Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?”
Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.”
Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.”
And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck 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 while he sat in 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 from God, and shall we not receive evil?”
In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Ooh. Ah. Very interesting!
Sorry, not quite getting it… Are you drawing a parallel to Jacob’s wrestling?
Touching Job’s bone and his flesh led to his wife speaking for the Accuser and tempting Job to curse God.
“You are bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh….”
Come to think of it, Jacob had to wrestle with his wives most of his life…
Careful, someone will come along and say this shows why enforced clerical celibacy is a good idea. “See? It just takes away from Satan a tool for interfering with the ministry.”
David (Michal), Abraham (Sarah’s plot to provide an heir which was an out and out occasion for Abraham to deny his faith)….the list goes on.
It could give a girl a complex!
Abraham was at fault much more than Sarah. Not sure what to think about everything involved with Michal. But as Adam remained silent while Eve was tempted (without any direct information), I think Job’s wife is the exception to the rule.
Interestingly, we’re never told anything bad happens to her. Presumably she makes it through the bad time and is brought back to the light at the end of the story.
Jacob’s conflict with his wives produced the seed. He shouldn’t have given in to the concubines (two was too much!) It seems similar to Rebekah’s conflict with Isaac, but not as righteous. It does seem similar to Job in that discontent is voiced. Jacob’s reply “Am I in the place of God…” “Shall we receive good from God and not evil also…”
This is a stream of conscious comment. I have no idea where it should go.
I think clerical celibacy has immense advantages to the church… for men who are genuinely called to it.