Tag: accuser
Unseen Accusations!
Scripture reading for August 12: Job 2:3-6 “And 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, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse You to Your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, only spare his life.”
We come to the ancient book of Job and the story of Job’s life and trust in God in the days before Abraham. The story reveals a conflict between God the Father and Satan, the fallen angel. This conflict was during a gathering of the ‘Sons of God’ and Satan came along with them. The ‘Sons of God’ is a term used to describe created heavenly beings who serve God and do His will. Satan was once part of that group until iniquity was found in him and he was removed from his position of authority under God. His name, Satan, (‘hassatan’ in Hebrew) means ‘adversary’ or ‘prosecutor’ or ‘accuser’ and is a title rather than a name. Although cast out of the heavenly angelic band, he was still given access to God’s throne on occasion.
In this passage, we find God speaking to Satan and bringing to his attention His servant Job a second time. God’s assessment of Job was that he stood alone among those on earth as blameless and upright and fearing God. Job had passed the first test of keeping steadfast faith in God as sovereign even after losing his flocks, servants and even his children and their families. Now Satan accused God of protecting Job’s health as he had of his wealth the first time. Satan’s accusation was that if Job’s life was threatened, he would curse God. God allowed Satan to take Job’s health, just not his life. God was confident that Job would remain true to Him.
As we learn from Scripture to trust God in all circumstances, we can learn from Job’s example and the unseen and unknown accusations behind the health circumstance. There are forces of evil trying to destroy us and our faith. But our Lord Jesus has power to sustain those committed to Him. “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
King of Pride
Scripture reading for August 23: Ezekiel 24-28
Satan is not mentioned by name often in the Old Testament. This fallen angel inhabited the body of a serpent in the Garden of Eden and enticed Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in rebellion to God’s express command. The serpent was told by God that the Seed of woman would crush his head one day and he would bruise the Seed’s heel. (Genesis 3:1-6, 14-15) In perhaps the oldest book of the Bible, Job underwent a difficult trial as a result of Satan’s accusations of him before the throne of God. Satan was given permission to test Job by first taking his possessions and children and then taking Job’s health. In 1st Chronicles 21:1, Satan stood up against Israel and enticed King David to number the people and take pride in how many fighting men he had. In Zechariah 3:1-2, Satan stood before the Lord and accused Joshua, the high priest, and was rebuked by the Lord.
There are two other passages that commentators say refer to Satan because the descriptions go beyond that of an earthly man or king. One is found in Isaiah 14 and the other is here in Ezekiel 28:11-19 and is a lament composed by Ezekiel concerning the king of Tyre. This lament describes this ‘king’ as being the model of perfection and full of wisdom and beauty. He was in Eden, the Garden of God and covered with many precious stones. This king was anointed by God to be a guardian cherub on the holy mountain of God. There he walked among the fiery stones and was blameless from the day he was created. Then wickedness was found in him and he was filled with violence and sinned. God drove him from the mountain of God in disgrace. The sin was pride because of his beauty and wisdom. God threw him down to earth and by his many sins and dishonest trade he corrupted mankind with pride . God brought him to a fiery end and reduced him to ashes in the sight of all who watched.
You might say Satan is the king of Pride and of all the proud of the earth. All mankind has fallen under his spell because of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden. But God has provided One who has crushed the head of this serpent, Jesus Christ the Lord. The end of time will see Satan (the Devil) cast into the Lake of Fire to endure his fiery torment that lasts forever! (Revelation 20:10) Check out your heart for pride today and allow the cleansing blood of Jesus to wash it away!
Miserable comforters?
Scripture reading for May 22: Job 15-17
Isn’t it amazing how we can see the faults of another person and feel that we know the answer to their problems and the cause! Theologians and students of the Bible can get proud about what they know and forget that they are studying God’s heart and His way. Job’s friends again attack his character and accuse him of a lack of understanding of God. (Job 15:3-5) Job was told that his sin has caused his mouth to be crafty and deceitful. He was accused of being impure and therefore under God’s wrath. (Job 15:30) They were ‘miserable comforters’ and took the role of ‘accuser’ of their brother!
Job’s response to these new accusations was to label his friends “miserable comforters”. (Job 16:2) Job needed encouragement and understanding. He needed someone to pray with him and seek God’s help and answers. Job was in despair over these latest accusations and the trouble he was experiencing. He wondered why God had broken and crushed him. He was depressed but in faith stated that his Advocate was also on high and his Witness was in heaven. (Job 16:19) Job seemed to know that although his physical body was broken, God still knew him, loved him, and would help him.
As I think on this passage, I realize that I have been the “miserable comforter” to some. Sometimes it is easy to have glib answers and quote standard Bible texts. God wants us to have His heart of compassion for the hurting and downcast. We must listen to them and hear their heart. Sometimes this alone is the best thing we can do. We must seek to let the Holy Spirit speak through us and address the real needs. What is on the surface is not always the real issue. My prayer today is that I would be sensitive to each hurting person that I encounter and that God would use me to be a true friend!
James 1:19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God,”
What are friends for?
Scripture reading for May 18: Job 4-7
Close friends who we can share our hearts with are few and far between. I am blessed with a close friend in my wife. She is God’s precious gift to me in the area of friendship. I also have several men who are friends I can count on. But outside of your mate, friends who will stick with you and speak honestly to you through thick or thin are not that easy to find. We have trouble trusting others and as we live life, we come to see that each person, ourself included, has his own load of faults and walls of self-defense. The gift of friendship is something special that must be cultivated over time.
Job was in the thick of his personal crisis. He had lost his material possessions and his children, and now had lost his health. His body was covered with sores and he itched and ached. Worms infested the sores and he could find no rest day or night. His skin was disfigured and he was sickly and emaciated. He was just a shadow of his former self and at this point had no answers as to why this was happening to him. His own wife had advised him to curse God and die. Three friends were sitting quietly with him.
One friend, Eliphaz, finally spoke with advice for his friend. Eliphaz believed that God punished the wicked and He rewarded the righteous. Any suffering was the result of some sin and God was punishing wickedness. God would restore and heal any person who honestly confessed their sin. Eliphaz got this revelation from a personal experience with a “spirit” and from personal observation. (Job 4:12-21) The ‘accuser’ had used Eliphaz to torment his friend. Eliphaz did not know God had Himself declared Job righteous before the suffering began and allowed Satan to test Job in this manner! (Job 1:8)
But Job knew his own heart and his integrity would not let him confess to something he did not know about. He would not try to manipulate God just to get everything back. Rather than being comforted by Eliphaz’s words, he was made even more miserable! (Job 6:21) Job went to God in prayer for the help he needed and the advice his friend did not give! (Job 7:17-21)
As I read Job’s story, I am reminded of my need for compassion for those who suffer! It is easy to judge others from our own worldly wisdom! God’s ways are above our understanding and we cannot always know the whole story through our own study or personal experience. Listening closer is wise! Waiting on the Lord and encouragement is a wiser course of action. My prayer: “Help me O Lord, to be a better friend to those who suffer!”
The accuser is conquered!
Scripture reading for December 17th: Revelation 12
Key Scriptures: Revelation 12:7-11 “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world–he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 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 their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
The great tribulation, following the rapture of the saints, will be a time of great war in heaven. Michael, the arch-angel and protector of Israel will lead the fight against the dragon, Satan along with the fallen angels. The outcome of this war is certain–the dragon is defeated and his angels! He is cast out of heaven, no longer able to accuse the brothers of Jesus but knows he has only a short time to deceive, if possible the elect. He is thrown down to earth and the Jews of the tribulation who have now put their trust in Jesus Christ and His shed blood are martyred for their testimony and faithful stand. They overcome the devil, death, and hell through their unwavering faith! Praise our Lord for His great grace!
Revelation 12:12 “Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short.”
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, I am thankful that You have everything in heaven and on earth under Your almighty authority and Your will is being done with no one or nothing to hinder it. Thank You for Your grace for all who put their trust in the blood of Jesus Christ and give testimony to their faith. Help me to overcome the devil and his flood of evil, my flesh, and this world today by these amazing weapons of righteousness.
Revelation 12:16-17 “But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.”