The Killing Of Job's Children

By: Hanna Henderson

Neither the individual lessons found in the book of Job nor the culmination of them can be spiritually understood by anyone who hasn't experienced a fiery trial of faith as did Job. Nevertheless, the follower of Christ does well to seek understanding of what took place with him, although that comprehension be on the surface. The scriptures repeatedly and forcefully command the believer to get understanding of God's word (KJV Proverbs 4:7), because even a superficial understanding that's solid, can prove formidable when testing time arrives. In fact, this is exactly what happened with Job who himself admitted that only after he had come through his test did his understanding reach into the depths of his soul. It's more powerful to see something than it is to hear it. Sight, both natural and spiritual, is the most impressive of all the senses. Just as natural sight is able to brand images onto the brain, spiritual sight has the power to brand truths onto the spirit at a depth that even the spiritual ear cannot. Job, being overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord like he'd never experienced before, said, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee" (Job 42:5).

The Challenge

Job 1:7-8 says, "and the Lord said unto Satan, 'whence comest thou?' Then Satan answered the Lord and said, 'from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it.'" Why was Satan going to and fro and walking up and down in the earth? 1 Peter 5:8 answers this question warning that the believer must, "be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (utterly destroy)."

There's a popular saying that goes something like, "if you want to win a battle, know your enemy and know yourself." This is actually in agreement with biblical advice regarding spiritual battles. The Bible reveals some very important tactics used by the enemy. When the serpent came to Eve in the garden, he attacked the character of God, claiming that he had forbidden the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to keep Adam and Eve from becoming gods. When Satan responded to the Lord regarding Job, again, he revealed his plan to attack God's character with Job. His ultimate goal was to get Job to curse God and die. He basically suggested that Job only served God for the blessings, but the Lord knew otherwise and offered his servant to the fiery trial of faith. Job had no idea that his stand in faith was of such magnitude that it would go down in history as an example to the millions of God's servants to be born so long after his time.

Job 1:8-12 says, "And the Lord said unto Satan, 'hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?' Then Satan answered the Lord and said, 'doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou has blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.' And the Lord said unto Satan, 'behold, all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself (his body) put not forth thine hand.' So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."

Job's Children Die

Satan went forth to use the power God had granted him against all that Job enjoyed in life--his children included. Job 1:18 says, "...thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house. And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead...."

Two questions that can be very disturbing arise while learning about Job's tribulation. They are questions that few Christians admit to having and are therefore kept "in the closet" where their answers can never come to light. If many people, including believers would be honest, they would ask how God could be so mean to one of his most dedicated servants of all time. They would also ask how God could be so careless with the lives of the children as though their lives simply served to test and make Job. Although these questions understandably come to mind, it's imperative that the Christian doesn't fall into the age old trick of attacking God's character while seeking answers. The Bible warns to be extremely careful, "...lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled" (Hebrews 12:15).

Job's Perfection

If readers of Job battle against bitterness for what happened to this righteous man, what was in Job, the father of the slain children, that protected him from bitterness against God? Job, even with his superficial understanding in some areas of spiritual matters, had obtained perfection, being called perfect by the Lord himself. It is his perfection that guarded him. Does this mean that Job had ceased to sin? No, proper understanding of what spiritual perfection is in God's eyes doesn't make such unscriptural assumptions.

In Matthew 22.37-40, Jesus said, "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." When one loves God in this manner, he is perfect. Any man that God calls perfect has this kind of love for him.

Did not the apostle Paul remind believers of the definition of perfection when he taught saying, "and above all these things, put on charity (love), which is the bond of perfectness" (Colossians 3.14)?

Misunderstanding in the carrying out of spiritual love may easily lead to the servant of God becoming a "door mat" instead of the useful soldier he is meant to be.

There are numerous saints of God living in countries where Christians endure horrendous torture and persecution for their faith in Christ. Nevertheless, organizations such as: In Jesus' Name Ministries, report the stories of their courageous love for their enemies. These men, women, and children of God took him seriously when He told them to be perfect.

Satan accused Job of having a conditional love for God, but God knew it was unconditional. Therefore, when God allowed the children that he had given Job to be taken away, Job could worship saying, "...the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Perfect love for God keeps all things in their right perspective. Jesus reminded, "he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:37). Job was worthy of God.

God's Absolute Sovereignty

A man like Job that has attained perfection in God's eyes, has also achieved understanding of when to surrender to the absolute sovereignty of the Creator. It's not conceivable that even a perfect servant of God is going to find everything that his Lord does, pleasing. Nevertheless, he surrenders to his will that sometimes is understood and more easily accepted later, and sometimes not.

Job could accept the death of his children whether God had directly killed them or had allowed them to be killed. He understood God's absolute sovereignty who said, "behold, all souls are mine, as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine...." (Ezekiel 18:4).

The Final Conclusion

The author of this articles almost lost her faith in God after reading the book of Job without understanding. Many others have asked and continue to ask the question of what would become of them if God were to deal with them as he did his servant Job. Is there any biblical advice that can be given to such readers? Yes there is.

The Bible instructs the believer to be most serious about strengthening his walk with God so he'll be able to stand. The parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) is one of many scriptural passages that warn of the need to diligently watch one's walk with God. However, he is not suppose to worry about things that have not and may not ever happen to him. In Matthew 6:31 Jesus said, "...take no thought, saying, 'what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?' But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.... Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Tomorrow comes very quickly. If the servant of God isn't to worry about a time that he may see in a few hours, he certainly is not to worry about a time he may not see for years, or at all. God told his servant to worry about drawing closer and closer to him through the keeping (obedience to) of his word. This is only preparation that should be made for a time that may not be seen. The servant is then covered whether he sees persecution or trial and tribulation because Jesus promised, "because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Revelation 3:10).
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