Sitis is stuck in her bitter emotions, which is obvious from her words in Job 2:9, “Curse God and die.”
Much like Adam’s wife Eve did in Genesis 3, Job’s wife spurs her husband to doubt God’s use of divine powers. Perhaps her challenge helped open Job’s eyes to deepen of his knowledge of his relationship with God. Sitis disappears from Biblical record after her bold statement. I wonder if Sitis ever wondered if Job was right after all. That led to this story.
“If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit—6 let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless—7 if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled,
8 then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted. 9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, 10 then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her. 11 For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged. 12 It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest. (Job 31:5-12)
Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. (Job 38:1)
It looked as though Job would die soon; I have no idea how he lasted this long. He may have wished that he had never been born, but he refused to curse God with me. Job would never admit to some secret wrong-doing that made him deserve this awful punishment and maintained his faithfulness to God no matter what anyone said.
Those “you-deserved-it” accusations did not come from me—hadn’t I been with him since I came into my womanhood? I knew what he believed and how he lived. No, those were the words of his so-called well-meaning friends. The men who came to gawk and shake their heads as they looked at him lying in a heap of garbage. Did they offer to carry Job to their homes and tend his wounds? Did they offer a clean bed and decent meals to help him regain his health? No. They covered their noses with their sleeves and spread cloths to sit on—as far away from Job as possible while still being able to carry on a conversation. Or should I say, “Deliver their diatribes”? These friends had all been eager to spend time with us and eat from our table. Now we were unclean, unworthy, and disgusting.
Sitting and listening to their self-righteous solutions to all of Job’s problems brought a picture to my mind—a vision of my myself as a woman who had everything and knew everything. I sat at my neighbor’s table when Mara was depressed and overwhelmed with life. I said to her, “Don’t just lay there crying. Turn these feelings over to the Lord, have faith that He will care for you, and get on with life. You must decide to get up and just do what needs to be done.” My words to Mara accused me as I listened to Bildad’s unreasonable pronouncements.
Zophar, that tactless, old windbag was sure that Job had hidden a particularly evil act from the world. As he droned on and on, I heard echoes of my worthless counsel to Orpah, whose husband was a drunken lout. “If you would be a Godly wife, he would treat you with respect and care.” My words were as cruel as his beatings.
To my surprise, I found myself listening to Job’s answers to the self-righteous buffoons who came to kick a man when he’s down. I still couldn’t look at him except in quick glances. I avoided touching him and worked hard not to gag at the smell. However, I found myself staying close by when my reluctant ministrations were complete so that I could hear what Job had to say. I was surprised to find sympathy in my heart for this man and struggled against the desire to stand up in his defense. I knew, and they knew, he was truly a righteous man.
The fact is, we were suffering, both Job and I. What do I do with this truth?
One question remained: “Why, God? Why?”
No one had the answer to that, until the storm came.
I wonder …
Are my responses to another’s problem compassionate or judgmental?
When someone’s issues make them “dirty”—physically or spiritually—how do I respond to them? Are the things I say and do helpful or hurtful?
Almighty God, show me how to be a true friend to those who are suffering. Give me empathy and genuine Christ-centered love. Amen
Kathleen S Evenhouse 