Job
chapter 2 tells us more about Satan than Job. For a second time,
Satan approached God and for a second time God bragged about Job.
“Have
you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he
is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he
still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to
ruin him without any reason“.
And we see that the enemy does not give up that easily.
Satan
replied. “A
man will give all he has for his own life… stretch out your hand
and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your
face“.
To quote the old song, his tactic has “been the ruin of many a
man”. We are so easily lulled into thinking that we are able to
resist temptation that we can let our guard down. Or perhaps we do
something risky without any harm and it emboldens us. We might think
a little was fun, so a little more won’t hurt. But here is the
reality, Satan always raises the bar. How many alcoholics started
out just having a little fun? How many divorces began with an
innocent flirtation? Satan is a deceiver. He desires to “kill
and steal and destroy”
(John 10:10) and he does not give up easily. The most frightening
part is, this is true whether you acknowledge God or not!
The
next part of the chapter causes people to question God’s goodness.
People ask, “how could a loving God allow bad things to happen to
good people?”. The short answer is we have such a limited
perspective, we can only see today, but God declared “the
end from the beginning“.
The Lord said to Satan, “Very
well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life“.
Like whining children we say, “that’s not fair!”. Isaiah
55:8-9 reminds us “For
My thoughts are
not your thoughts, Nor are
your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as
the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than
your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts“.
The chapter continues, “So
Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with
painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it
as he sat among the ashes“.
Job went to the city dump, perhaps to where the ashes of the
sacrifice were discarded. He did not lose hope; I believe he
literally sat on the promises of God.
As
the chapter ends we meet his encouraging wife and trusted friends.
His wife said to him, “Are
you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
Poor Mrs. Job gets a bad rap for her comments, but remember, she too
lost all of her children and possessions. She was still grieving,
but Job still firmly sets her straight.
He
replied, “You
are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and
not trouble?“.
Compassion
does not excuse irresponsible behavior. True compassion corrects!
We are also told, “In
all this, Job did not sin in what he said“.
Finally,
Job’s three friends came to him in his misery.
“Eliphaz
the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard
about all the troubles“.
They agreed to, “go
and
sympathize
with him and comfort
him“.
He looked so bad, “they
could
hardly recognize him…
Then
they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No
one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering
was“.
They were observing the time or mourning together for the loss of
the children. I have been in the position of having no words of
comfort for a grieving parent.
Our words can sound empty, but I am reminded that the Word of God
brings healing. 1 Peter 1:3 explains why we can rejoice even in
death. “Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy
He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never
perish“.
Don’t let the enemy steal your hope.