In the previous Article I wrote about our son’s death I candidly pointed to my shortcomings as a Christian. I attempted to bring attention to the fact that though I espouse the faith, I am still a neophyte regarding the after-life.
Okay so I understand why you would question my interest in this particular aspect of the Christian doctrine!
As I said in a previous Article, losing a child is synonymous to nothing I have ever experienced. I was extremely close to my son. The sudden and drastic separation is followed by numbing shock, which is like nothing previously experienced. Utter disbelief . A large part of my problem is my inability to accept the finality of this psychical death. So naturally I desperately seek out a greater assurance from the Biblical promise of “Life Everlasting” .
Well intentioned friends and family members remind me that Job lost all his children and property. Of course the Bible also said God removed the hedge of protection he had placed around Job his servant.
THE DEVIL Job 1 – 10
9Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10“Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11“But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”…
GOD’S RESPONSE Job 1 vs 12
Vs. 12 – God gives Satan permission to go ahead and test Job in the way that Satan desires with one restriction: Satan was not allowed to touch Job’s person in any way. However, everything else that Job had, God placed in Satan’s hand to do as Satan desired. http://gewatkins.net/job-and-satan-job‑1 – 6‑12/
The Author went on to state quote..Here is where God remains blameless from sending these evils upon Job. God put Job’s things in Satan’s hand, but Satan still had a choice as to what to do with Job’s things. Satan could have chosen to leave Job alone. Of course, he does not, because Satan thinks he has something to prove?Satan thinks he knows more than God. I will leave that assessment for you to judge.
Job 42:10
The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold. 11Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.…
Let’s read vs. 18&19: “18, While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
Job lost all his children in one disastrous instance, all 10 of them. This surely must have created grave concerns for Job. “His children were eating and drinking wine“when they died, they weren’t praying and singing. Did they go straight to Heaven> Job had no way of knowing. It appears that Job’s children were just pawns in this chess game.
Ultimately the story of Job despite the restoration of wealth was not a win for him, not only did he lose his children, the Bible is silent on whether his children who were basically handed over to the wickedness of the Devil were assured the afterlife.