The Succession of Calamities and the Second Messenger

He accurately understood the doctrines of truth, knowing that the administration of trials did not occur without God, but that what was happening brought him the greatest sorrow because of those being stumbled, as also God was acting against him.

For the simpler people might have reasoned that the ones coming to capture, having taken the livestock and being able to slaughter the children, were doing this not from God, but by the law of enemies coming in disorder and acting out of hatred. When fire was announced as having descended from heaven, there was fear, lest any of the weak should reason that virtue is nothing and that God punishes one possessing it.

But even when this happened, the holy man did not falter, being entirely mindful of God. For even the devil does not have the authority to bring down fire from heaven, but this has happened by divine judgment, so that God, who gave Job the authority, might present him to the devil, to show that the blessed one among men cares for nothing, even if he weaves many schemes.

For indeed God has caused that which is not possible by him to happen, in order to expose the adversary by presenting the greatness of the athlete; Job, bravely enduring, was not facing a small or trivial blow, but the destruction of tens of thousands of sheep, and with the shepherds, it turned out not to be a few.

And the angry one was being guarded again, for which cause we have previously mentioned. 'While he was still speaking this, another angel came and said to Job: The horsemen made three heads for us and encircled the camels and captured them, and they killed the children with the sword. But I alone was escaped and have come to announce it to you.' (Job 1:19).

Perhaps there was a military camp in the land, which fell upon the camels divided into three divisions. For as he says it is well known: 'The horsemen made three heads for us.' It is also possible that a continuous attack of horsemen was occurring then, and was moved by the devilish suggestion, and thus the messenger said it because it was happening out of habit: 'The horsemen made three heads for us.' They did not only take the camels, but also killed the children. Understand, then, how the sequence of trials occurs in a more distressing order. First indeed...

First, five hundred yoke of oxen were taken captive, and five hundred female donkeys were nomads. Then, fire was sent from heaven against seven thousand sheep, making things more severe than the previous suffering. Third, three thousand camels were taken away, and the children were slaughtered just as before; a costly matter and an unbefitting judgment regarding property.

After these things, the death of the children was continuous, as will be made clear in the things to be revealed. For indeed, if previously the death of the children was announced, the things that arrived were astonishing. But when something happened by way of a command, their successive sharpness and the agitation of the mind were more sufficient, which the devil also wickedly did by making a request. And he was despondent, when the holy man's reasoning was broken.

While he was still speaking this, another angel comes, saying to Job: 'While your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking with their elder brother, suddenly a great spirit came from the desert and struck the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon your children and they perished. But I alone was saved and I have come to announce it to you.' (Job 1:18-19).

It is not useless that it says: 'your sons and your daughters eating and drinking,' but it is toward a command of malice, and this chief-evil devil is dealing, so that the announcement of what has happened might become a heavy grief, exceeding the sorrow of the holy man. For if the children had fallen asleep, the one reasoning without being moved by the terrible thing would not have been so distressed. But when he was turning toward a necessary healing of the body, the temptation was brought, and this has a more severe grief.

For it is not doubtful that many were present at such a time, of whom the announcer did not remember, being satisfied with the exceeding loss of the children and following what happened to those present. For such a thing is customary in the Scripture; for when the Savior broke the five loaves, from which he satisfied five thousand men, the evangelist remembers, saying: 'apart from women and children' (Matthew 14:21), mentioning only the preceding numbers. And what also is the 'spirit' that 'came from the'...