A strange battle

The book of Job begins with a description of a very strange conversation between God and Satan. God brags about his servant Job, who he says is "blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil." Now there's a characterization I'd love to be worthy of myself. Wouldn't you? Imagine God talking about you, telling someone that you're blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. How cool would that be? Job certainly seems to fit into the "example to follow" category!

But the trouble for Job is that God then gives Satan permission to attack Job's riches -- and this includes killing his children! This is a heck of a way to settle the argument they're having.

There's another cycle, where Satan gets permission to attack Job bodily (but not as far as killing him). Job is afflicted "with painful sores from the soles of his feeet to the top of his head." This is too much for Job's wife.

His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept god from God, and not trouble?"

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Job 2.9-10

What a frustrating and painful time this must have been for her, to say something like that! Maybe it was worse for her than it was for him.

Job is clearly annoyed, but he doesn't say she's silly. He says she's talking "like a foolish woman." He strikes me as a careful man.

an example to follow indeed.