Gold Has Been Tried

Text: Job 23:8-17

Gold is rare, precious and valuable. We cannot use gold right away in nature. To get gold, people are to mine it from the ore, crush it into small pieces in special machines, wash it in water to separate it from sand, earth, or gravel, and then burn it and refine it in fire to separate it from all the dross or rubbish. After getting pure gold people burn it, melt it and mould it into the shapes they want or make golden ornaments or jewellery.

The Bible tells us that God does purge, purify and refine His servants and children, “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness” (Mal 3:3). Job acknowledged the refining work of the Lord in his life, so in his great trials, he said, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). Then, would you and I like to be raw material or refined gold?  May God help us see and appreciate His refining work in our lives so that we may be submissive and thankful to Him even in our difficulties and trials.

Job’s Trials

The trials Job suffered were very great (1:13) and heavier than the sand of the sea (6:2-3):

The loss of material wealth: Job was very rich and wealthy, but because of Satan’s accusation against his faith, God allowed Satan to take away all the material wealth he had in order to test him (1:10-11).

The loss of children: Job had ten children—seven sons and three daughters (1:2)—whom he loved, and for whom he prayed and offered burnt offerings continuously (1:5). God permitted Satan to take away his children together with his possessions (1:12-19).

The loss of good health: Seeing Job’s perseverance, Satan accused him of believing in God because of good health (1:4-9), and God let him torture him with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his head.

The loss of respect and support: Job used to be highly respected by the aged, the princes, and the nobles (29:6-11), but now his wife, his relatives, his friends and even his servants despised him (19:14-19). Especially, his three friends mercilessly and falsely accused him of his sins when they saw his great sufferings. This may be the worst that Job was suffering. Job was accused of telling lies (11:3), despised for not knowing God properly (11:7-12), condemned for his iniquity (11:5-6), and told to repent to get the blessings from the Lord (11:13-19) because the wicked will surely be punished (11:20). They assumed that Job was suffering the punishment of the wicked due to his iniquity.

Thank God that in his great trials, Job blessed the name of the Lord, worshipped Him and did not sin nor charged God foolishly (1:20-22; 2:10). Praise the Lord for His sufficient and sustaining grace that Job was able to trust in the Lord in his great sufferings. Job sometimes desired death in his depression, but he never attempted to commit suicide, saying, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him,” (Job 13:15a). James encourages Christians who are suffering persecutions to persevere until the end as Job did, saying “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” (James 5:11).

Nevertheless, as a human being with a sinful nature, Job’s sinful “self” was exposed by God Himself and in the end he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes (42:5). Indeed, this is a part of God’s refining so that Job might come forth as gold (23:10).