Old Testament Incident...
Following the victory in the Garden of Eden, Satan is next seen in sharp outline in his contention with God about saintly Job. The time is about 2000 BC. Job, a very rich land owner in the land of UZ, was outstanding in his spiritual life. Even the testimony of God concerning him was to the effect that Job was "a perfect [mature] and upright man, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil" (Job 1:1).
The style of writing employed in the inspired book of Job is that of poetic religious drama. The first scene shows the prosperity, happiness, and righteousness of Job. The next scene shifts to heaven and the throne of God. Evidently, this is one of the occasions on which the various angels in charge of administering the Lord's vast holdings in the earth came to report on the state of the universe. We note that in brazen shamelessness Satan accompanies them to give his report of earthly conditions.
God challenges Satan by calling his attention to the blameless character of His servant Job. Satan counters by arguing that Job lives righteously simply because God grants him favors; he finds that it pays off handsomely to serve the Lord. Satan's fiendish insinuation is that Job is not serving from a sincere, loving heart, but for strictly selfish reasons. Satan's challenge to God is that if Job were stripped of his abundance, he would turn on God and curse Him to His face.
How amazing is the effrontery of this impudent, vindictive, irreverent creature! One wonders that God does not immediately blast him into nonexistence...BAM! But God intends to use Satan. He gives permission for Satan to take from Job all his possessions but not his health nor his life. Exulting, Satan goes from the presence of the Lord to afflict the innocent Job.
The next scene is that day of unspeakable tragedy. In one 24~hour period, Job is subjected to a succession of unthinkable catastrophes, which leave him without possessions, home, children. Yet, the scene closes with Job's bowing before the will of God and in complete sincerity resigning himself to whatever God will send. Job does not blame God nor charge Him with wrong motives. Placing himself in the hands of the Lord, he bows his heart before Him and waits.
Really, the victory here is one for God. It is proven that God has not purchased the loyalty of Job with His bounteous gifts. Satan is utterly wrong. His charge that God is acting in duplicty is in error. God and His faithful servant Job are completely vindicated.
The drama continues. The next scene is another report day, when the sons of God (the angels) present themselves before the Lord. As previously, Satan comes with them. Again God throws down the challenge to Satan with reference to Job. Satan's scathing reply is that he is still right, and that Job's loyalty to God is only "skin deep". If Job's health were taken from him, Satan contends, his false character would be only too apparent. Again God consents, giving Satan permission to afflict Job in his body, but not to kill him. Satan gleefully goes forth to lay upon Job's body an excruciatingly painful and loathsome disease.
The writer of the Book of Job continues with a long discussion by four friends of Job, on questions to his misfortunes. They have come to comfort, but they remain to blame him. Job, though somewhat shaken, again yields himself to the will of God and accepts from Him what He has allowed. God is vindicated once more in His faith in His servant.
Some startling facts appear here. Evidently Satan is in possession of considerable power in the earth. He seems to have authority to stir up robbers, brigands, and thugs to attack and rob Job (1:15,16). Evidently, to some degree he controls the wind and sends it forth in fury (1:19). He sends down fire (lightning) from heaven (1:16)
Notice a still more striking fact: Satan has access to heaven, to the throne of God, is able to talk with the Lord, and even to contradict Him. Many reasoned that such an encounter of the Holy God with a creature so vile would be impossible. The very holiness of God, it is said, would reach out to turn the creature into oblivion...BAM! But this is not so, for Satan came not only once but twice into the presence of God with the angels.
Consider, too, the well-known character of Satan again asserting itself. He is the enemy of God and the accuser of the people of God. The purpose of his appearance before God was to vilify the character of one of God's servants whom God alredy had declared perfect and upright.
A New Testament counterpart to Job, in a way, was the apostle Peter, as pictured in Luke 22:31. Our Lord revealed to Peter that Satan had requested permission to "sift him as wheat", to tempt God's servant. This was granted, with the sad result that Peter grievously sinned. He failed the test.
The significant teaching in this is that Satan's machinations, although cunning, are restricted. HE COULD NOT TOUCH JOB'S POSSESIONS NOR HIS HEALTH WITHOUT GOD'S EXPRESS PERMISSION. Nor dared he to tempt Peter until the Lord allowed him to do so.
Following the victory in the Garden of Eden, Satan is next seen in sharp outline in his contention with God about saintly Job. The time is about 2000 BC. Job, a very rich land owner in the land of UZ, was outstanding in his spiritual life. Even the testimony of God concerning him was to the effect that Job was "a perfect [mature] and upright man, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil" (Job 1:1).
The style of writing employed in the inspired book of Job is that of poetic religious drama. The first scene shows the prosperity, happiness, and righteousness of Job. The next scene shifts to heaven and the throne of God. Evidently, this is one of the occasions on which the various angels in charge of administering the Lord's vast holdings in the earth came to report on the state of the universe. We note that in brazen shamelessness Satan accompanies them to give his report of earthly conditions.
God challenges Satan by calling his attention to the blameless character of His servant Job. Satan counters by arguing that Job lives righteously simply because God grants him favors; he finds that it pays off handsomely to serve the Lord. Satan's fiendish insinuation is that Job is not serving from a sincere, loving heart, but for strictly selfish reasons. Satan's challenge to God is that if Job were stripped of his abundance, he would turn on God and curse Him to His face.
How amazing is the effrontery of this impudent, vindictive, irreverent creature! One wonders that God does not immediately blast him into nonexistence...BAM! But God intends to use Satan. He gives permission for Satan to take from Job all his possessions but not his health nor his life. Exulting, Satan goes from the presence of the Lord to afflict the innocent Job.
The next scene is that day of unspeakable tragedy. In one 24~hour period, Job is subjected to a succession of unthinkable catastrophes, which leave him without possessions, home, children. Yet, the scene closes with Job's bowing before the will of God and in complete sincerity resigning himself to whatever God will send. Job does not blame God nor charge Him with wrong motives. Placing himself in the hands of the Lord, he bows his heart before Him and waits.
Really, the victory here is one for God. It is proven that God has not purchased the loyalty of Job with His bounteous gifts. Satan is utterly wrong. His charge that God is acting in duplicty is in error. God and His faithful servant Job are completely vindicated.
The drama continues. The next scene is another report day, when the sons of God (the angels) present themselves before the Lord. As previously, Satan comes with them. Again God throws down the challenge to Satan with reference to Job. Satan's scathing reply is that he is still right, and that Job's loyalty to God is only "skin deep". If Job's health were taken from him, Satan contends, his false character would be only too apparent. Again God consents, giving Satan permission to afflict Job in his body, but not to kill him. Satan gleefully goes forth to lay upon Job's body an excruciatingly painful and loathsome disease.
The writer of the Book of Job continues with a long discussion by four friends of Job, on questions to his misfortunes. They have come to comfort, but they remain to blame him. Job, though somewhat shaken, again yields himself to the will of God and accepts from Him what He has allowed. God is vindicated once more in His faith in His servant.
Some startling facts appear here. Evidently Satan is in possession of considerable power in the earth. He seems to have authority to stir up robbers, brigands, and thugs to attack and rob Job (1:15,16). Evidently, to some degree he controls the wind and sends it forth in fury (1:19). He sends down fire (lightning) from heaven (1:16)
Notice a still more striking fact: Satan has access to heaven, to the throne of God, is able to talk with the Lord, and even to contradict Him. Many reasoned that such an encounter of the Holy God with a creature so vile would be impossible. The very holiness of God, it is said, would reach out to turn the creature into oblivion...BAM! But this is not so, for Satan came not only once but twice into the presence of God with the angels.
Consider, too, the well-known character of Satan again asserting itself. He is the enemy of God and the accuser of the people of God. The purpose of his appearance before God was to vilify the character of one of God's servants whom God alredy had declared perfect and upright.
A New Testament counterpart to Job, in a way, was the apostle Peter, as pictured in Luke 22:31. Our Lord revealed to Peter that Satan had requested permission to "sift him as wheat", to tempt God's servant. This was granted, with the sad result that Peter grievously sinned. He failed the test.
The significant teaching in this is that Satan's machinations, although cunning, are restricted. HE COULD NOT TOUCH JOB'S POSSESIONS NOR HIS HEALTH WITHOUT GOD'S EXPRESS PERMISSION. Nor dared he to tempt Peter until the Lord allowed him to do so.
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