How much grief can the human heart handle in one day? While weeping over the 26...

Until I was teaching the Word tonight, one aspect of the suffering of brother Job never occurred to me. When someone works for someone who loves God as Job loved God, the employer comes to MUCH appreciation of a faithful worker. How many workers can plow with 500 yoke of oxen? If all are plowing, logically 500 workers. When the Sabeans attacked they killed with the edge of the sword 499 and who knows how many more that were taking care of the donkeys? That first news was a hard punch. It has to be that amongst those 499 there were some very well loved for their faithfulness to Job. It is possible that they tried to defend Job’s property and died in the process.

How many shepherds are needed to keep 7,000 sheep? If a normal herd is like the parable that Jesus gave, there were 700 shepherds and several very well loved of Job and 699 of them were burned. Only one escaped. What a magnitude of sadness!

And then the attack of the Chaldeans against those who kept the 1,000 camels. I have no idea how many camels that a worker can care for, but amongst those workers, Job lost VERY MANY very good and much loved friends.
It is possible that he lost from 1,000 to 1,500 servants in one day before losing his 10 precious children.

Until tonight, it never occurred to me the magnitude of sorrow that he lived through by losing the many many servants in just one day before losing his 10 children.

Several of us have wept for the loss of 20 children in a school and 6 adults killed at the pleasure of a crazy man. Many of Job’s servants died at the edge of the sword, and others were burned.

But even with all of that inconceivable pain of heart, Job did not sin against God, nor did he charge him foolishly.

Job is a good example for us.

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say:
It is well! It is well with my soul!

A Sunday School teacher once brought out to us the reality of the magnitude of grief that SO MANY of the victims of the holocaust suffered, yet their grief was never announced from any newspaper nor TV screen. Multiplied grief for the brutal murder of millions in a short period of time went unnoticed by most of the world, yet their grief was as real and deeply felt as any other loss of a loved one, especially in a cruel and unjust manner.

When our time of grief comes to America, may God help us to endure it as so many of our brave brothers and sisters are enduring it right now, and have been for many years.

Amen. Brings to my mind the psalms it has good that I have been afflicted. Job offers much hope. Gethsemane experiences make us more fruitful if we do not grow weary..we will reap. Just a thought. Our hope is
Jesus!!!!!!
Eagle flying

Thanks for a provoking thought.

PS Don't be to hard on Jobs wife who also lost all of these and had to watch what to her was going to be the loss of her husband as well.

Ruf

Well....the devil gives Job another distraction: he afflicts his with boils where he scrapes himself with a piece of pottery. Job 2:7,8. I would think his physical condition was so severe he had little time to reflect on his other losses.

Ever have a boil? I had one in my ear one time...that H.U.R.T. You cared for nothing else...

Poor Job. Yet he had the reputation that he never sinned. God was right proud of him and for good reason. What does it take to challenge our faith in God? For most folks it is a whole lot less then boils...