Job's Initial Trial
Chapter 1:6-22
This scene in heaven gives us an insight into the very centre of the realm of the spiritual world, in the presence of God Himself. We don't know how it was revealed to man so that it could be described to us.
Neither Job nor any of the other people in this book knew that this took place at all. But this scene has enabled readers throughout the ages afterwards, including ourselves today, to understand and to interpret some of the odd things which happen to God's people.
On this occasion we learn that the sons of God, intelligent spiritual beings of His creation, came before the LORD. The expression sons of God is also used in the Bible for those of the human race who are of a godly, righteous nature, and those who are born again of God through the Holy Spirit by their faith in His Son.
But these were created spirits, angels, called sons of God in the Hebrew Scriptures because they were made by Him. They are responsible and accountable to the LORD for their actions, and they came to report to Him on this occasion.
Among them was Satan (meaning adversary, accuser) and he was required to explain where he had come from. Of course the LORD already knew perfectly well, nevertheless Satan must explain himself. He gave a rather vague answer "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it."
Though they don't have physical bodies, all spiritual creatures except for God himself are still limited in time and space like us. Many people ignore this fact and assume they have Divine attributes.
Another wrong assumption people make, and which is buried in Medieval folklore, is that Satan and his angels have their abode in hell. They aren't yet, nor for a long time to come. He is now the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2) and has command over a huge army of rebel angels who serve him and carry out his orders. They are as free to move about the earth as we are, and even more so as they don't depend on means of physical transport.
The Word of God warns us, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is still able to go before God to accuse His people. Hell, the lake of fire and brimstone, is the place prepared for the Devil and his angels, but neither they nor anyone else is there yet.
The LORD was pleased with the integrity of Job, and asked Satan if in his wanderings he had noticed this man who stood out among all others because he was blameless and upright, feared God and shunned evil. Satan had indeed taken notice of this man, but implied that the only reason Job feared God was that in return the LORD had protected his family and given him prosperity. In his opinion Job would curse the LORD to His face if all was taken away from him.
Satan may have tried to get through to Job and found that he couldn't touch him because there was a hedge about him. There is a hedge around every believer today, and Satan cannot touch us unless the LORD permits it. And if the LORD permits it, it will be for His good purpose and for our welfare, as happened to Job, even though he wasn't aware of the benefits which would be coming to him. We do.
Satan knew very well why many people pretend to be godly. They are fair-weather believers when all is well and they seek God's blessings. Adversity shows up their false religiosity, just as it strengthens real faith by causing believers to prove to themselves and others how God also provides them with deliverance.
God alone knows men's hearts and how strong their faith is - he will never allow any of His own to be tested beyond endurance. The LORD opened the hedge around Job and allowed Satan to take all his possessions from him - not just a portion of them. Satan had thought that Job's faithfulness to God resulted from the size of his family and his material prosperity. The LORD knew better, as we shall see.
Another lesson we learn here is that sometimes the LORD permits Satan to take away from us those things that we lean on. When our little security blanket is taken away from us we feel so helpless, incapable, and lost in this world. Many of us cry out to God at such a time.
This conversation also shows that the LORD is sovereign over our lives and Satan's influence is under His control. In fact the evil which Satan may bring about is part of the LORD's design to prepare for Himself a people which has come to fear, to love and to worship Him from experience. While we may not understand why the LORD is sometimes allowing us to suffer, He is never caught by surprise by our troubles and He loves us, never leaves us and is always compassionate.
Satan was not allowed to touch the physical person of Job at this time - the test was to prove whether he valued his possessions so much that he would hate God if they were taken away from him, as Satan had said was the case.
In one day Job saw all he possessed in this world taken away from him through a succession of calamities:
- The Sabeans, from south-west Arabia, raided all his oxen and donkeys and carried them away, killing all but one of the servants looking after them.
- All his sheep and all but one of his servants tending them were consumed by lightning.
- The Chaldeans, from the region north of the Persian Gulf, stole all his camels and killed all but one of his servants with them.
- His sons and daughters were all killed when the house they were in collapsed because of a very strong wind.
All this was told in quick succession to Job. It was enough to shock the hardiest of men and to drive him to desperation. There was nothing left to him out of his huge wealth and all his children were dead.
He did not hide his overwhelming grief. He was sincere and open about his feelings, though he had not lost his faith in God. He loved his family, he was distressed at the death of all those servants, and no longer owned anything of value. He was a potentate suddenly turned into a pauper. In a dignified manner he tore his robe, symbol of his wealth and position, and shaved his head in mourning.
Then he dropped down and worshipped God. In his wisdom he admitted that he had nothing when he came into the world, all had graciously been provided to him during his life by the LORD, who was therefore entitled to take it all away again from him as He had done: "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."
Whatever we have, the Lord gave it to us, and He can take it away if He wishes. We all know that one day we are indeed going to leave it all here, and He is going to hold us responsible for how we use the things He permits us to have.
In 1 Corinthians 4:2 we are called "stewards." A steward handles what belongs to someone else. Among other things, on His judgement seat the Lord Jesus is going to judge us according to how we used His material things. All things down here are His, and we are just using them. We won't be taking them with us when we go.
Job understood this, and kept his faith: "In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong."
R David Jones
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
7 And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it."
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?"
9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing?
10 "Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
11 "But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!"
12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house;
14 and a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15 "when the Sabeans raided them and took them away - indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!"
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!"
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!"
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,
19 "and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!"
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
21 And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD. '22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.