“Then Job’s wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’” (Job 2:9)

“Then Job’s wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’” (Job 2:9)

Given all that Job lost, and all he suffered, his wife added insult to injury by not only tempting her husband to question his faith, but by asking him to “curse God and die.” In short, seeing their lives completely ruined by the loss of all they held dear (children, grandchildren, livestock, crops, barns, home), instead of being supportive and encouraging, she exhorted her husband to “just give up;” asking him to blame God for their misfortune and lay down and die.

Yet Job, to his credit, is not as easily tempted as Adam was by Eve. He remains faithful and endures his hardships, catastrophes, and maladies while staying faithful to God and logically accepting the good from God along with the bad (Job 2:10).

Good and evil (or calamities, as in Isaiah 45:7) exist alongside each other in our fallen world, yet it is always a temptation to view bad things as God’s “punishment” upon our lives. Job could have taken that route, but instead is forever remembered for being faithful and steadfast – even amidst great trouble and pain. This was his legacy to us and our challenge!

Fr. John