Job’s Valentine

Instead, could you imagine your wife, fiancée, or girlfriend agreeing to go out with you for dinner on Valentine’s Day if you said to her, “You speak as one of the wickedly foolish women speaks,” and then you said, “My breath is offensive to [you]”?

I think that might be the end of that dinner plan!

But those are things Job said concerning his wife (see Job 2:10 and 19:17 LSB). Now, remember why he said what he did. When all the bad things happened to Job, his wife said, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9 LSB).

Job saw his wife’s words lacking wisdom and faith. That’s why he also said in verse 10, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept calamity?” And that verse goes on to note: “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

He remained faithful to her.

The Scriptures make it clear that Job did not sin with all he said. So even though those words to his wife sound very negative, he obviously loved her and was committed to her. Despite his overwhelming suffering and his wife’s seeming bitterness for all that happened to them—after all, she lost children too—he remained faithful to her. From the text, it certainly seems she was still with him and bore him 10 more children after all his sorrows ended. Later on in Job, we get a sense of how faithful he was to her. One particular verse stands out that should challenge every man concerning how he should view his wife, fiancée, or girlfriend. This is the verse:

I have cut a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin? (Job 31:1 LSB)

I love what theologian John Gill said about this verse:

Not to look upon a woman, and wantonly gaze at her beauty, lest his heart should be drawn thereby to lust after her; for the eyes are inlets to many sins, and particularly to uncleanness, of which there have been instances, both in bad men and good men. . . . As if he had bound himself by a covenant, made a resolution in the strength of divine grace, not to employ his eyes in looking on objects that might ensnare his heart, and lead him to the commission of sin; he made use of all ways and means, and took every precaution to guard against it; and particularly this, to shut or turn his eyes from beholding what might be alluring and enticing to him. . . . He made a covenant with his eyes, to prevent any impure thoughts, desires, and inclinations in him; for the eye affects the heart, and stirs up lust in it, and excites unclean thoughts and unchaste desires: this shows that the thought of sin is sin.1

What a great admonition for every male who takes his valentine out for Valentine’s Day. Don’t look on other women and lust in your heart. Remain pure like Job did. Even after his wife said things that hurt him, Job remained faithful and loved her, showing his total commitment to her as his wife. He only had eyes for her.

As we read in Ecclesiastes 9:9 LSB, “See life with the woman whom you love all the days of your vain life, which He has given to you under the sun.”

And for husbands, take this verse to heart: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25 LSB).

Men, I challenge you to treat your valentine like Job treated his—pursuing purity within yourself and remaining faithful, committed, and loving.