A poem inspired by the Book of Job
The sons of god gathered before the Throne
Having roamed the earth, also present was the devil.
God said, “See my son, Job ! He’s my own !
He does what is right and hates all that is evil !”
“Ah !”, the devil said, “His heart, Thou didst pamper !
His eyes are not on Thee but on Thy blessings !
Give me his blessings; I’ll break and tamper;
Then you’ll know what song he really sings !”
Off went Satan to lay hand on Job’s children
He left none alive; then swallowed he Job’s wealth
Yet Job’s faith was unshaken: he was no chicken !
He worshiped God despite the blow he was dealt.
‘Twas not Job alone who rent his mantle:
Back in his workshop, Satan rent his too !
His ploy had failed and he had lost a battle –
“What if God’s witness about Job is proved true?”
Satan and his angels cooked up another plan;
Lucifer bowed before God at the next summit;
The LORD boasted, “Job is unshaken; Behold my man !”
But Satan had prepared to respond to this hit.
“Ha !”, the devil chuckled, “‘Skin for skin !’ –
A man will give all he hath for his own life;
Let me touch his bone and flesh – I’ll surely win !
Remember Adam ? Job too will listen to his wife !”
The devil laid his hand on Job’s flesh and bone
And smote him with boils from head to feet.
Job did not accuse or turn away from the Throne:
The LORD and His Word were truly his meat !
Job’s wife tried to dislodge his faith in God
Job turned down her offer without wavering !
The devil never realized Job would be so hard;
Job embraced His God despite all the suffering !
Lucifer called all hell for an emergency meeting
“Job must be stopped at any cost or we lose”
One by one, the fallen angels started plotting
“We’ll frustrate him; Job will let his words loose !”
The fallen angels set to work, agents to bring
That they may accuse Job and dislodge his hold.
They sought men who of the truth knew nothing
But to their pride and vanity, their faith had sold !
And in came the agents – Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar
At the sight of their friend, they all became weak !
They broke down and wept as they beheld Job from afar;
Job’s misery was so great: none spoke for a whole week !
The devil did not know what was holding God’s man –
Job’s heart, God by His faithfulness all the way did sustain !
Else to be faithful amidst evil, who on earth ever can ?
If Christ shew no Grace, we’d surely turn at the face of pain !
With much patience and anguish, Job endured his
friends’ accusations; Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar
claimed, “Job, you suffer because you’ve done things amiss;
For, without cause, God will deal no man such a scar !”
Job defended with all that was left of his strength
His wife watched in despair wondering what God was doing;
The conversations increased in noise and length –
but in no good direction was all of this going !
Job’s three friends gave up as Job claimed to be faultless.
But Young Elihu stepped in with more noise:
he spoke the same things others spoke – no less;
With sharper words and louder voice, attacked he Job’s poise !
At last, God ripped apart the invisible screen –
With words out of whirlwind, His mighty voice thundered;
Everyone had played god; but now the Real One intervened !
The voices that spake before knew they all had blundered !
The voices that accused Job were found guilty;
The Voice that made the Heavens blessed Job two-fold !
Upon Job’s repentant friends, God had pity;
Having passed the test, Job came out as pure gold !!!
Ink & Truth 