Recapturing the testament of Job, not the book of the canons.

       CHAPTER 78     (1989)                     LINK TO OTHER PAGES

1.     Like a proverb is to teach right from wrong, so books and oracles, like unto the book of Job, are to instill education by which the children of men might learn right from wrong.

2. Sitis, the wife of Job is generally viewed as an unbelieving woman, and she has been depicted as evil, as one who did not share in the trials of Job. This however is a sad thing, for this is not at all true. Ignorance brings many to false conclusions, wherefore it pays to be educated. 

3. In days previous to ours not many people were able to read, and the word had to be read for them, they depended on the priests to receive the full and correct word. And shortchanging the public has been the rule more than the exception.

4. Job now was born to endure, to glorify his God in patience and endurance. And Sitis his wife shared in this glorification although she was moved and stumbled that one time. But if Sitis should be considered evil for her fall, what are we to say of Eve, or of Peter, and a great many others?

5. For when I think of Sitis, I am moved for her as I behold how she endured these long twenty years with her husband in pain and in agony slaving for him so he might eat, and enduring the pains of his body with that of her own.

6.   It was Job who said: "Till death I will endure, bring it upon me". And Sitis became to endure the same with him, for she was his wife, and a true wife to him unbroken in her wedding vow, through good and bad until death. And she kept her hope on God for a memorial with him. But first let me briefly recount the story, and make our remarks as we go.

7.   Job, who formerly was called, Jobab, like Abraham, was born among men of pagan worship. His great grandfather was Isaac, and his grandfather was Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. Job then was of the third generation of Esau, and he was the second king to reign in the kingdoms of Edom. 

8. Edom then translates into the kingdoms of Esau. And Moses recounts them in his book of Genesis, for they were renowned, and among them were righteous ones, such as Job, and also Eliphaz.

9. Esau then first took wives from the accursed seed of Canaan, and they were a thorn and a disgrace in the eyes of his mother, and later on to his father also. His firstborn son then was Eliphaz by the woman named Adah. And the firstborn of Eliphaz was named Teman.

10.   This man Teman then became great in the land, and they were called, The Temanites, after his name. The Eliphaz named in the book of Job, as well as in the testament of Job, now was a son of this Teman, and most probably named after his grandfather, the firstborn of Esau. And he was himself most probably the firstborn of his father Teman, since he became king among his kin.

11. Job then, also named Jobab, was king of the sons of Edom following Bela the son of Beer, who was first to reign in Edom after Esau. But Esau, in order to somehow please his parents, went and took for himself another wife who was the daughter of Ishmael, the firstborn of Abraham by Hagar. 

12. He did this as if thereby to say to his parents that there was righteousness in him too, taking a wife from among his kin as Jacob had done.   Her name was Bas'emath. And she conceived and bore a son for him, which was named Reu'el. And when he had grown, he named his second son Zerah, who then was the father of Jobab, whom the Lord renamed to Job.

13.   And now that I have furnished you with this information, which was very simple to obtain, it seems that none of the scholars of the past were able to gather this. Their knowledge was limited to Job being of the sons of Esau, and for Eliphaz they concluded him to be the firstborn of Esau, and for the remainder they said, "No-one knows".

14. But you now ought not to think me to be so wise that I should have discovered this from nothing, since all that I have told you is merely a matter of record, which Moses left in his book of Genesis. 

15. And just because no-one else seemed to have read or understood what they read, is not in the wisdom that I should have, but rather in the lack of comprehension by which the scholars plow. 

16. It is an ignorant thing that while Job is of the third generation, and his friend Eliphaz being near his age, how can that person be one of two generations before him?

17. Job then, when his name was still Jobab, asked himself just as Abraham did; how can these dumb idols really be gods, or the God who made all the earth and heaven? The Lord then revealed himself to Job by an angel, Job seeing a bright light that spoke to him. And Job replied to the angel giving him to wit that these temples in all reality are only churches of the devil, Job said;

18. "Allow me to throw down this idol temple for it is in my power to do so, since I am king of this region." The angel then replied: You have indeed this power, but I must tell you everything that the Lord has charged me to tell you. For if you attempt to purge the place of Satan, he will rise up against you in wrath, and do much harm to you.  

19. But if you are patient God will make your name renowned in all the generations of the earth, and He will return you again to your goods in double measure, so that you may know that God is impartial. And you shall be raised up in the resurrection. You will endure pain and win a crown, then you will know that God is true, just, and strong giving strength to His elect."

20. It was then that Job said: "Till death I will endure, I will not step back at all".

21.   This now it not so different from us in our age, for has not the Lord promised us a crown in Jesus if we are willing to endure the hardships of this world? Will you therefore be like Job saying: Till death I will endure? 

22. Do not say; but who can be like Job strong in faith and all, for it is "you," you unto whom I speak, you can hold out till death, and you will hold out, and the crown also will be yours. Settle it therefore in your mind, that till death you will endure, and keep the charge of the Lord, do not speak amiss of Him.

23. Many have held out under torture, and ridicule, and being robbed of all that they had. While then at moments it looks peaceful in the earth, that is only because there are hardly no servants of the Lord left, but when they surface - so will persecution. 

24. Allow then your flesh to them if it must be so, but not your soul, so that you may win that glorious crown. Consider Job how he held out for such a long duration. You can do it also. I know that you are only human and of little strength, but faith is the power of God to overcome all the worlds power.

25. Job suffered infested with worms on that city dump for many long years (according to Eliphaz). And do you think a man could do so without the strength of God with him? Job kept his eyes fixed on the promise, even though Satan's helpers came to him many times to bring his thoughts to remiss, but he discharged them, he would not consent to destructive reasoning, but kept faith.

26.   I speak of torture and death as if such is common with the faith, but unless you grow roots to become strong, you will suffer yet more anguish like the world will in the days of their destruction. Take heed my beloved, for if you will believe one word, believe all His word, for He that said, you shall not kill also said you shall not sit with scoffers, nor covet what is not yours.

27. Suppose the Lord came to you with the challenge like He did to Job, would you accept the challenge? If you say; you will, you already have, for He has given everyone that challenge in Christ Jesus. If you start worrying about overpopulation, you are without knowledge. And if you start parading on the streets against abortions, you are denying the gift of God.

28. For only fools concern themselves with such foolish things. We who have the knowledge of God, we know better. For why should anyone of you parade on a street with signs against abortion? Have I not already warned them, and condemned them? If then they will not hear my voice leave it at that. Or do you wish to rob me of children, my cherished ones?

29. Job now after the angel had appeared to him, took fifty men with him and leveled that church, then went home and shut the door upon himself. But Satan disguised as a beggar in receiving a burned loaf of bread with the words; "Do not expect to eat my bread again," said in reply, that he would burn Job like that loaf of bread which he charged his maidservant to give him.

30. And so Satan went forth to the lower regions of the heavens to ask permission that he might harm Job. But no permission was granted him until after seven years had passed, at which time he did to Job as it is recorded in the book of the discourses, called the book of Job, written by Eliphaz. 

31. These discourses did however not take place until many years after this, and thus let us cover these years before we come to these discourses.

32.   It states in the book of Job that there came a day when the sons of God (the angels) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also. This now is understood by some as if Satan himself came to stand before the very face of the great Creator. 

33. But this is not so, for the Satan with all his host long before this had been cast out of the high heavens, for no evil, nor evil ones can stand before God, nor enter into His holy place. The young of the serpent among men also conceive that one day they will stand before God face to face to tell God what they think of everything, and how God should run His affairs. They are insane persons, totally vain.

34. In heaven as on earth, there is a chain of command, and those, which are in the lower heavens, appear before God in appearing before His ambassadors. And appearing before His ambassadors is like appearing before God, as were it God Himself, since these represent God, and His Spirit is with them. 

35. So the Satan appeared begging that the angels, that were protecting Job, might step back so that he might harm Job. To try him out, to show to God and His angels that Job would not have the heart to justify God when things would go against him. And accordingly the Satan did get permission that Job might be tried.

36.   The words then, which Eliphaz uses as he wrote the "book of Job", were for the purpose of defining the discourses, his main object being these discourses. But in order to bring his readers up to date on the story, he does so in a few words, so as not to make a lengthy review.

37. And while Sitis literal words were: "Job, Job, in the weakness of my heart, my bones are crushed, here rise take the loaves, be satisfied, and then speak some word against the Lord and die, then I too shall be freed from the weariness that issues from the pain of your body."   

38. Eliphaz, in keeping with his intend, reduces all of Sitis words to simply state: "Curse God and die".   These words then indeed are the essence of her speech. But those in whom there is no love, take these words to imply an altogether different story, for herein is the test of love.

39. In the book of Job, the full knowledge is lacking, and accordingly becomes a testing stone, in who will weep, and who will curse. If there were full knowledge, there is no test, and many have failed the test. And there is another such test with the wife of Joseph, to see how men judge in the ignorance in which they abide.   

40.   Likewise with Adam, who ate of the fruit as Eve did, but it was Eve who caused Adam to fall, and the devil, which caused the woman to fall. But just because Eve fell that one time, she was not therefore condemned, nor is she therefore branded as altogether evil. We must judge righteously, with wisdom and understanding, and not irrational like as many do and have done.

41. The Satan then having taken most of Jobs goods, found himself somewhat defeated, and he stirred up the men of the city to plunder what was left. And he satisfied the fears of the people, who were afraid of retribution, that some of the sons of Job might go to other kingdoms to bring retribution upon them.   

42. But the devil said: "I will kill his children," and when the people saw that in fact he had killed Job's children they became the barbarians that they were and took everything there was to take. And Job watched all this - being remiss, but especially for the loss of his children. But he recounted the words of the Lord, and thought of himself as one who must cast all things overboard in order to bring the ship to harbor.

43. And so the years passed, and by the eleventh year a famine came upon the land, at which time they began to withhold the bread from Sitis his wife who was continually laboring as a slave to one of the town's merchants so she might feed Job. 

44. After seventeen years then the Satan thought to try the same trick on Job that he played with Adam, to get to him through his wife Sitis. And when this failed on him, Satan became to admit defeat.

45.   And this part is most marvelous, for here such a mighty spiritual being is factually admitting distress and defeat in a match against a being of flesh and blood. For so he said: 

46. "Look Job, I am weary and withdraw from you, even though you are flesh and I am spirit, you suffer a plaque, but I am in deep distress. I became like one athlete wrestling another, and the one pinned the other, the upper silenced the lower by filling his mouth with sand, and bruising his limbs. 

47. But because he showed endurance, and did not grow weary, at the end the upper one cried out in defeat. So also you Job were the one below, and in a plague, but you conquered my wrestling tactics which I brought on you."

48. Do you know what this means? It means one can wear out the devil by having endurance, and by keeping faith one can bring the devil to defeat. This is the one time that I heard of the devil admitting defeat. There is no salvation to be gained by defeating the devil, but it is a matter of necessity with us, if we wish to keep the faith that leads to salvation. 

49. The devil in himself has more power than all the nations of the earth combined, and such a one we must defeat, and we can - provided we give our reliance unto God in the redemption of His Son.

50. Keep in mind, how Solomon said, that sometimes the way of a man looks right in his eyes, yet the way thereof is unto death. And has not the Satan asked that he might sift Peter (which means, the strong among us) like wheat, and that he has permission to do so? For while he has permission to sift us like wheat, our Lord obtained His Father's consent that our faith under all such shall not fail.

51. Who from those around us comprehend the war that is being fought within our minds, the inward attacks in feelings and in inner debates and struggles? We struggle with the unseen combatants of the dark realm, but we have a helper who through all this purifies our hearts and our souls.

52.   In comparison to Job, so many years on a dumpsite, how long would a man these days last sitting on a dumpsite with worms infested? They would bring him to a hospital, and what would that be - to be imprisoned in a room suffering just the same? 

53. Or how many wives of today would stay with her husband under such conditions, especially since it was Job who said: "Let it come, I will take it even unto death." For with these words he took his wife in with him.   

54. Sitis however bowed her head and became a slave laborer to care for her husband. And when they kept bread from her to feed only herself, she divided it with her husband, and the years passed until seventeen years had gone by, and Job continually saying; "just a little while longer, and God will have mercy".

55. Sitis now would not hesitate to go to the marketplace begging bread to feed Job. And one day the Satan disguised himself as a bread seller, and as Sitis happen to be begging bread from him, not knowing it was Satan, he said to her: "pay for the bread, or, if you have no money, sell your hair, and take three loaves." 

56. And Sitis being remiss, she consented, and he cut her hair disgracefully in front of everyone. Then when she came to her husband, her words are best said as Job himself said:

57. "Sitis crying out in tears, said to me: Job, Job, how long will you sit on this dung-heap outside the city thinking, only a little while longer, and awaiting the hope of your salvation? As for me, I am a vagabond, a maidservant going around from place to place; your memorial has been wiped away from the earth.   

58. I toiled in vain for my sons and the daughters of my womb. And here you sit in worm infested rottenness passing the night in the open air, while I for my part am a wretch immersed in labor by day, and in pain by night just so I might provide a loaf of bread and bring it you. 

59. I can barely receive my own food, and this I divide between you and me wondering in my heart that it not being enough for you to be ill, but neither do you get your fill of bread.   So I ventured unashamed in the market, even as I was pierced in my heart to do so. 

60. And the bread seller said: "Give money and you shall receive". But I showed him our straits, at which I heard from him; if you have no money woman pay with the hair of your head and take three loaves, perhaps you might yet live three days." And being remiss, I said to him: "Go ahead, cut my hair". 

61. So he arose and cut my hair disgracefully in the market while the crowd stood by and marveled.   Job, Job, Although many things have been said in general, I speak to you in brief, in the weakness of my heart, my bones are crushed, rise, take the loafs, be satisfied, and then speak some word against the Lord and die, then I too shall be freed from the weariness that issues from the pains of your body

   TRUE LOVE

62. Sitis love for her husband was a true love; his pains were her pains. Nor was it anything pre-planned that she came to say; "speak a word against the Lord. She was crushed; she had become the object of talk and reproach at the market, for with all this, the Satan thought to unsettle her mind.

63. The town folks who used to know her spoke some words, of which I shall quote a few "Look at her who used to keep seven tables reserved at her house at which the poor and aliens used to eat, now she sells her hair outright for loaves." Observe, this is the one who used to have clothing woven from linen with gold, but now she bears rags and gives her hair in exchange for loaves."

64. Who among us has the heart to judge Sitis? She indeed stumbled that one time, but she also repented. The Satan unsettled her mind, as he unsettled the mind of Eve and of David, and of Solomon, and of Peter  and many others. Yet they did not therefore fall from the grace of God, for they were of God, and repented of their error. 

65.   These things stand as a token to us to be on our toes against the wiles of the devil.   Job no doubt did not anticipate all that had happened nor the duration thereof. At the start he had said; "Till death I will endure." And he did endure, and death would not come. But words can often hurt more than actions, and Job's reply to his wife was:

66. "Look, I have lived seventeen years in these plagues submitting to worms in my body, but my soul has never been depressed by my pains as much is by your statement (say a word against the Lord and die). Rather remember those many good things, which we used to have. For if we received good things from the Lord, should we not in turn endure evil things?   

67. Let us be patient till the Lord in pity shows us mercy. Do you not see the devil standing behind you unsettling your reasoning so that he might deceive me too? For he seeks to make an exhibition of you as one of the senseless women who misguide their husband's sincerity?

68. Job then called out to Satan to show himself, at which time it was when he admitted defeat. And when the kings came, to put this in Job's own words:

69. "My wife Sitis arrived in tattered garments fleeing from the servitude of the official she served, since he had forbidden her to leave, lest, so he said; the fellow kings see her and seize her. So when she came, she threw herself at their feet and said weeping: 

70. Do you remember me Eliphaz, you and your friends, what sort of person I used to be among you, and how I used to dress?   But now look at my debut and attire." And she began to plead with them saying: "Order your soldiers to dig through the ruins of the house that fell upon my children, so that at least their bones might be preserved as a memorial, since we cannot because of the expense. 

71. Let us see them, if only their bones. Have I the womb of cattle, or of a wild animal, that my children have died, and I have not arranged the burial of a single one of them?"

72.   As then the soldiers were going to dig, Job forbade them saying: "Do not trouble yourself in vain, for you will not find my children, since they were taken up into heaven by the Creator their King." Job's friends then at hearing these words acclaimed that he was demented, altogether mad, and they spurned him to tell the truth.

73. So Job said: "Lift me up to stand erect". Then Job sang a praise unto the Lord, and after the prayer he said. "Look up to the east and see my children crowned with the splendor of the heavenly One".   And when Sitis saw this, she fell on the ground and worshipped and said "Now I know that I have a memorial with the Lord, so I shall arise, return to the city, take a nap, and prepare myself for my servitude."

74. Sitis was now ready to fully endure the servitude laid upon her, now that she physically beheld the memorial in which she also was to be received. But the time of her trial had come to an end; she was to be received now. For she left to lay herself down to rest in one of the barns that was confiscated from them by the rulers whom she served. And there she died in good spirits.

75. The angels of the Lord call Job. The "wondrous" man. And the Lord had said that He would make his name renowned in the earth, and so he is. This was in Eliphaz writing, the discourses, which became the book of Job, and inserted in the canons. 

76. And the story of Job by his brother that is now inserted here with "The Remaining Books of the Bible".   The friends of Job then using perfumes in order to get near to him, wished first to confirm that he was indeed the Jobab of whom they knew before. And Eliphaz having spoken, and Job having replied to him, this Eliphaz was about to leave saying:

77. "We came to comfort him, but now look how he accuses us. Let us then go back to our own countries, for here he sits in misery of worms and foul odors, and yet he is piqued at us saying: "Kingdoms pass away and so do their rulers, but as for my kingdom, he says, it shall last forever."

78. So Eliphaz arising with great consternation turned away from him in deep sadness, and said: "I am leaving, we came to cheer him, yet he demeans us in the presence of our troops." For Job had said, that "his kingdom was in the upper world, and that the rivers of his land would never dry out".

79. But what shall be so strange at these words of Job? For that same applies unto us, our kingdom also is in the upper world, for we, like Job, do not look for this world, but for the world to come. Eliphaz however did not realize this until the Lord spoke to them out of a storm. 

80. For this Eliphaz was a true friend of Job, and so were Baldad and Zophar. Elihu however was proud, and allowed the beast to speak by him.

81. Job then at the end of those twenty years and the discourses with his friends, was healed of his afflictions, as he also testifies saying: "And we arose, entered the city, and we held great festivities in the delight of the Lord, and once again I sought to do good works for the poor."

82.   Job had seven years of prosperity after the angel spoke to him, while in these seven years the Satan obtained permission for Gods protective angels to draw back. He then was in these plagues for many years, and his friends when they arrived, sat silent one day for each year of his prosperity recounting his prosperity, after which they stayed one day for each year of the days of Job's affliction.   

83. This is not to say that they had planned it that way, but rather the Lord brought it about to them. And they complemented their friend and glorified God both in words and deeds.

84. Nereus, the brother of Job, wrote down all these words, and also as he says; he wrote down the hymns of the three most beautiful and lovely women to grace the earth. This testament, as it is called of Job, was most likely written not so long after Job was returned to his goods, but the hymns occurred at the end of Job's days, which was many years later. 

85. And I have no idea where to find these hymns, if any copy remains of them anywhere. I consider it a great loss, especially to myself.

86. These three daughters of Job (according to historian) did not receive from their father earthly goods as an inheritance, but something far better. Instead Job gave them the "amulets" which were the tokens when God healed him. For Job having passed the trial, received the heavenly reward, of which the amulets, since he was as yet to remain on earth, were a token, for he could not again he tried, having received victory.   

87. Job then gave to each of his three daughters these tokens, a token of immortality, a token that sets one free of the lower world. And accordingly the instant when they put these tokens on, all worldly desires left them, and they spoke in tongues of the heavenly ones.

88.   If brain-surgeons make something super-natural out of these things, it is because they are devoid of knowledge and could not recognize understanding if it hit them broadside, for there is much more to this, which things I cannot speak of here. 

89. (And as to these things of the historians, I cannot certify the authenticity, and it should not be taken as infallible, but it serves the righteous for education to gain understanding from whatever they read).

90. The second wife of Job by whom he had again seven sons and three daughters was a daughter of the children of Jacob. And the name "Dinah" mentioned in the record, I suspect is an insertion by a scribe. For she shall not be "the Dinah" which was directly of Jacob, for several reasons, she would be far too old for Job, and/or to have his 10 children. 

91. Moreover, Moses records that Dinah did not come near to old age, nor is a husband to her mentioned.

92. As for the ignorance of some scholars that Sitis had these ten more children, after these years in addition to the first ten, which she bore, pay no attention to such stupidity.

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