Job 1:10

Letters to the Faithful - Job 1:10

Berean Standard Bible

Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

King James Bible

Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

Hebrew Text:

הֲלֹֽא־ אַתָּה שַׂכְתָּ בַעֲדֹו וּבְעַד־בֵּיתֹו וּבְעַד כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לֹו מִסָּבִיב מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו בֵּרַכְתָּ וּמִקְנֵהוּ פָּרַץ בָּאָרֶץ׃

Transliteration:

Halo atah sakhta ba'ado uve'ad-beito uve'ad kol-asher lo misaviv ma'aseh yadav berakhta umiknehu paratz ba'aretz.

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Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him

This phrase suggests divine protection and favor. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a "hedge" symbolized security and safeguarding from harm. The imagery of a hedge indicates God's comprehensive protection over Job, akin to a shepherd protecting his flock. This concept is echoed in Psalm 91:4, where God is described as a refuge and fortress. Theologically, it underscores the belief in God's sovereignty and His ability to shield His faithful from evil.

and his household

The mention of Job's household highlights the importance of family and community in ancient times. In the patriarchal society of the Old Testament, a man's household included not only his immediate family but also servants and extended kin. This reflects the biblical principle that God's blessings often extend beyond the individual to their family and community, as seen in Genesis 12:3 with God's promise to Abraham.

and all that he owns?

This phrase emphasizes the material blessings and prosperity that Job enjoys. In the historical context, wealth was often measured by livestock, land, and servants, which were signs of God's favor. The comprehensive nature of God's protection and blessing over Job's possessions is a testament to his righteousness and God's covenant faithfulness, similar to the blessings promised in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 for obedience to God's commands.

You have blessed the work of his hands

This indicates that Job's success is attributed to divine blessing rather than mere human effort. The "work of his hands" refers to his labor and endeavors, which God has prospered. This aligns with the biblical principle found in Psalm 90:17, where God's favor is sought to establish the work of one's hands. It also reflects the cultural understanding that prosperity is a sign of divine approval.

and his possessions have increased in the land.

The increase of Job's possessions signifies not only material wealth but also God's abundant provision. In the agrarian society of the time, such increase would include livestock, crops, and servants, indicating stability and growth. This mirrors the promises of prosperity found in the covenant blessings of Leviticus 26:3-5. The phrase also foreshadows the restoration and even greater blessings Job receives at the end of the book, symbolizing hope and redemption.

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Brothers and sisters in Christ, beloved in the Lord,

We come today to meditate upon a verse spoken not by a prophet, nor a saint, nor a man of God—but by Satan himself. In the heavenly court, in a mystery that stirs both awe and trembling, the adversary speaks of Job, that righteous man of the East. He declares, almost with a sneer, "Have You not put a hedge around him?" As though the righteousness of Job were not a real righteousness, but a purchased loyalty. As though the devotion of a man to his God were only a transaction—faith for favor, obedience for prosperity. But hear the words again and ponder their depth. "Have You not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?" In the mouth of Satan, we find an accidental testimony to a truth that is often hidden from the eyes of flesh.

There is a hedge. There is a boundary. There is a divine protection. And brothers and sisters, we are called to recognize, to trust, and even to thank God for the hedge we did not build, for the mercy we did not earn, for the protection that surrounds our lives like a wall of fire. Job did not know it, but the blessing he walked in—the success of his work, the peace in his home, the abundance in his fields—was guarded by a hedge that no hand but God’s could plant.

But do not think this hedge is only about comfort. Do not think it guarantees a life free from trial. For the same chapter tells us that God, in His sovereignty, lifted the hedge—not because He ceased to love Job, but because He loved him enough to test him, to reveal the strength of true faith, and to silence forever the accusation of the enemy. You see, the hedge is not a bribe; it is grace. And when the hedge is lifted, and the winds blow, and the fire falls, and the voice of pain echoes in our homes—it is then that the faith of Job, and your faith, and mine, is shown to be more precious than gold refined in the fire.

So I ask you today: have you thanked God for the hedge? Have you considered how much of your peace, your family’s safety, your daily bread, your moments of joy—how much of it flows not from your strength, not from your planning, not from your power—but from an unseen shield? The enemy sees it, even when we do not. Satan himself complains of it. You may walk through your days unaware, but the one who prowls like a lion knows the hedge. He sees the line he cannot cross unless God permits. And here is the scandal of grace: that God, in His wisdom, does not always keep the hedge whole. Not to harm us, but to grow us. Not to destroy, but to purify.

Some of you have walked through seasons where the hedge seemed shattered. Some of you have buried loved ones, lost homes, faced betrayal, struggled in silence. And you have asked, “Where is the hedge, O God?” Let the story of Job speak to your heart: the hedge was never a promise of ease—it was a gift of love. And when God permits suffering, He never does so in absence. For the God who allowed the hedge to fall is the same God who met Job in the whirlwind and restored him double.

Yet, do not overlook another truth, brothers and sisters: the hedge was around not only Job, but his household and everything he had. There is something powerful in a righteous life. A godly man or woman draws a circle of blessing wider than they know. Your faith, your prayer, your obedience builds a spiritual shelter over your family, your workplace, your community. Fathers, mothers—your prayers matter. Single believers, your intercessions matter. The hedge is not just for you. You may be the reason your family is preserved in crisis. You may be the reason mercy lingers on your street. You may be the reason an entire generation finds refuge.

And what about the “work of his hands”? The text says: “You have blessed the work of his hands.” God is not indifferent to your labor. He sees the work of the carpenter and the teacher, the nurse and the farmer, the student and the mother with her child. When your hands move in faithfulness, His blessing attends them. Your job is not small. Your calling is not forgotten. He blesses it—not always with wealth, not always with recognition—but with fruit that remains, with purpose that echoes into eternity.

And what shall we say of Christ, the greater Job? He who was righteous without flaw, who had a hedge around Him from birth, protected from Herod, guided through temptations, honored by angels? And yet, on the cross, the hedge was removed. He was exposed to the fury of hell, the wrath of sin, the silence of heaven—not because He sinned, but because He stood in our place. And in His suffering, we find our salvation. In His forsakenness, we find eternal embrace. The hedge was lifted for Him so that it might be restored for us forever.

So let us live, not in fear, but in awe. Let us pray with new fervor, not only for favor, but for the presence of the One who sometimes blesses with protection, and sometimes with trial, but always with purpose. Let us not be surprised when the enemy accuses, for he will always slander the saints. But let us silence him not by our words, but by lives of worship, lives that say, with Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

There is a hedge around you, child of God. You did not see it, but heaven did. The devil did. And the Lord your God, your shield and your refuge, He planted it with His own hands.

Glory be to the One who guards and gives. Amen.

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Almighty and Everlasting God,

Maker of heaven and earth, the One who rules from eternity to eternity, the Holy One who sits above the circle of the earth and whose ways are higher than our ways, we come before You with reverence and trembling, with gratitude and awe, lifting our voices and hearts in prayer.

O Lord our God, we thank You for the hedge You have placed around us, though we have not always seen it or understood it. You, O Sovereign King, have surrounded Your people with a shield of mercy. You have encircled our lives with grace we did not earn and with kindness we do not deserve. We praise You, O Lord, that You have set a boundary between us and destruction, a wall that no adversary can cross without Your word. You have blessed the work of our hands, and caused it to prosper beyond our understanding. You have protected our homes, our children, our sleep, our going out and our coming in. Lord, who is like You? Who watches so faithfully? Who guards so silently, so patiently?

Forgive us, Father, for the times we did not acknowledge Your hand. Forgive us for the moments we claimed success as our own, for the times we forgot that our breath, our strength, our peace, and our provision all flow from Your goodness. Open our eyes to see that behind every good and perfect gift is the God who neither slumbers nor sleeps. Teach us to be grateful not only for what we hold in our hands, but for the unseen battles You fight, for the dangers You deflect, for the harm You prevent.

Lord, we acknowledge today, with humbled hearts, that even when You allow the hedge to be lifted, You do not abandon us. You are not absent in suffering, nor silent in sorrow. You are the God of Job, who permits the testing but also sets the limits. You are the God who restores, who vindicates, who speaks from the whirlwind. So we pray, Father, when we walk through loss, or trial, or times of testing, help us not to curse the day, but to cling to You. Teach us not to rely on the hedge, but on the One who places it. Let our faith not be built on comfort, but on covenant—not on ease, but on Your eternal character.

O Lord, hedge us in with holiness. Surround our homes with righteousness. Enclose our hearts with truth. Be the fire around our families. Be the wall around our minds. Let no lie from the enemy penetrate the peace You have given. Let no fear tear down what You have built. Guard our children, Lord, from every snare of this age. Preserve the marriages of Your saints. Uphold the lonely with Your right hand. Strengthen the weary with the knowledge that You are near.

We pray not only for our own hedge, O God, but for those around us. Let the righteousness of Your saints be a covering for their communities. Let our prayers lift up the weak. Let our obedience bless those who do not yet know You. Let our lives stand as intercession for the broken and the lost. May the world see the light that shines within the fence of Your favor and long to enter through the gate that is Christ.

O God, bless the work of our hands—not to make us proud, but to make us generous. Let what we build in Your name be established. Let our labors bear fruit that brings You glory. Let the fields of our effort be full, not just with profit, but with purpose. And if You see fit to prune, to test, to withhold, still we will bless Your name. For You are good, and Your mercy endures forever.

And now, Lord, as You once testified of Job before the heavenly hosts, may You testify of us—not because we are perfect, but because we trust in You. Say of us, “Have you considered My servant?” Not to invite trial, but to declare that there are still those in the earth who love You for who You are—not only for what You give. Raise up a people like Job—righteous, resilient, reverent. Raise up a church that cannot be shaken, whose roots are deep, whose hedge is holy, whose worship is pure.

We thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus, which is the truest and strongest hedge—stronger than the enemy’s accusations, stronger than the fires of affliction, stronger than death itself. In Him we are sealed. In Him we are safe. In Him we are restored.

Keep us, O God. Guard us. Surround us. And may Your name be praised forever in the midst of Your people.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Defender,

Amen.