Tag: accuser of the brothers
Job’s Friends
Scripture reading for August 20: Job 16:1-2 “Then Job answered and said: “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all. Shall windy words have and end? Or what provokes you that you answer?” Job 16:20-21 “My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God that He would argue the case of a man with God, as as a son of man does with his neighbor.”
Revelation 12:10-11 “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of the testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
As we walk with God through times of sickness, often our friends and even our family think that they are encouraging us with their blunt analysis of our condition and the reasons behind it. Job’s friends were no different. They suggested that Job was hiding some unknown sin and God was punishing him. One suggested that he was even getting far less than he deserved. Friends like this became for Job (and us!) miserable comforters. They test our faith and become tools of the accuser, Satan. Job longed for one like a “Son of Man” to intervene for him and plead his case. His longing was answered by God in the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ.
John, in Revelation 12, saw that the accuser of the brothers had been cast down to earth. Those trusting in God and His Mediator, Jesus Christ, had an advocate Who would defend them. They overcame the accuser and his accusations by pleading the shed blood of Jesus and testified to their faith in God’s mercy through Him. They stood firm in their faith against all accusations, even becoming martyrs for their stand of faith.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sending one like a “son of man” in Your Son Jesus to be our advocate for us in heaven. We love You and have committed to a stand of faith, even unto death. Amen!
Satan, the accuser!
Scripture reading for May 17: Job 1-3
The Bible teaches us that the unseen world is eternal and the world that is visible is only temporary. (2 Corinthians 4:18) God dwells in the realm of the eternal and made this visible creation, including us. Because of Satan’s rebellion and man’s disobedience, sin and death now dominate the visible creation. God, in His love, seeks to redeem us from the world of sin and death. The Bible is the story of God’s gracious plan of redemption being implemented throughout history in the lives of people who by faith knew God. As we come to the book of Job we have a revelation of God at work behind the scenes in the invisible world revealing Himself to Job. We also find Satan, cast down to earth, accusing Job before God.
Job is one of the oldest books in Scripture. It begins with Satan having access to God. We find Satan accusing Job of serving God because of selfish motives. (Job 1:9-11) Satan also accused God of showing favoritism to Job, protecting and blessing him. He made the accusation that if God removed His protection and the blessings, Job would curse God to His face! God knew Job and agreed to allow Satan to test Job to show his faith was genuine. God placed boundaries on what Satan could do to Job personally and released Satan to his temptations. As a result, Job suddenly and catastrophically lost everything he owned as well as his ten children in a violent storm. (Job 1:19) Job’s response was to humble himself and to worship God. (Job 1:20-21)
As Job’s story continues, Satan and God continue their discussion. God commends Job for keeping his integrity during the temptation. Satan responds with another accusation and lie. He contends that if God will allow him to take Job’s health, Job will then curse God. (Job 2:4-6) God again sets a limit and releases Satan to inflict Job physically and emotionally. During this trial, Job’s own wife suggests that he curse God and die. Job rebukes his wife and sits in silent suffering. He finally curses the day of his birth but does not curse God. (Job 3:1-4)
What insight do you receive from this story of Job, Satan, and God? What response would you have towards God if you suddenly lost your possessions and children? What about your health being taken?