Job 1

 

God allows Satan to test us

 

1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright; one that feared God and turned away from evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she asses, and a very great household/work; so that this man was the greatest of all the sons of the east.

 

  • God’s definition of perfect and upright is to fear Him and turn from evil.
  • We should fear the One who has enough knowledge and power to create the universe and who holds our life and breath in His hand.
  • Adam and the woman did not turn from evil when tempted.

 

4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And when the days of their feasting had completed their cycle, Job sent and sanctified them. He rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Job did this continually.

 

  • Job’s sons and daughters celebrated their birthdays together with big parties.
  • Job’s sacrifice for them is beautiful picture of Christ’s intercession at the right hand of the Father on our behalf.
  • These sacrifices portrayed Job’s faith in God’s promised Savior.
  • They demonstrated God’s great love to be poured out for us.
  • Hebrews 7:25Therefore he is able to save to the uttermost those that come to God by him, since he ever lives to make intercession for them.

 

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan/adversary came also among them.

 

  • The phrase 'sons of god' is the Hebrew bene ha Elohim. It is used only of angels in scripture.

  • Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year all your males are to appear before the LORD your God;
  • Ezekiel 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, appearing like a sapphire stone: and on throne was the likeness of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins upward, and from the appearance of his loins downward, I saw the appearance of fire, and it had brightness around it. 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain was the appearance of the brightness around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

 

7 And the LORD said to Satan, Where have you come from? Then Satan answered the LORD and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

 

  • This phrase walking up and down in it means ruling.
  • Satan was claiming to rule the earth.

 

8 And the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and shuns evil?God corrected Satan's error.

 

  • God corrected Satan's error.
  • God used Job as His witness in the court of heaven to challenge Satan's claim to ruling earth.

 

God has placed a hedge of protection around His own

 

9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have you not made a hedge around him, around his house, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.

 

  • Basically Satan said to God that God paid Job to love Him. That Job loved God because of all the stuff God gave him.
  • God alone is worthy of our adoration because He is infinite and eternal knowledge, righteousness, power, and love.
  • He made us in His image and gives us our every breath.
  • He protects us.
  • Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD camps around those that fear him, and delivers them.
  • Zechariah 2:5 For I, says the LORD, will be to her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

 

12 And the LORD said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your hand; only do not touch him. So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

 

  • God’s control over all things is total.
  • Satan had to get permission from God to do this.

 

13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: 14 And a messenger came to Job and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell on them, and took them away; yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.

 

  • Satan’s first strike was against Job’s livelihood.

 

16 While he was still speaking another came and said, The fire of God has fallen from heaven and has 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 came, and said, The Chaldeans made three bands and fell on the camels and have carried them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.

 

  • Satan’s second and third strikes were against Job’s livelihood.

 

18 While he was still speaking another came and said, Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house: 19 And, behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house. It fell on the young men and they are dead; and I alone have escaped alone to tell you.

 

  • Satan’s fourth strike was against Job’s children. At death those who had believed God’s promise went to paradise which is also called Abraham’s bosom by Christ in Luke 16:22.

 

20 Then, Job got up, tore his mantle, shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshipped, 21 He said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked I will return there: the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed is the name of the LORD. 22 In all of this Job did not sin or charge God foolishly.

 

  • God displayed what was in Job’s heart.
  • Job proved to the entire universe to see that God is worthy of all love and adoration.
  • Satan’s lie exposed the glory of God.
  • Job’s viewpoint of life was accurate.
  • God had given all his blessings and God had the right to take them away.
  • Life is a wonderful blessing in itself that we take for granted as our due. This is not the case. Every day is a splendid and marvelous gift from God. God is not capable of doing anything that is less than infinitely perfect.
  • Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: and without iniquity a God of truth, just and right is he.

 

 

                                                Job 2

 

 

1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.

 

  • Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
  • Ezekiel 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, appearing like a sapphire stone: and on throne was the likeness of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins upward, and from the appearance of his loins downward, I saw the appearance of fire, and it had brightness around it. 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain was the appearance of the brightness around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

 

2 And the LORD said to Satan, where have you come from? Satan answered the LORD and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

 

  • Satan bragged again about his ruling earth.
  • I John 3:20… God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

 

 

God said Job was perfect and upright

 

3 And the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and turns from evil? He still holds fast to his integrity, although you moved me against him, to destroy him without cause.

 

  • God clearly stated Job had done nothing wrong. In fact, he’d done everything right.
  • Job was not sinless or perfect but as God had ordained since the garden of Eden, Job put himself and His family under the blood of the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.
  • This was living by faith in what God had promised. Trusting God instead of himself and his good works.

4 And Satan answered the LORD and said, Skin for skin, yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face. _

 

  • This was a horrible blasphemy. By this, Satan said no one would serve God because He is worthy to be served, but just for the blessings God gives.

 

6 And the LORD said to Satan, Behold, he is in your hand; but save his life. 7 So Satan left the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with great boils from the sole of his foot to his crown. 8 And he took a broken piece of pottery to scrape himself; and sat down among the ashes.

 

  • ‘Boils’ means a burning inflammation. The sores are weeping, crusting, burning, and itching from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. God limited what Satan could do.

 

9 Then his wife said to him, Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die. 10 But he said to her, You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

 

  • Job’s wife had also lost much. The wealth was gone, the children were gone. Her dependable rock of a husband is acutely ill.
  • Her comment suggests that she understood the unseen part of what was happening—the challenge to Job’s integrity not to curse God. Her solution was to give up.
  • The heart of Job was awesome. He did not complain. He wasn’t angry. He quietly bore what God has allowed to be place on him.

 

11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that came on him, every one came from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: they made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. 12 When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and every one ripped his mantle, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. 13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

 

  • They came to comfort a friend and were stunned to the core of their being by what they saw.
  • It was an honor that God chose Job as an example to Satan.
  • God was with Job in this suffering.
  • 1 Corinthians 10:13 There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.
  • Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: In his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

 

                                                  

                                                Job 3

 

 

1 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. 2 Job spoke and said, 3 Let the day perish that I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. 4 Let that day be darkness; do not let God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. 5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell on it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. 6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; do not let it be joined to the days of the year, do not let it come into the number of the months. 7 Lo, let that night be barren, let no joyful voice come there. 8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up a leviathan.

 

  • God describes leviathan in Job 41. It is an awesome dragon-like creature that God made to play in the oceans.

 

9 Let the stars of its twilight be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: 10 Because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, or hide sorrow from my eyes. 11 Why did I not die from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? 12 Why did the knees receive me? Why did she nurse me at her breasts? 13 For if I had died at birth, I would be at peace now, asleep and at rest. 14 With kings and counselors of the earth, who built desolate places for themselves...

 

  • Kings who b;uild desolate places were building on evil and not on Christ. _
  • 1 Corinthians 3:11-13 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work will be shown: for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will try every man's work to show what sort it is.

 

15 Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver: 16 Or like a hidden miscarriage, I would not have been; as infants that never see light. 17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary are at rest. 18 There the prisoners rest together; they do not hear the voice of the slave-driver. 19 The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master. 20 Why is light given to a person that is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul; 21 who long for death, but it does not come; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; 22 Who rejoice greatly and exult when they find the grave? 23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God has hedged in?

 

  • Job had enjoyed God’s hedge of protection about himself and his family for 140 years—Job 1:10.
  • Now he is hedged in with suffering that he cannot escape.
  • God allowed Satan to test Job with suffering (Job 1, 2) to glorify God, Job’s Maker, who had given Job 140 years of life and blessing.

 

24 For my sighing comes before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. 25 For the thing that I greatly feared has come upon me: what I was afraid of has come to me. 26 I am not at ease, I am not quiet, and I am not at rest; but turmoil comes.

 

  • God tells us ‘fear not’ over 75 times in scripture for the awesome reason that He is with us.
  • He has all the power. He controls everything.
  • According to scriptures we are only to fear two things. 1) Fear God 2) Fear not entering His rest.
  • Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
  • Psalm 37:34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

 

 

                                                 Job 4

 

God’s justice is perfect

 

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, 2 If we try to commune with you, will you be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking? 3 Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands. 4 Your words have upheld him that was falling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees. 5 But now it has come upon you, and you faint; it touches you, and you are troubled. 6 Is not this your reverence (of God) your confidence, your hope, and the uprightness of your ways? 7 Remember, I beg you, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where are the righteous cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

 

  • Job’s ‘friend’ was saying that Job’s suffering came because Job had sinned.
  • Much suffering is the result of sin but God said that Job was the best man on earth.
  • There was none like Job on earth. He feared God and turned from evil (Job 1).

 

9 By the blast of God they perish; by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. 10 The roaring of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions, are broken. 11 The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad. 12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a little of it. 13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, 14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. 15 Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up: 16 It stood still, but I could not discern its form: an image was before my eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice saying, 17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his maker? 18 Behold, he puts no trust in his servants nor in his angels in whom he put light: 19 How much less in those that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? 20 They are beaten to pieces from morning to evening: they perish forever without any regarding it. 21 Is not their cord pulled up within them? They die without wisdom.

 

  • Psalm 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
  • Matthew 10:29-30 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them will not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

 

 

                                                Job 5

 

 

1 Call now, if there are any that will answer you; and to which of the saints will you turn? 2 For wrath kills the foolish man, and envy slays the silly one. 3 I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation. 4 His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them. 5 Whose harvest the hungry eat up, and take it out of the thorns, and the robber swallows up their substance. 6 Although affliction does not come out of the dust, neither does trouble spring out of the ground.

 

  • Jeremiah 17:10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the emotions, to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

 

7 For man is born to trouble/toil, as the sparks fly upward. 8.I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause: 9 Who does great things unsearchable; marvelous things without number: 10 Who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields: 11 To set the lowly on high; that those who mourn may be exalted to safety.

 

  • Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust also in him; he will bring it to pass.

 

 

God ruins dishonest plots

 

12 He frustrates the plots of the shrewd, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. 13 He takes the wise in their own craftiness: and the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted. 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night. 15 But he saves the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. 16 So the helpless have hope, and iniquity stops her mouth.

 

  • Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.

 

17 Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects: therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty: 18 For he makes sore, and binds up: he wounds, and his hands make whole.

 

  • Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.

 

19 He will deliver you in six troubles: yes, in seven no evil will touch you. 20 In famine he will redeem you from death: and in war from the power of the sword. 21 You will be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither will you be afraid of destruction when it comes. 22 At destruction and famine you will laugh: neither will you be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

 

  • These promises are from the Creator of the universe.
  • He protects His own in battle.
  • He protects from shark attacks and any harm from man or animal.
  • Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song I will praise him.

 

23 For you will be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you. 24 And you will know that your home will be in peace; and you will visit your dwelling and find nothing missing. 25 You will also know that your seed will be great, and your offspring as the grass of the earth. 26 You will come to your grave in a full age, like a shock of corn comes in his season. 27 Look at this, we have researched it, it is so; hear it, and know it for yourself.

 

  • Stones of the field were military weapons in ancient times.
  • Psalm91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY: Job 1-5

 

  • God allows Satan to test us
  • God has placed a hedge of protection around His own
  • God said Job was perfect and upright
  • God's justice is perfect
  • God ruins dishonest plots