Gods Sabbath

T HE L IFE OF J OB

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Here is a sample of their argument as Eliphaz expressed it: “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. At the breath of God they are destroyed; at the blast of his anger they perish.” Job 4:7–9. Under Satan’s inspiration and direction, Job’s so-called friends continued to press these arguments on him, although he emphat ically refused to accept them. They even went so far as to say, “Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.” Job 11:6 (NRSV). This was the logic of those men who, instead of helping Job, placed a further burden upon his shoulders. As usual, the enemy presented only one side of the truth to support his cause. While it is true that “those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.” ( Job 4:8), it is false that the inno cent never perish and the upright are never destroyed ( Job 4:7). The real truth is that, while the wicked do perish because of their sinfulness, in many cases the children of God also die, but in their case it is because they are righteous. In fact, the more right eous they are, the greater is the possibility that they may be called to serve God’s cause by making the supreme sacrifice. Although his friends did not understand these principles, Job certainly did. Thus he represented God’s side of the controversy while they took Satan’s side. Throughout the time they were to gether, this was the issue contested between them. In the end, God spoke the final word by giving His endorsement to Job’s stand and His condemnation of the position taken by his “com forters” (see Job 42:7–8). Had those men been successful in convincing Job that all suf fering is the result of one’s own sins, they would have robbed him of his Sabbath rest. Fortunately, they were not able to do this, and the patriarch was thus able to maintain his trusting relationship with his great Source.

Job’s Understanding

A vital factor in Job’s success as God’s witness was his awareness that both the wicked and the righteous perish; the