“Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”

Job 2:10

It is perhaps more customary on Mothers’ Day to focus on mothers in the Bible who came through with “flying colours.” However, as with men, not many match their performances of faith. How can we identify with someone who shows great faith when we know that we have fallen short of that?

There are a number of mothers in the Bible who did not do so well for at least part of their lives yet they had a measure of faith in the Lord.

Job and his wife suffered great adversity, perhaps more than any other couple. When they married it is possible that Job was already wealthy materially or at least showed signs that he would be. His wife may have had certain expectations concerning their future and no doubt was overjoyed with the arrival of their seven sons and three daughters (Job 1:2).

The incredibly great sorrow and grief that she felt over the deaths of all her children in one event is released in her words, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). Job understood her deep sorrow and corrected her but did not rebuke her. He endeavored to give her a correct perspective even though he was floundering in similar grief.

Job’s wife must have accepted her husband’s correction because she apparently stuck with him. He was a faithful husband (Job 31:1) and she proved to be a faithful wife amidst the most trying circumstances.

What was her reward for her faithfulness?

The last few verses of the book of Job reveal that they had another seven sons and three daughters, not to replace the other ten, but in addition to the other ten.

All the material wealth of Job was returned two-fold (Job 42:10) and so were their children. The first ten would be waiting in the presence of the Lord (Job 1:5) and the second ten grew, married and had children. During the next 140 years Job and his wife rejoiced in their descendants for four generations (Job 42:16).

Job’s wife is not even named in the Bible and is not mentioned in Hebrews 11 but it would appear that she endured more than most women. Though in grief she may have faltered she ran the course of faith and received the reward.

The reward was a more intimate relationship with the Lord. Associated with that are the ten additional children and all their descendants. There were probably quite a number of them. The material wealth she eventually left behind, just as we all must, but this would not have been a concern to her after the proving of their faith in the Lord. Her security was now in the right place, in the Lord, and not in material things.