Tag: Job is righteous
Satan the accuser!
Scripture reading for May 18th: Job 1-3
The Bible teaches us that the unseen world is eternal and the world that is visible is only temporary. (2nd Corinthians 4:18) God dwells in the realm of the eternal and made this visible creation, including us. Satan and Adam’s disobedience brought sin and death into the world and corrupted both creation and man. We are born the first time into the visible realm and face life in a fallen creation with our mortal bodies which have been corrupted by sin. Satan, the accuser, has been given permission to tempt, test, and try us. He seeks to steal from us, kill our bodies, and destroy our souls in Hell. Hell was prepared for the Devil and his angels. (John 10:10, Revelation 20:10)
God in His love, seeks to redeem us from the world of sin and death. He has chosen by grace to do this by through faith. He reveals Himself to us through the creation and by revelation in our inner man. He gives each person a conscience with a basic knowledge of right and wrong. We have a free will to choose to seek out God and respond to Him by believing what He reveals to us. 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 this book of Job, possibly the oldest book in the Bible, we have revelation of God at work behind the scenes in the invisible world and Satan, the accuser, doing his best to steal Job’s faith in the invisible God.
In the invisible world, Satan has access to God. His primary work is accusation against those who have faith. Satan first accuses Job of serving God by faith because of selfish motives. (Job 1:9-11) Satan accuses God of showing favoritism to Job and protecting and blessing him. He implies that if God removes his hedge and the blessings he is now enjoying, Job will curse God to His face! God places boundaries on what Satan can do to Job personally and releases Satan to his temptations. Job then suddenly and catastrophically looses everything he owns as well as his ten children in a violent storm. (Job 1:19) His response is to humble himself and to worship the God he knows by faith. (Job 1:20-21)
The next scene in the invisible world is Satan and God conversing about God’s servant, Job. 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)
In these chapters of Job, we learn about the battle going on for our faith. God allows testing and trials. Satan accuses us before God. God is on our side and supports us by revelation of His creation, love and grace! We win in the end!