what happened to job was unfair

From out of a storm, the LORD said to Job:
Why do you talk so much when you know so little?
Now get ready to face me! Can you answer the questions I ask?
How did I lay the foundation for the earth?
Were you there? (Job 38:1-4)

The words of God to Job were not fair and they bother me. Job had some serious concerns and God knew it. He was a good guy who did everything God wanted of him and more. Then the devil comes along and says, I’ll bet he would cave in a minute if he wasn’t so blessed. God says, watch.

The devil threw everything he had at him short of death. It got so bad that Job’s poor wife told him to just curse God so he could die and be through with the misery. We forget our misery affects others also. After all, his kids all died and his wife was left with a shattered home and a sick husband. All through no fault of his own.

All it amounted to was a bet between God and the devil. When Job complained, God said, in essence, who are you to complain?

That is probably one of the most unfair comments in the Bible. Job’s life was in ruins and God tells him to shut up.

There are things in this world that do not make sense. A Christian singer once had a song that said, “If you can’t see his hand, trust his heart.” Sometimes we cannot see his hand. And sometimes we may not see it all the way to our death.

But Job found out that God was still there through all the problems. When it was all over, God once again blessed Job. Once again he had a family and the things that God had blessed him with before, only doubled.

But did this make Job happy? At the end of it all, he said Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. (42:3-6).

It says that the later part of his life was even more blessed than the former. But, of course, his children were still dead, and I would imagine he was scarred from the boils, even though they were healed. But it says he died, an old man and full of years.

Does that mean we get everything back when God allows the devil to hurt us? I would like to think so, but so far, in my own life, it has not happened. We have gone through a crucible ourselves and so far, our fortunes have not reversed. I am waiting, but I will not hold my breath.

James, in James 5:11, says As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

He is even used later as an godly example of perseverance. God even tells Ezekiel in Ezekiel 14:14 that Jerusalem is so bad that even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD. He was still an example of greatness.

You know that Job was not an example of patience as so many say. He was terribly impatient, demanding that God answer him. He was, however, an example of perseverance. He lasted even in bad times.

That is what I am trying to do.