had ten children. Looks like atleast two of the sons were established enough to have their siblings over to his house for a dinner party. (Job 1:4) Am guessing these man were in their mid twenties - which means, if Mrs Job had her first-born when she was around sixteen or seventeen, she would have been in her mid-forties when disaster struck. In one day, her children died in that windstorm. So yeah, she was upset and had harsh and foolish words to say.
Did hear a sermon, by the way, where the preacher did point out why had spoken "as one the foolish women speaketh." The preacher clarified this statement - "as one" doesn't necessarily mean is one. He also had added, she just lost her children - in one day - have some empathy, folks.
Anyway, years after the disaster, Mr and Mrs Job had ten children. So, when the last of the second set of ten was born, Mrs Job had to have been in her mid-60s. So, Mrs Job had given birth a total of 20 times - on average, a baby every two to three years. Bible says the couple's daughters were very beautiful - sounds like the kids were healthy. Sounds like they came from healthy parents - parents who were able to provide...something better than a 400 square foot dented sodacan, parked (too close to a steep hill) in hard-scrabble estates.
When I was a Christian I never read the story that she had 10 kids a second time. {What about the first set are they chopped liver?} but was back in heaven with the original 10 kids. Anyhow why shouldn't she be upset over all her kids dying unless she was a sociopath? One creepy thing about CHristianity is how it condemns natural emotions. Like you are supposed to be an unfeeling robot. I think Job is kind of a sick story and God operates as a sociopath in it. Let's test Job and hurt him and kill his kids off to prove a point like a on a bet. And this is supposed to be the good guy? LOL I got tired of being told to worship my abuser. [who let so many bad things happen to me and others] Many people live and die, and never have the kids, or wealth of Job. They live lives of despair from beginning to start. [even my life by that score since it had love, was far better] I used to try and help some really down and out people having so little myself, I realized no God was stepping in. If that's how God treats his friends, well, it doesn't say much. The Christian god is horrific in it's cruelties but then it demanded blood sacrifices of his own son. I am done with blood thirsty cruel deities.
ReplyDeleteDear Peeps, Job's an especially hard book to read - let alone, even partially understand. But i know that even way smarter people will say the same. All's i know is, the Lord is King of kings, and He can do what He wants (except lie - because lying would make Him not king). Any confusion i have, isn't from Bim, but from me.
ReplyDeleteMy number one beef about christianity is: there's so many preachers and church members who come off as if following Jesus Christ and "dying to self" is easy - not easy for me. Oh, they say, they struggle, but their words come off fakey. Hate that, because it's pollyanna attitudes that turn people off, make them give up even striving to go through the gate - let alone walking the narrow rocky road.