Job Saw Me

Job, the figure from the Book of Job, lost everything he had because of a wager between God and Satan. His wealth vanished, and his wife and children all perished. Even then, he did not curse God, though he suffered from a terrible skin disease so unbearable that he could only relieve the pain by scraping himself with broken pottery. Still, he did not speak against God.

His friends came to comfort him, but instead, they kept saying:

“Surely you must have done something wrong to deserve this punishment.”

But Job, to the end, agonized over why such suffering had come upon him, unable to understand the reason. After long debates with his friends, God finally appeared. But what did God do? Did He apologize to Job? No — He showed Job the truth of the world. He revealed to Job the secrets and mysteries of the universe, things beyond his comprehension. And it was only then that Job understood. After that, God restored Job’s fortunes and blessed him with more than he had before.

Many have focused only on the material rewards or the wager between God and Satan. But the most important part of the story is that the truth Job came to see was greater than the pain of losing everything — greater than the grief of losing his family, greater than the physical agony.

What did Job see that made him refrain from cursing God, even under divine punishment? Why did he consider himself small and insignificant?

God surely showed him the future. Job must have seen his story continuing endlessly, passed down through time to reach every soul who hears it. In that future, he must have seen each person who would one day understand the truth within his story — their faces, one by one. Perhaps someone heard the story and saw a cruel God wagering with human lives. Perhaps another saw a divine will far greater than anything we can build or suffer.

When I look at those who adorn themselves in gold, in fine clothes, who live in palaces without lifting a finger, I feel a deep emptiness. Is that really the highest authority humans can attain — to cover oneself in gold, force others to bow, and live sweat-free?

Job’s life may have once seemed like that. He was known as the richest man in the East, blessed and devout. He was so cautious about sin that he regularly offered sacrifices for himself and his children, just in case they had sinned. He owned countless camels, oxen, and sheep. His house was like a palace. And yet, when he lost all of it and saw the truth God revealed, he realized this was never just a game between God and the devil. And so he said:

“Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand on my mouth.” — Job 40:4

Job’s story continues to be told in many ways. Some see it as a tale of suffering followed by reward — a prosperity gospel parable. Others see it as satire on human frailty, or a lesson about the nature of God. But what I saw was that in the truth Job witnessed through God, there were others who also came to understand. And among them was me.

Job saw me, and I too have seen Job. All who carry this same awakening — we are the ones Job saw. In the future he was shown, a great cloud of people gathered — each one awakened to the truth.