JOB:
AN ANCIENT BOOK

Although there are no specific dates given in Job, this book is considered by most authorities to be one of the oldest books in the Bible. This conclusion based on several observations, including the fact that there is no mention of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc) and no mention of God's covenant nation Israel. Similarly, there is no mention of the Ten Commandments or for that matter any of the Mosaic laws. Although there are clearly discourses dealing with sin and judgment, reward and punishment, these discussions are never in the context of the Old Covenant laws. Clearly God had communicated His standards of righteousness somehow with the pre-Mosaic world for in Genesis God declares that

Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws. (Genesis 26:5)

And so clearly long before Moses, God had given (the exact manner is uncertain) commandments and laws, and Abraham had obeyed them. Similarly we read in the passages we are studying Job's testimony that...

I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. (Job 23:12)

Job’s friends also were aware of God's law, for Eliphaz urged Job...

Please receive instruction from His mouth, And establish His words in your heart. (Job 22:22)

Another clue that Job is one of the most ancient of books is the absence of any allusions to idolatry, suggesting that Job antedated the drift that occurred in the early nations toward idolatry after the dispersion at the tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Clearly all of the major characters in Job believed in the God of creation, which would support the early date of this book.

Henry Morris goes on to add that...

quite a number of references in Job refer to the early events recorded in Genesis (for example, the creation, the fall, the flood, and the dispersion. A number of ancient tribes and places mentioned in Job such as the Sabeans, the Chaldeans, and Ophir tie into the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) or other early sections of Genesis, but none that characterize later periods.

Job lived 140 years after the events described in the book (Job 42:16). By figuring in the approximate number of years he lived prior to those events (the exact number is unknown, but at least enough to have ten grown children), we can place him in the time of the early patriarchs, perhaps around 2000 B.C. (Henry Morris. The Remarkable Record of Job. 1988)

Morris goes on to add this caveat on the "truths" in Job noting that...

many of the views expressed by Job contradict those of his friends, so both cannot be true. All the discourses are divinely inspired in the sense of being correctly reported, but they often illumine the faulty reasonings and attitudes of fallible human beings rather than the inerrant revelations of an infallible God. (Ibid)

Nevertheless, within the pages of one of the most ancient and fascinating books of the Bible, we find timeless words of wisdom by which we as New Testament believers can order our lives. In short, the purpose of these brief commentary notes is to attempt to glean...

THE SECRET OF

JOB'S "SUCCESS"

We've all heard the term "role model" to describe an individual who serves as a an example to for others to emulate, imitate or follow, and such role models are especially important in the realm of our spiritual life. From a human perspective, Job is one of the best examples of perseverance/endurance ever recorded and it therefore behooves us to study his life with an aim at emulating his example. While all believers will experience trials and affliction, fortunately few of us will ever experience them to the degree that Job did. Nevertheless, his response and specifically his secret of success can be applied in all of our lives because suffering and trials are an expected "course" in our matriculation to Christlikeness. So let us take a moment and ponder some of the principles that enabled this great man of God to hold on when it would have been so easy to have given in and given up. As someone said, it's always too soon to quit and Job helps us understand how we can experience the victorious Christian life even when circumstances might seem to dictate otherwise.

Listen to the advice of James...

As an example (see word study hupodeigma), brethren, of suffering and patience (see study makrothumia), take (aorist imperative = command to do this now! Don't delay! Do it effectively!) the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we count those blessed (see study of root word for blessed - makarios) who endured. You have heard of the endurance (see study of hupomone) of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. (James 5:10-11)

Matthew Henry comments on James 5:10-11: Observe here, The prophets, on whom God put the greatest honour, and for whom he had the greatest favour, were most afflicted: and, when we think that the best men have had the hardest usage in this world, we should hereby be reconciled to affliction. Observe further, Those who were the greatest examples of suffering affliction were also the best and greatest examples of patience: tribulation produces patience (see notes Romans 5:3; 5:4).

Hereupon James gives it to us as the common sense of the faithful (v11): We count those happy who endure: we look upon righteous and patient sufferers as the happiest people. (See related thought in James 1:2-12).

Job is proposed as an example for the encouragement of the afflicted...In the case of Job you have an instance of a variety of miseries,... (which) were very grievous, but under all he could bless God, and, as to the general bent of his spirit, he was patient and humble: and what came to him in the end? Why, truly, God accomplished and brought about those things for him which plainly prove that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

The best way to bear afflictions is to look to the end of them; and the pity of God is such that he will not delay the bringing of them to an end when His purposes are once answered; and the tender mercy of God is such that He will make His people an abundant amends for all their sufferings and afflictions. His bowels (affections - see study of splagchnon) are moved for them while suffering, his bounty is manifested afterwards. Let us serve our God, and endure our trials, as those who believe the end will crown all.

The writer of Hebrews emphasizes the importance of role models writing that...

we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (see notes Hebrews 6:11; 12)
 

From the truth about Job in James and this exhortation in Hebrews, it follows that believers today would stimulated to study Job's life that we might imitate his example of faith and patience. The question arises then "How did Job come to such a faith? How was he able to endure such incredible affliction?" We will look at Job's secret in the following discussion with the goal being to imitate his faith and endurance, that we too might be more than conquerors in this brief sojourn on earth. As we focus on the truths in Job 23:10-12, I think we will begin to understand Job's "secret inner strength". Study this section and see if you do not agree.

Before we begin and especially because we are "yanking" these passages out of context (which is always dangerous as it leaves one vulnerable to misinterpretation), let's review some important background truths to help understand Job 23:10-12.

First, it is vital to understand that contrary to the liberal misinterpretation that Job was a "mythical" character and not a historical figure, Scripture clearly states otherwise. We have already seen the single New Testament reference to Job as a historical individual. In addition, Ezekiel has two specific references to Job, both declarations by the Lord God Himself (which should thoroughly convince even a liberal interpreter that Job was a real, historical human being!) testifying to Ezekiel that...

even though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves," declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 14:14, cp 14:20).

Notice also that Job although clearly living before the Cross of Christ and His death, burial and resurrection, was nevertheless declared by the Lord God to be a righteous man. How is this possible in such an ancient book? Was Job righteous because he offered sacrifices or because he had not departed from the command of God's lips (cp Job 23:12)? Clearly the answer is he was not righteous because of his works, for no man is saved by works (eg, cp Romans 4:6 - note) but only by grace through faith in the Messiah, the Way, the Truth and the Life, for no one comes to the Father but through the Door of the Messiah! (cp notes Ephesians 2:8; 2:9; 2:10, John 10:9, 14:6) We do not know exactly what Job knew about the Messiah but we do know that he was saved by faith in Him, as were all the Old Testament saints, Moses recording the supreme example of Abraham  in Genesis writing that...

Then he (still called Abram at this time) believed (not a blind leap but a confident commitment to One about Whom abundant evidence bore ample testimony to Abram! Hebrew = 'Aman; Septuagint/LXX = pisteuo - word study) in the LORD (Jehovah = Jesus - see study of Jehovah); and He (God) reckoned (imputed, placed on his account; Hebrew = chashab; LXX = logizomai - word study) it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

Beloved, if you have not memorized this passage, then you should not go another day without doing so. The truths in this passage are so foundational that it is quoted three times in New Testament (Romans 4:3-note, Galatians 3:6 and James 2:23-note). It is fascinating that there are only five words in the Hebrew original of Genesis15:6, but what a wealth of meaning they contain especially the three key words believe, reckoned, and righteousness. It takes three NT chapters to unpack this single verse!

As an aside note what Paul adds that...

the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED IN YOU." (Galatians 3:8)

Now let's return to setting the context of the book of Job. The first two chapters of Job give us the prologue and set the context for Job's lament in Job 3 and the subsequent succession of four discourses between Job and his four friends (Job 4-14, 15-21, 22-31 and 32-37), followed by God's challenge to Job (Job 38-41) and the climaxing epilogue in Job 42.

The book of Job begins with one of the most glowing descriptions of a human being in all of Scripture...

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil... and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east. (Job 1:1,3)

This glowing character resume is repeated two more times, these declarations coming directly from God Himself (see Job 1:8, 2:3). So don't miss the profound truth that Job’s life was pleasing to God before he went into the fiery furnace of affliction!

The subsequent events in the prologue provide some of the most fascinating insights into the supernatural world in all of Scripture and you are strongly encouraged to read (and meditate on this rich epilogue). In short, Satan obtains permission from God to afflict Job with the loss of personal possessions and children to a degree that is difficult to comprehend. And yet James says Job endured, bearing up under the load of unspeakable personal losses.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped (Hebrew = shachah = bow down, prostrate oneself; LXX = proskuneo - see word study). And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. (Job 1:20-22)

The New Testament counterpart to Job's declaration is found in 1 Timothy 6:7

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Our goal should be to be content  as we serve the Lord, thanking God when we have good days choosing to trust Him when days seem not so good, learning to say like Job "Blessed be the Name of the LORD."

WHY DID JOB BLESS
THE NAME OF JEHOVAH?

Why did Job bless the Name of Jehovah? Or one might ask how was it even possible for Job to worship and bless the name of Jehovah, not to mention not sinning nor blaming God? The only reasonable answer is that He knew and was convinced of the truth about the character and attributes of Jehovah.

Proverbs gives us some insight into the why Job would bless the name of Jehovah in the midst of overwhelming personal loss. Solomon writes that...

The name of the LORD is a strong tower. The righteous runs into it and is safe (Margin note - safe = "set on high") Proverbs 18:10 (NASB)

Here are some other translations of Proverbs 18:10...

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] and strong." (Amplified Version)

What is in a name, especially the Name of Jehovah? The Lord's name stands for His person, since it reflects His attributes, character and qualities. Here the name of God is Jehovah, His covenant Name by which He made Himself known to Israel. To know God in covenant is a strong tower.

Moses records his conversation with God where

Persons may confidently and safely take refuge in God's covenant Name which conveys an assurance of security to those who are in covenant with Him by grace through faith.

The Name of Jehovah is pictured as if it were a strong tower (see discussion of metaphor) because the reader can more easily understand the value of a strong tower. The metaphor “strong tower” indicates that God is a secure refuge. This picture helps us understand the value of knowing and living in the light of the truth of God's Names of which there are many in Scripture. The Septuagint drops the metaphor of a tower and simply states God's Name is "of great strength" which is not quite as easy to understand as is a "strong tower" (a tower is easier to "run into" than a Name) In either case one can readily discern the great value of meditating on the glorious Names of God.

What does a tower picture?  The Bible Illustrator note on ancient towers informs us that...

Strong towers were a greater security in a bygone age than they are now. Castles were looked upon as being very difficult places for attack; and ancient troops would rather fight a hundred battles than endure a single siege. He who owned a strong tower felt, however potent might be his adversary, his walls and bulwarks would be his sure salvation.

The image of a tower or citadel reminds us that as believers, righteous men and women, we like Job are aliens and strangers in this world and are in a very real struggle every day for the rest of our life until we see Jesus face to face. In the meantime, we need to remember that when the battle wages fierce against us, we have an ever present towering citadel, our Jehovah - Jesus, in Whom we can run and be safe, though the battle continues all around us! God’s almighty providence is the surest and strongest defense against all enemies of whatever kind.

What action does the righteous man or woman need to carry out? Or stated another way how did Job and how do we "run into" the strong tower? There is no safety in looking at the "strong tower". It is necessary to flee to God in order to be protected by Him. Proverbs 18:10 says they must "run".  It does not say they are to amble or to stroll or to walk in a leisurely or idle manner but that they are to run. Job hears the horrible news and in almost as a reflex falls in worship, blessing the name of the LORD.

How can we "run" into the Name of Jehovah? Clearly this is not literal running (although that may be what we feel like doing when trouble knocks - next time trouble knocks at the door don't send feelings [or fear] to answer the door. Instead send faith, a faith founded on the truth about God). The  metaphor of “running” into the strong tower refers to a whole-hearted and unwavering trust in God’s Name and His willingness and ability to provide protection. It is only by faith that we can go to an invisible God.
 

I think Lane is correct adding that...

running describes faith and prayer, which give direct access to God Who responds by warding off the danger. Safe is literally ‘lifted high’, as if one who trusts God is not only behind thick walls, but above the range of the enemy’s weapons." (Lane, E. Focus on the Bible: Proverbs) (Bolding added)

The Biblical Illustrator adds the following thought on how we run into the Name of Jehovah...

Until the Word of Truth (the Name of God), becomes not just something we hold, but rather something which holds us, then we will likely not fully experience all that is available in the strong tower when the winds of adversity begin to blow. Job knew truth about God and this truth was the anchor of his soul in his hour of great trial. He knew the name Jehovah, I Am... I Am ___________. Fill in the blank, not with your greeds, but with your needs. Job who lost everything, but he ran into the "Strong Tower" of Jehovah, the great I Am, I Am everything you will ever need! And remember as far as we can discern Job did not even have this truth in writing but was truth he had heard and had treasured in his heart more than his necessary food! (see Job 23:12 below). Job had learned the secret of surviving the fire of affliction, even if he did not fully understand the reasons for the "fire".  (For more discussion of Proverbs 18:10 see - notes on a simple inductive study on What it Means to be Safe in Jehovah's Name? and also see C H Spurgeon's sermon on Proverbs18:10)
 

And how did he respond to a second volley of afflictions, this time directed at his body, Satan smiting "Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head." (Job 2:7)?

(Job) took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes. Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:8-10

And we see repeated testimonies that speak of his endurance and ultimately speak of his great faith in a good God. For example...

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Wind And Worship - Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. --Job 1:20

Job's calamities were enormous. His oxen and donkeys were stolen. Fire consumed his sheep. Raiders took his camels. But that was just the beginning. A great wind destroyed the house where his sons and daughters were feasting, and they all perished. His loss seemed unbearable! But notice Job's response. He humbled himself and worshiped God (Job 1:20).

On April 2, 1977, the sky north of Olivet, Michigan, grew black and ominous. Just another severe thunderstorm, thought Norm Heddon. But when pressure began building in his ears, he instinctively rushed down the basement stairs—which took about 5 seconds. Then it happened—his house exploded into thousands of pieces from a killer tornado. Minutes later when Norm emerged, he couldn't believe his eyes. All his earthly goods had been swept away, but miraculously his family was unhurt. Bowing in prayer, they thanked God for His goodness. Heddon said, "He has a hand in everything that happens to us."

How can anyone worship while caught up in the fierce winds of adversity? The answer is clear: By anchoring our faith in the love and wisdom of God, we can say through our tears, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). — Dennis J. De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Thinking It Over - Do you feel abandoned by God, as Job did? Tell Him how you feel. Then ask Him to help you believe the truth about His love for you.

When you are swept off your feet,
land on your knees.

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In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew ravaged South Florida, destroying homes, businesses, and lives. The cost of that terrible disaster cannot be estimated only in terms of millions upon millions of dollars. What about the incalculable human suffering - physical, emotional, and spiritual? If people lost faith in God and prayer, they sustained the worst loss of all.

In the spring of 1993, some pastors who had churches in that area gathered to share their experiences and reactions. They all agreed that everyone who had encountered the terrifying power of that hurricane had come to realize how helpless and vulnerable we human beings really are. Proud as we
may be of our technological achievements, there are times when we are compelled to confess humbly, "We are not in charge." Some of the people whose trust was tested were able to say in the words of Job, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).

Is your trust in God so complete that no matter what takes place you will humbly rely on His wisdom, goodness, and mercy? Trusting in God will enable you to endure trials without despair. -V C Grounds  (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

My times are in Thy hand;
Why should I doubt or fear?
My Father's hand will never cause
His child a needless tear. - Lloyd

God doesn't promise security from life's storms
but security in life's storms.

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But He knows the way I take - Before we examine this passage take note of the context, and specifically what Job is contrasting (note this verse begins with "but"). Earlier in the Job 23, Job had lamented...

Oh that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to His seat! (Job 23:3)

Then in Job 23:8-9, Job declared...

Behold (here it serves as a marker for emphasis of the following statement), I go forward but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him. When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him. He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.

So in the context of Job not being able to "find" God in front, behind, on his left or on his right, Job knows enough about God to testify that God knows his way, which speaks of God's omnipresence and omniscience. God knows where Job is (in the furnace of affliction!) and that is enough for Job to know and it is enough for us to know beloved of God.

Spurgeon agrees writing...

If I do not know his way, He knows mine. If I cannot find Him, He can find me. Here is my comfort. (Amen!)
 

Henry Morris observes regarding Job's affirmation that even though he cannot see God, he knows that God can see him...

Job's faith is still strong and, by this time, he is beginning to sense that his sufferings somehow are being used by God as a test of his faith.

And why would Job's faith be strong? The answer is found in Job 23:12 where we see that he clung to the Words of God more than his necessary food. This truth coupled with his declaration of obedience to God's Words explain the "secret of Job's success".  Paul ties Job passion and dependence on God's Words with the growth of his (and our) faith writing that...

faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (see notes Romans 10:17)
 

Of course hearing must be followed by doing (see note James 1:22) and Job 23:11 below speaks to that important condition that must be meet in order for there to be growth of one's faith.

Evangelist D. L. Moody once said...

Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; but trust in God, and you will never be confounded in time or eternity.

Trials are the soil in which faith can flourish.

Knows (3945) (yada) in general means to have knowledge of something and can be used of knowledge which is intimate and experiential, even being used to describe a man "knowing" a woman intimately.

Indeed the Scriptures emphasize that our omniscient, omnipresent God is intimate with the righteous man or woman as indicated by the following passages...

Ps 1:6 — For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

Ps 139:1-3 — O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. 2 Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. 3 Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, And art intimately acquainted with all my ways.

2Ti 2:19 — Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness."

When He has tried me - Two truths come forth from the word "when". First, he does not say "if" but "when". Trials are guaranteed! Trials came to Job and will come into the life of every believer. Surely if Job, who by God's Own assessment was a blameless and upright man (Job 1:1, cp "the greatest of all the men of the east" Job 1:3), was in need of testing, then surely none of God's children will escape the Refiner's fire! Secondly, notice that when is a time word which is defined as "during the time that" and so in this verse refers to during the time of the trial. This indicates that the trial has a finite "lifespan" which will come to a blessed end.

God is the Refiner and His fires of testing are never meant to destroy us but to purify us and remove the "dross" from our life. The great old hymn How Firm A Foundation beautifully expresses this eternal truth about our loving Jehovah-Jesus...

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
(Play How Firm A Foundation)

Tried (0974) (bachan/bahan) is a primary (or root) word which depicts examination to determine (and bring out) the essential qualities of something, and in the moral realm speaks particularly of a person's integrity (think of integer = indivisible - undivided ~ think undivided heart or single minded focus/purpose). In Scripture bachan is used almost exclusively in this moral/spiritual sense meaning to try, search out, examine or prove one's spiritual heart or character.

The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament notes that...

In only five of the occurrences is bachan used without explicit theological reference. These are found in Ge 42:15-16; Ezek 21:13; Job 12:11; 34:3. All of the remaining occurrences (twenty-two times), except three, refer to God’s examination of his people. In the exceptions, it is God Who is tested. It is evident that this is abnormal procedure. In Ps 95:9 the people are reminded of the folly of testing God at Meribah. In Malachi, it is only because of the people’s apathy that God calls them to test him (Mal 3:10, 15).

As is indicated in Hebrews (see notes Hebrews 12:5; 12:6; 12:7; 12:8), part of the privilege of being God’s people is that of being tested (Jer 20:12; Ps 11:5; Ps 139:23). Unlike the Egyptian doctrine where the heart is weighed after death, Yahweh continually assays the hearts of his people that in the end they may come forth as gold (Zech 13:9; Job 23:10). (Harris, R L, Archer, G L & Waltke, B K Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Moody Press) 

When metals are refined and purified they are heated to extremely high temperatures to remove the impurities or dross.

Nelson's New Illustrated Bible describes dross as ...

the residue left at the end of the smelting process after metal has been separated from the impurities. Dross was a symbol for the imperfection of sinful Israel. In the smelting process, heat is applied to ore that contains precious metal. This causes the imperfections to separate, leaving only the pure metal. The prophet Isaiah warned the nation of Israel that it had become impure and would require purging in this way (Isaiah 1:22-25). (Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Unger adds that dross (Hebrew =sig = refuse) represents...

The impurities separated from silver, etc., by the process of melting (Prov. 25:4; 26:23); also the base metal itself prior to smelting (Isa. 1:22, 25; Ezek. 22:18-19). Figurative. Dross is used to represent the wicked (Ps. 119:119; Prov. 26:23), sin (Isa. 1:25), and Israel (Ezek. 22:18-29). (Unger, M. F., Harrison, R. K., Vos, H. F., Barber, C. J., & Unger, M. F. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Chicago: Moody Press)

Warren Wiersbe comments that Job was not just in any furnace...

But it was a furnace of God’s appointment, not because of Job’s sin; and God would use Job’s affliction to purify him and make him a better man. This is not the only answer to the question, “Why do the righteous suffer?” but it is one of the best, and it can bring the sufferer great encouragement.

Scripture often uses the image of a furnace to describe God’s purifying ministry through suffering.

“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isa. 48:10, NIV).

Israel’s suffering in Egypt was like that of iron in a smelting furnace (Deut. 4:20), and her later disciplines were also a “furnace experience.”

“For You, O God, tested us; You refined us like silver” (Ps. 66:10, NIV) (Spurgeon's note).

This image is used in 1 Peter 1:6-note; 1:7-note and 1 Peter 4:12-note of believers going through persecution.

When God puts His own people into the furnace,
He keeps His eye on the clock
and His hand on the thermostat.

He knows how long and how much. We may question why He does it to begin with, or why He doesn’t turn down the heat or even turn it off; but our questions are only evidences of unbelief. Job 23:10 is the answer:

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come come forth as gold” (NKJV).

Gold does not fear the fire. The furnace can only make the gold purer and brighter. (Wiersbe, W. W. Be patient. An Old Testament study. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books) (On Computer) (Bolding added)

Spurgeon in his comments on Ps 66:10 writes of the tests...

Searching and repeated, severe and thorough, has been the test; the same result has followed us as in the case of precious metal, for the dross and tin have been consumed, and the pure ore has been discovered. Since trial is sanctified to so desirable an end, ought we not to submit to it with abounding resignation...

(Spurgeon has this additional note) Convinced from the frequent use of this illustration (of the refining of precious metals), that there was something more than usually instructive in the process of assaying and purifying silver, I have collected some few facts upon the subject. The hackneyed story of the refiner seeing his image in the molten silver while in the fire, has so charmed most of us, that we have not looked further; yet, with more careful study, much could be brought out. To assay silver requires great personal care in the operator.

"The principle of assaying gold and silver is very simple theoretically, but in practice great experience is necessary to insure accuracy; and there is no branch of business which demands more personal and undivided attention. The result is liable to the influence of so many contingencies, that no assayer who regards his reputation will delegate the principal process to one not equally skilled with himself. Besides the result ascertainable by weight, there are allowances and compensations to be made, which are known only to an experienced assayer, and if these were disregarded, as might be the case with the mere novice, the report would be wide from the truth." (Encyclopaedia Britannica.)

Pagnini's version reads: "Thou hast melted us by blowing upon us," and in the monuments of Egypt, artificers are seen with the blowpipe operating with small fire places, with cheeks to confine and reflect the heat; the worker evidently paying personal attention, which is evident also in Malachi 3:3,

"He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

To assay silver requires a skillfully constructed furnace. The description of this furnace would only weary the reader, but it is evidently a work of art in itself. Even the trial of our faith is much more precious than that of gold which perisheth (see note 1 Peter 1:7). He has refined us, but not with silver. He would not trust us there, the furnace of affliction is far more skillfully arranged than that. To assay silver the heat must be nicely regulated.

"During the operation, the assayer's attention should be directed to the heat of the furnace, which must be neither too hot nor too cold: if too hot, minute portions of silver will be carried off with the lead, and so vitiate the assay; moreover, the pores of the cupel being more open, greater absorption will ensue, and there is liability to loss from that cause. One indication of an excess of heat in the furnace, is the rapid and perpendicular rising of the fumes to the ceiling of the muffle, the mode of checking and controlling which has been pointed out in the description of the improved furnace. When the fumes are observed to fall to the bottom of the muffle, the furnace is then too cold; and if left unaltered, it will be found that the cupellation has been imperfectly performed, and the silver will not have entirely freed itself from the base metals. (Encyclopaedia Britannica.)

The assayer repeats his trying process. Usually two or more trials of the same piece are made, so that great accuracy may be secured. Seven times silver is said to be purified, and the saints through varied trials reach the promised rest." C. H. S.
 

I shall come forth as gold -

Job's assurance on the one hand undoubtedly reflects his certainty that he is innocent of accusations made by his "friends" but also a reflection of his steadfast trust in Jehovah Who tests hearts, Solomon noting that...

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests (same verb as in Job 23:10 = bachan) hearts. (Job 17:3)

H G Bosch compares God's care for us in trials to the pattern of vines clinging to trees writing that...
 

The vines that sometimes grow up the side of oak trees cling to them during the fiercest storms. Although the wind beats upon them, the tendrils hold tightly to the tree's bark. If the vine is on the side opposite the wind, the great oak is its protection; if it's on the exposed side, the wind presses the vine more closely to it.

As Christians, we are sometimes sheltered by God, while other times He allows us to be exposed so we will be pressed more closely to Him. After years of faithfulness, some Christians suddenly find themselves greatly tested and in deep distress--seemingly without reason. They are subjected to terrific battles with doubts, fears, and unbelief. Doesn't God care how much they suffer? Of course He does. But He has a special purpose in withholding immediate relief... Our afflictions are designed not to break us but to bend us toward God. (Pressed Close to God )

Spurgeon writes that...

Here the true Job comes to the front. You get the gracious man once more on his feet. He staggered a little; but he stands firm now: “When he bath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” So will you, my tried sister, my afflicted brother. The trial of your faith is but for a time; there will come an end to this furnace-work; and when God has tried you, tested you, and taken away your dross, (Ed: Dross = impurities separated from silver, etc., by the process of melting -- the scum that forms on the surface of metal subjected to smelting) he will bring you forth, and you will be pure gold, meet for the Master’s use.

“In the furnace God may prove thee,
Thence to bring thee forth more bright;
But can never cease to love thee:
Thou art precious in his sight:
God is with thee,
God thine everlasting light.”

It is grand to be able to say that while you are in the fire. It is very easy to say it about another man who is in the furnace; but when you are in there yourself, then to say, “I shall come forth as gold,” is the sublimity of faith! It is a very simple matter