Through no fault of Job, Satan attacks him, wiping away his wealth and killing all his children. Next, Satan afflicts Job’s health, leaving him in agony. The suffering man wishes he were dead, that he’d never been born. All Job has left is his life, four unsupportive friends, and a wife who harasses him. Job may have been better off without her.
As Job struggles to maintain his faith in God and hold on to his righteousness, Job’s wife could choose to support him. She should be encouraging. Instead, she turns on him. She ridicules his integrity and suggests he just curse God so he can die.
Job does not waver. He calls her foolish and does not sin. God spares Job and restores what Satan took from him.
Do we encourage those closest to us when they go through tough times, or do we make things even harder for them?
[Discover more about Job’s wife in Job 1–2 and Job 42, especially Job 2:9–10.]
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.