Jump Start # 134

Job 1:8 “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.’”

  Our verse for today introduces the book of Job. Job is found in our Bibles in the poetry section, along with Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. Job is one of the oldest books of the Bible. We say that because of the nature of the book. It takes place during the time when God talked directly to the fathers, like Abraham, Noah and Adam. There are no references in the book to the Law of Moses, the priesthood, Abraham, Moses, or the tabernacle. It is as if Job came before all of those.

  Job is a long book and it is difficult to read. It unfolds much like a play. If you can imagine Job and his three friends as the main characters and the dialogue is a verbal exchange back and forth between Job and these three friends.

  Often when we hear of the book of Job our immediate thought is, “That is a book about suffering.” And in some ways that is true. Job suffered. He suffered hard and long. He suffered emotionally, mentally, physically, socially, financially, and even spiritually. Few people have gone through what Job did. Most who have, did not fare well. But the book really isn’t about suffering. It is about faith and God. The premise is “why does man serve God?” God’s contention is that man serves God because of who God is. Satan’s point is that man only serves God because of the blessings man receives from God. Man is spoiled and selfish and God has bought his devotion by blessing him. This is a great thesis for a debate. So Job is used as the test. A good man who had been richly blessed. Take it all away and see what he will do. So in many ways, Job is placed in a test tube and suffering is poured in and the test tube is shook very rapidly. Job is poured out and we watch his response and reaction to all of this.

  We understand and know more of the background than Job was ever told. Our verse today introduces the beginning of this debate.

  This verse is interesting. First, God brings Job up to Satan, not the other way around. Second, God is talking to Satan. The Bible has nothing kind to say about Satan. He is called the enemy, a liar from the very beginning. I would expect God to have nothing to do with Satan, but here He is approaching Satan. Third, God allows but Satan does. All the terrible suffering that Job goes through are the result of Satan. God put limits on what Satan could do.   And who can look at our verse and not see the powerful compliments God has about Job. It is as if Job was centerpiece in God’s trophy case. God tells us that Job is “My servant.” There was a relationship and fellowship between Job and God. Further God identifies four characteristics of Job: blameless, upright, God fearing and turning away from evil. God summed it up by saying, “There is no one like him on the earth.”

  This reminds us that God is aware of our hearts, motives and actions. God knows. God was pleased with Job. God was bragging to Satan about Job. Parents do that about their kids. They do that because they are so proud of their kids. God is feeling that way about Job.

  God’s feelings toward Job makes us struggle with why God allowed Satan to afflict him so harshly and severely. You’d think God would protect Job, shelter Job and keep these things from happening. But just the opposite. Because Job meant so much, God said to Satan, “Have you considered…”  It seems God knew how Job would act. Parents know how their kids will do. God knew.

  One final thought. Does God and Satan have conversations today about us? Does God tell Satan about you? I don’t know. It’s hard to find Scripture to answer that either way. It does present a thought for us to consider. The God of Heaven and earth being so pleased with us that He tells Satan to consider you. That would change how we look at suffering and the whys of suffering. It would also stop us from blaming God so often.

  God is in charge. He always has been. That is a blessing!

Roger