Mrs. Job

Job’s wife is always portrayed negatively.

Because we only have one verse to tell us about her.

“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.”

Job 2:9

But can you imagine how she felt? The moment she was told that all her children were dead? Can you imagine how she felt as, she too, lost everything?

Can you imagine how she felt as she watched the man she loved, sit in the ashes of what once was, his body cursed with boils?

She grew weary with the suffering.

She wanted to see an end, a light at the end of the tunnel.

The grief was so heavy.

She didn’t even recognize the man that was her husband. Could she even grieve with him over their children, because she was already grieving HIM?

I’m sure she just wanted all the suffering to end.

There was nothing she could do.

She was absolutely helpless.

The hedge that had been about Job, had been around her too. And now it was gone, she was exposed.

She had sacrificed to the Lord, alongside her husband, had he forsaken them. Did she search her heart for some hidden sin to see if this was all her fault? Did she blame herself?

Did she blame the Lord?

Did she think that maybe this was all a bad dream that she would just wake up from?

But somewhere, somehow, in this story of Job, his wife met with the Lord.

Maybe while Job sat with his friends, she went and sat in the ashes of where they had sacrificed to the Lord. Maybe she raised her weary hands and repeated Job’s statement, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Maybe when Job prayed for his friends, she knelt alongside him, and poured her heart out to the One who formed all of her children in her womb.

Maybe after Job’s stinging rebuke in Chapter 2, she realized that this wasn’t how she wanted her story to end.

Somewhere, somehow, she choose to let go and raise her hands, and say “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

And you know how we know that?

Because it came to pass, that the Lord turned the captivity of Job, and began blessing again…he blessed her too. It was her womb, that was fruitful again, and bore 7 sons and 3 daughters.

Job 42:12 says, “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning…”

And she got to enjoy the latter blessings, just as Job did. She was not cut off. She didn’t watch from afar off.

The Lord drowned her in blessings too.

He comforted her heart.

He did not leave her in ashes.

He honored her.

Because somewhere, somehow, she had honored him, in spite of her grief, in spite of the pain, in spite of the ashes she stood in.

He blessed her latter end too.

And he will bless yours.

This isn’t the end.

Bless him anyway.

Let go, and raise your hands to the One who will never leave you in ashes.

Job’s wife’s story didn’t end with cursing God and dying, and yours won’t either.