this particular experience so that it might be recorded in scripture and that we might all benefit from it without having to experience the same thing - at least to the same degree - and that we might be better equipped to pass difficult tests when they come. The lesson of Job is that God was getting ready to super bless Job. However, before He could He first needed to know that Job's heart was His. If Job could remain faithful to God in the worst of times, then God knew He could trust Job with riches. In the middle of the worst of Job's trial, Job said to God in Job 13:15 "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him."

Love,
Madeline

[dadof4]

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond to this one.

We discussed this in our pre-marital counseling and I have always thought this neat. I am not saying that I know for sure why Job's wife was not killed, but is sure is a great idea.

Before a man and woman are married, they are two separate people. When they are married, in the eyes of God, they become one flesh. (Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.) Therefore, when God said to Satan that he could afflict Job, but not kill him, he could not touch Mrs. Job since she is "one flesh" with Job.

Possibly it is a reference to the one flesh relationship. Maybe his wife was included in the prohibition to kill Job. Just a thought' date=' I certainly wouldn't be dogmatic on it. [/quote']

I do wonder, though, if Mrs. Job suffered from the same ailments that Job had.