Topical Bible: Servants: Bad: Job's Servants

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In the biblical narrative of Job, the role of servants is highlighted in the context of Job's immense suffering and loss. Job, a man described as "blameless and upright" (Job 1:1), experiences a series of devastating calamities that test his faith and integrity. Among these trials is the betrayal and failure of his servants, which adds to his profound sense of loss and isolation.

Job's Wealth and Servants

Job was a man of great wealth and status, possessing vast herds of livestock and numerous servants to manage his estate. The Bible records, "He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and he had a very large number of servants" (Job 1:3). This abundance of servants indicates Job's significant social standing and the extensive operations required to maintain his household and enterprises.

The Calamity and Betrayal

The narrative of Job's trials begins with a series of catastrophic events orchestrated by Satan, with God's permission, to test Job's righteousness. Among these events is the betrayal and failure of his servants. In Job 1:14-15, a messenger reports to Job, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans swooped down and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you" . This account reveals that the servants, who were expected to protect and manage Job's property, were unable to prevent the theft and slaughter, resulting in a significant loss for Job.

Further compounding Job's suffering, another messenger arrives with more dire news: "The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels, and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you" (Job 1:17). Again, the servants fail in their duty to safeguard Job's possessions, leading to further devastation.

Job's Lament and Isolation

The failure of Job's servants contributes to his overwhelming sense of isolation and despair. In his lament, Job expresses the depth of his anguish and the betrayal he feels from those who were once part of his household. In Job 19:15-16, he laments, "My guests and maidservants count me as a stranger; I am a foreigner in their sight. I call for my servant, but he does not answer, though I implore him with my own mouth" . This passage highlights the alienation Job experiences, as even his servants, who should have been loyal and supportive, have turned away from him in his time of need.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the failure of Job's servants serves as a reflection of the broader theme of human frailty and the limitations of earthly relationships. Job's experience underscores the transient nature of human loyalty and the ultimate reliance on God for true support and vindication. The narrative invites readers to consider the nature of servanthood, loyalty, and the challenges of maintaining faith amidst betrayal and suffering.

In the context of Job's account, the actions of his servants are emblematic of the broader trials he faces, emphasizing the depth of his testing and the profound nature of his faith. The account of Job's servants, therefore, serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of human relationships and the enduring hope found in divine faithfulness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 19:16
I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I entreated him with my mouth.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether Demons Can Lead Men Astray by Means of Real Miracles?
... And "when fire came down from heaven and at one blow consumed Job's servants and
sheep ... 110], A[2]), corporeal matter does not obey either good or bad angels at ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether demons can lead men.htm

Of the Reasons for Administering Correction to Bad and Good ...
... Reasons for Administering Correction to Bad and Good ... masters, and masters with their
servants,"not only ... calamities"the reason which Job's case exemplifies ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 9 of the reasons for.htm

'All Things are Yours'
... All the servants of our ... whether the man who stands in its path is good or bad matters
not ... we call Providence and its mysteries, the very book of Job, from which ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/all things are yours.htm

Satan Considering the Saints
... his dominion in the world, considers most such men as Job. ... Go,' and he goeth." Thus
all the servants of God ... no temptation in the world which is so bad as not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 11 1865/satan considering the saints.htm

Hell on Earth
... evil spirits only mean certain diseases and bad habits in ... in the first chapter of
the book of Job, is, I ... the devils tempted Christ, so do HIS servants tempt US ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon ix hell on earth.htm

Order and Argument in Prayer
... The ancient saints were wont, with Job, to order their cause ... he sat down"for sitting
is not a bad posture for ... here was his zeal; he left his servants at the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/order and argument in prayer.htm

Job --Groping
... and confessing Thy wonderful goodness to the most unworthy of Thy servants. ... what
was passing in that man's soul, than Job's four friends ... Was it in bad temper? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/whyte/lord teach us to pray/vii jobgroping.htm

Prayer and Trouble
... the locusts, the cankerworm, the caterpillar are His servants, "My great ... Good and
bad alike experience trouble. ... Job is a case in point, where God bore explicit ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the essentials of prayer/v prayer and trouble.htm

A Further Thanksgiving to God for the Change in the Late ...
... had literally to play the part of Job's wife ... And servants, as being more inclined
to listlessness, in addition to ... this happens; for as when the bad are punished ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xiii a further thanksgiving.htm

The Peaceable Fruits of Sorrows Rightly Borne
... with us, though this very Book of Job and many a ... indiscriminate fall of widespread
calamities on the good and bad. ... words here is that, if we are servants of God ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the peaceable fruits of sorrows.htm