Though it is not directly stated in the text, a few things
can certainly be inferred about how Job felt concerning his home and
homeland.
According to the Old Testament, Job was so
blessed by God that he was "the greatest man among all the people of the East" (Job
1:3). He had a house full of children, fields full of animals, and a large number of
servants. He was wealthy and prosperous. But he is described as one who "feared God
and shunned evil" (v.1).
Based on this description, we can
infer that Job was nothing but grateful for his blessings. We also know that though he
loved his children very much, after events of celebration (eating and drinking for
several days), Job would send to have them purified. He would sacrifice a burnt
offering just in case they "sinned and cursed God in their hearts" (v.5). This shows
that though Job himself was a follower of God, he did not believe his children to be.
He worried about the sins of his family and the condition of their hearts and took upon
himself to carry out ritualistic cleansing on their
behalf.
Despite his great love for his family,
we see that Job is actually devoted to God above everything else. The rest of the story
outlines the many terrible and horrific things that God allows to happen to Job's
family, his land, his animals, and all of his wealth. Through everything, Job never
once turns his back on God. He endures the hardship giving God the praise all the
while. He displayed the same humility and reverence for God in his time of wealth and
prosperity as he did when everything was taken away, showing that he prioritized
material things (his home and homeland) beneath God.
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