Job was a man who lived not too long after the flood and the confusion at Babel. His life was about the same time as Abraham. He was a very rich man with a lot of livestock and many servants. Job very much took to heart what the people of God before him had learned. No doubt he was very impressed with the story of God's judgement of the evil society at Noah's time. So Job feared God and did his best to please God. He not only offered sacrifices for himself, he also offered them for each of his ten children. He did this continually in case any of them had offended God in some way.
One day the sons of God (angels) came before Him. Satan was one of the angels who came. God asked him where he was coming from. Satan replied that he had been going to and fro on the earth. Then God asked Satan if he had considered His servant Job who was a blameless and upright man, who feared God and turned away from evil?
Then Satan answered the Lord, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." The Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only upon himself do not put forth your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Now there a day when Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; and there came a messenger to Job, and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them; and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "The Chaldeans formed three companies, and made a raid upon the camels and took them, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you."
Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshiped. And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
There was another day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. This time the Lord asked Satan to consider how Job still held fast his integrity, even though Satan had moved Him against him, to destroy him without cause. Then Satan answered the Lord, "Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face." So the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power; only spare his life."
So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and afflicted Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes. Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God, and die." But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. They made an appointment together to come to comfort him. And when they saw him from afar, they did not recognize him; and they raised their voices and wept; and they rent their robes and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth in a long poem that he must have been composing as they sat there in silence. He considered that it would have been better if he had never been born for everything that he dreaded had happened to him. His friends responded by starting to debate with him. Each debate was also in the form of a long poem. The chapters in the Bible follow one right after another but there must have been hours or days between each speaking as they considered what had just been spoken and composed their response to it. None of their speaking was direct and clear, rather they used a lot of words to make their answers seem impressive without saying that much.
The concept of Job's friends was that God blesses the good and sends trouble to the wicked. They thought that Job must have secretly been very wicked, that's why all the trouble happened to him. Job's answer to his friends was that he was not wrong. The more his friends condemned him the more Job insisted that he was righteous. He wished that he could argue with God that his suffering was not fair. Each time Job complained and justified himself one of his friends would condemn him again. After each of his friends condemned him three times without convincing Job that he was wrong they gave up trying.
After they had all finished speaking, a fourth friend, Elihu, spoke. He was angry at Job for insisting that he was righteous and angry at the other three friends for condemning Job but being unable to answer his arguments. Eventually, however, Elihu did not know the reason all the trouble had come upon Job either. He thought he was wise but he had no real help to give.
When everyone was finished speaking then God came to reveal something of Himself to Job. God came in a whirlwind and began to question Job. God also told Job about various aspects of creation including the heavens, the earth and some of the animals. This time Job realized he had nothing to say, neither did his friends. Job told the Lord that He had heard about Him before but now he had seen Him. Therefore he abhorred himself and repented to the Lord in dust and ashes.
Then the Lord told Job's three friends that they had not spoken rightly about Him as Job had so they needed Job to pray for them so that the Lord would not deal with them according to their folly. When Job prayed for his friends then the Lord restored his health. All his former acquaintances came to comfort him bringing him gifts. After that the Lord blessed Job so that he had ten more children and much more riches than he had lost.
Verses in the Bible that refer to this story: Job 1 - 42; James 5:10-11
What would you have spoken to Job if you had been one of his friends?
How was Job different after his ordeal than before it?