Why Me, Lord?: A Study of the Book of Job

By Paul D. Grams Ph.D. D.D.

This book is an in-depth, verse by verse study of the book of Job. Each verse in the book of Job is quoted in full. The biblical quotations are from the King James Version unless stated otherwise. Occasionally other versions are used to in order to make a passage more clear. You will also find definitions and translations of the words used in the Bible. All definitions are from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. This simplifies your study so you will not have to flip back and forth between your Bible and a dictionary. For additional clarification there are quotations from Matthew Henry’s Commentary of the Whole Bible. This book can be useful for ministers, teachers and students that are interested in biblical studies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665572682

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© 2022 Paul D. Grams, Ph.D., D.D. All rights reserved.

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Published by AuthorHouse  10/14/2022

ISBN: 978-1-6655-7269-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-7268-2 (e)

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my family who supported me in all of my endeavors. As a firefighter, I missed many birthdays and holidays while I was on duty and everyone understood that our celebrations had to be on a different day. I also dedicate this book to all of the brokenhearted and the downtrodden who feel that there is no hope. We have a gracious God who cares for the widows and the orphans and He brings help to the helpless and hope for the hopeless.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1     A Man Named Job

Chapter 2     Satan Strikes Again

Chapter 3     Why Was I Born?

Chapter 4     With Friends Like This Who Needs Enemies

Chapter 5     Let The Defense Call Its First Witness

Chapter 6     Rebuttal To The Prosecution

Chapter 7     Another Fine Whine

Chapter 8     Bildad Testifies Against Job

Chapter 9     Job Takes The Witness Stand

Chapter 10   Job Appeals To God

Chapter 11   Zophar Enters The Fray

Chapter 12   Job’s Rebuttal To Zophar

Chapter 13   Job Rebukes His Friends

Chapter 14   Life Is Short

Chapter 15   Something Wicked This Way Comes (Ray Bradbury).

Chapter 16   Right Back At You Pal

Chapter 17   Mockers, Hypocrites And The Innocent

Chapter 18   Bildad Attacks

Chapter 19   Job’s Complaint

Chapter 20   Zophar Responds

Chapter 21   Job Refutes Zophar

Chapter 22   Eliphaz Attacks Job

Chapter 23   Job Desires To Plead His Case To God

Chapter 24   Job Expounds Upon The Wicked

Chapter 25   Bildad Replies

Chapter 26   Job’s Rebuttal To Bildad

Chapter 27   Job Continues His Dispute With Bildad

Chapter 28   Job Continues His Rebuttal

Chapter 29   Job Yearns For The Good Old Days

Chapter 30   You’re Ridin’ High In April, Shot Down In May (Frank Sinatra)

Chapter 31   Job Proclaims His Innocence

Chapter 32   Elihu Takes A Shot At Job And His Three friends

Chapter 33   Elihu Makes Himself The Arbiter Of Truth And Justice

Chapter 34   Elihu Continues To Accuse Job

Chapter 35   More Of The Same

Chapter 36   Elihu Pontificates

Chapter 37   Elihu Speaks Of The Greatness Of God

Chapter 38   God Intervenes

Chapter 39   God Continues To Question Job

Chapter 40   Job Humbles Himself

Chapter 41   Leviathan

Chapter 42   Job Submits To God

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

As it states on the biography page of this book I am a retired firefighter. In fact I spent most of my adult life as a firefighter. Over the years I have witnessed many horrible things happen to people of all walks of life. Race, religion, creed, or socio-economic status make no difference. The one common denominator is that tragedy comes to everyone at some point. A young mother is stricken with cancer and leaves behind little children and a grief-stricken husband. A father is killed in an auto accident and leaves behind a family that has no idea how they will make it without him. A teenager is struck down in a drive by shooting. A tiny toddler burns to death in a house fire. Grisly murders, rapes, robberies, beatings, and suicides of all imaginable manner are rampant not just in the big cities but even in the small towns, villages, and suburbs across the land. No one could argue the fact that these are everyday occurrences or that these terrible things happen to good, honest, hard-working people.

When something bad happens to someone it provokes a grief response. Of course the deeper the sense of loss a person feels the deeper will be the grieving process. If you lost your car keys obviously you will not have the same grief response that you would have if you lost a cherished pet. If you lost the vision in one eye it would most likely be much more devastating than losing the hearing in one ear. Bearing this in mind let us consider the familiar five stages of grief as set forth by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her book titled On Death and Dying which was published in 1969:

1. Denial---The first response most people have is to deny the fact that this is really happening. They say things like This can’t be happening to me. It isn’t possible. It just isn’t true.

2. Anger---Then people go through a period of anger and frustration. They point fingers and start to lay blame. They either blame God, other people, or even themselves. They say things like It’s all your fault. You did this to me. How dare you do this.

3. Bargaining---The next step in the process is trying to make a bargain. They will even try to reach an agreement with God. They cry out things such as God, if you help me I will go to church every week. Give me another chance, God, and I will give to the poor. God, if you do this (fill in the blank) then I’ll do that (fill in the blank).

4. Depression---The next thing that happens is that people become depressed. Again, as stated earlier, the depth of this depression, as well as the above three emotions, depends on the severity of the loss that they have suffered. If their 105 year old great grandfather dies peacefully in his sleep their depth of emotions will not be anything like it would be if their son was killed by a drunk driver. They get to where they feel that there is no use in going on anymore. They feel like giving up and it is at this point that some even commit suicide.

5. Acceptance---It is said that time heals all wounds. In most cases this is true. Again, the time that is required depends on the loss. Gradually the person who has suffered the loss will come to terms with it. Some are comforted by believing that their loved one has gone to a better place or that they are no longer suffering or in pain. Slowly but surely most people will finally begin to feel normal again.

This brings us to the subject and the title of this book---Why Me, Lord? If you have ever said I’m a Christian. I go to church every week. I give money to the church. I’m a good person. Why would God allow this to happen to me?, you are not alone. Countless people around the world, including myself, have uttered these same words. First of all let us make one thing perfectly clear: God does not cause these bad things to happen. In Jeremiah 29:11 we see that God has a plan for each and every one of us: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV) Sometimes God does, however, allow bad things to happen. Until we get to heaven and see Him face to face we may never know exactly why He allows something to happen to someone.

We do know that Satan was cast out of Heaven and that subsequently he was given dominion over the earth. The Bible refers to him as prince of this world (John 16:11) and god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).When Satan, a.k.a. the devil, tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he confirmed that he had complete power over the earth---Luke 4:5-7: And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

I will go on record and say that it is Satan who is the root cause of all suffering. The apostle Peter confirms this very fact---1 Peter 5:6-8: Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (NIV) Jesus tells us in John 10:9-11: I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. The Bible makes it quite clear that Satan’s objective is to bring about as much suffering and sorrow as possible while he is still able.

Let us now look at some examples from the Bible of bad things happening even to good people, including Christians. First of all we should consider Jesus, God’s very own son. He was falsely accused, arrested, put on trial in a kangaroo court, scourged by the Roman whip until nearly dead, had a crown of thorns smashed into his head, and was finally crucified and suffered an agonizingly painful death on the cross. Jesus. God’s one and only son. Yet God allowed all of this to happen because He had a plan. God allowed it to happen so that we could have our sins forgiven and receive eternal life.

You see, from the scriptures we know that even before creation God already had this plan in place---1 Corinthians 2:6-8: Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.; 2 Timothy 1:8-12: Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.; and Titus 1:1-3: Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.

John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, went about preaching the word of God. As the Bible says in Matthew 3:1-3: In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. What was the reward that John received for all of his efforts? King Herod had John bound and put in prison for standing up to him and telling him that it was wrong for him to have taken his (Herod’s) brother’s wife. Eventually Herod had John beheaded---Mathew 14:3-10: For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

The apostle Paul. The greatest evangelist in the history of Christianity. By ship and by foot he traveled the entire known world spreading the Gospel wherever he went. Was life easy for such a great servant of God? Let us look at what he went through for his faith. The apostle himself tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28: Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

If anyone should ask Why me, Lord? it should certainly have been Paul. But what did he have to say in regards to his own misfortunes? Let us look at 2 Corinthians 4:8-18: We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. We, having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. So directly from the horse’s mouth we hear Paul refer to all of his suffering as light affliction, which is but for a moment. Eventually Paul was beheaded in Rome during the persecution of Christians by the emperor Nero.

The apostle Peter, who three times cowardly denied even knowing Jesus, went on to be a great preacher of the Gospel. He spoke bravely and powerfully and eventually ended up in Rome. He is sometimes referred to as the first pope. In 1 Peter 1:3-7 he says this about this life: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (NIV) We see Peter proclaim that we may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. So what became of this great evangelist? He was executed by Nero at about the same time as the apostle Paul. Peter was crucified and it is said that he requested to be crucified upside down because he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same manner as Jesus. There are many more examples in the Bible of bad things happening to good people. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, Daniel in the lions’ den, and the persecution of the prophet Elijah by evil King Ahab are just a few that come to mind. From all of these Biblical accounts we can infer that nobody is immune from trials, suffering, and grief.

There is one more person in the Bible that we need to discuss when we speak of suffering. His very name is synonymous with unimaginable tragedy. There is a book in the Old Testament named after him. That person is Job. From this point on this book will be concerned with dissecting and studying the book of Job. All scripture quotations come from the King James Version of the Holy Bible unless otherwise stated. All definitions of Hebrew, Chaldean, Aramaic, or Greek words come from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.

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CHAPTER 1

A Man Named Job

It is evident from the wording in the Old Testament book of Job that it is not a parable. We know this because a parable contains a comparison between things, such as when Jesus compared heaven to a farmer planting crops: Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. (Matthew 13:24) The very first verse of the book of Job very clearly states that there was a man who lived in the land of Uz and that his name was Job. Therefore, we can be certain that the Biblical portrayal of Job is an actual, true, historical record of his life. There are many opinions as to the authorship of the book of Job. Some believe that the similarities of the wording, the sentiment, and the wisdom are very much like that of Psalms and Proverbs and that it may have been penned by either David or Solomon. Others contend that it was written by Moses or the prophet Isaiah or even by Job himself. Regardless of the author, the account of Job’s life is unlike any other that we know of and his name has become synonymous with tragedy, suffering, and grief beyond compare. It is not positively known just exactly where the land of Uz was located, and it is only mentioned three times in the entire Bible: Job 1:1, Jeremiah 25:20, and Lamentations 4:21. It is believed, however, that Uz was most likely in Arabia not far from Ur of the Chaldees, where the great patriarch Abraham came from, and adjacent to the Sabeans (As we shall see later both the Chaldeans and the Sabeans attacked Job so they must have been nearby). It was probably either east or southeast of Palestine, north of the southern Arabians, west of the Euphrates, and, lastly, next to the Edomites of Mount Seir.

The first part of chapter 1 consists of verses 1-5: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, everyone his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and 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. Thus did Job continually. Job himself is described in verse 1: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. In the original Hebrew text the name Job is rendered as ‘iyowh and it means "hated, an enemy or one that grieves or groans. (Emphasis added) Let us take a closer look at the description of Job in order to better understand what it really means. The Hebrew text uses the word tam which is interpreted as perfect. The definition of tam is: complete; usually (morally) pious; specifically gentle, dear:-- coupled together, perfect, plain, undefiled, or upright. (Emphasis added) There are very few people in the history of the world that could measure up to this standard. Yet that is not all. The Hebrew word yashar is translated as upright and it is defined as: straight, correct, right, on the level, pleasing, straightforward, just, fitting, proper, or righteous. (Emphasis added) How many of us could live up to that string of adjectives? Job was also a God fearing man. The Hebrew text uses the word yare’ which is interpreted as fearing and its definition is: to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten:--affright, be (make) afraid, dread (-ful), (put in) fear (-ful, -fully, -ing). (be had in) reverence (-end), terrible (act, -ness, thing). (Emphasis added) The use of the word fearing, of course, does not imply that he was scared or frightened by God. What fear suggests then in this context is that Job worshipped God diligently and lived his life according to the divine laws of God. He was a pious man who was sincere in his faith, and was honest in all of his dealings with both God and man. In this first verse in the book of Job we also find that he eschewed evil. The Hebrew word cuwr is interpreted as eschewed and it is defined as to turn aside from, to depart from, to be removed from, to be taken away from, to leave undone, to retract, to reject, or to abolish. (Emphasis added) In fact, Job did everything possible to avoid even the appearance of evil. Now this is not meant to imply that Job never committed a sin throughout his entire life. He was as good a mortal man as ever lived but even he, like each and every one of us, was not without sin. The Bible clearly states: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) I must point that out lest anyone should think that righteousness alone is sufficient or that one can get to heaven through good works. In verse 2, we also see that Job had a large family: And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. You could say that Job was somewhat of an anomaly. Besides his unrivaled righteousness, Job was also a very wealthy man. Jesus himself commented that it was difficult, though not impossible, for the rich to make it into heaven: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:23-26) There was a time, and certainly this was true of the time when Job lived, when a man’s wealth was measured by the amount of flocks and herds that he possessed. A person could have mountains of gold, silver, and jewels, but the real measure of wealth was in the amount of livestock that he owned. In verse 3, we see an accounting of all of Job’s possessions: His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. To be considered the greatest of the men of the east is really saying something about just how wealthy Job truly was. The prophet Isaiah gave a description of the wealth of men like these: Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots. (Isaiah 2:7) So far we have seen that Job was incomparably righteous and that he had wealth almost beyond measure. The Bible tells us that the seven sons each took turns putting on a feast in their homes and that they always invited their three sisters to participate: In verse 4, we find 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. The word drink in this verse is important to understand as we shall see in the next verse. The Hebrew word shathah is translated here as drink and it is defined as to imbibe (literally or figuratively):-- banquet, drink (-er, -ing), drunk (-ard)." (Emphasis added) In other words they were not drinking water during these feasts, but, instead, they were certainly drinking wine. We can deduce certain things from the fact that these celebrations took place in their homes and that all ten siblings attended these feasts. First of all we can probably assume that all seven of Job’s sons were married and that each had their own home. We can also assume that all ten siblings were on good terms with each other. Finally we can also assume that these feasts were not filled with raucous revelry otherwise they would not have held them in their own homes nor would they have acted in such a manner with their sisters present. We do not know, however, how frequent these celebrations were held. Most likely they were for special occasions only and not a daily or weekly occurrence or there would be no time left for anything else. According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, birthday celebrations were common in the days of Job so we can again most likely assume that these events took place on the birthdays of each family member. Job himself, for whatever reason, did not attend these celebrations, but when the feast was concluded Job offered burnt offerings for all of his children. In verse 5, we see: And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and 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. Thus did Job continually. Being the patriarch of this large family, Job would have served as their priest and he almost certainly would have had his own altar on which to offer his sacrifices. When a period of feasting was complete, Job wasted no time in sending for his children in order to sanctify them just in case they may have committed a sin. Job thought that perhaps one of them may have had too much wine and may have sinned as a result. The Hebrew word qadash is translated here as sanctify and its definition is "to be holy, to be separate, to be set apart, to be consecrated, or to be hallowed." (Emphasis added)

The next part of chapter 1 consists of verses 6-12: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. Now that we have a pretty good understanding of Job’s background---his righteousness, his wealth, and his family---it is time to take a look at what happened to this great man of God. It all begins in verse 6: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. First let us look at the phrase sons of God. Just who or what were they? According to the Geneva Study Bible, they were angels. They are called sons of God because they execute God’s will wherever and whenever He desires. Easton’s Bible Dictionary also states that they were angels. So when all of the angels presented themselves to God, Satan, whose very name means accuser or adversary, appeared with them. The Geneva Study Bible declares that although Satan is an adversary to God, he is compelled to obey Him, and do Him all homage, without whose permission and appointment he can do nothing. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary states that the Lord permitted Satan to try Job’s faith in God. This confirms my previous assertion that Satan is the cause of all the suffering in the world, and that he can only do what God allows him to do, as we shall see later. In verse 7, we see God and Satan began a conversation wherein God asked Satan where he had come from: And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. Of course God already knew where he came from but He wanted Satan to provide his own answer to the question. Satan, the great deceiver, gave a characteristically deceptive answer. He told God that he had simply been minding his own business just roaming back and forth across the earth to see what was going on and so he implied that he had not been up to any misdeeds whatsoever. It was at this point that God asked Satan if he had noticed Job and what a great and righteous man he was, unlike anyone else on earth: In verse 8, we find: And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Immediately Satan’s devious mind began to churn. In verses 9-10, Satan spoke to God: Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. The Hebrew text uses the word chinnam which is translated in verse 9 as nought. The definition of chinnam is: "gratis, i.e. devoid of cost, reason or advantage:--without a cause (cost, wages), causeless, to cost nothing, free (-ly), innocent, for nothing (nought), in vain. (Emphasis added) The Hebrew word suwk is translated in verse 10 as hedge and it is defined as: to entwine, i.e. shut in (for formation, protection or restraint):--fence, (make an) hedge (up). (Emphasis added) Satan made the implication that the only reason that Job feared God was because of this hedge which made his substance increase. The Hebrew word miqneh is interpreted as substance and it is defined as something bought, i.e. property, but only live stock; abstractly acquisition:--cattle, flock, herd, possession, purchase, substance. (Emphasis added) The Hebrew word parats is translated here as increase and its definition is: to break out (in many applications, direct and indirect, literally and figuratively):-- (make a) breach, break (away, down, -er, forth, in, up), burst out come (spread) abroad, compel, disperse, grow, increase, open, press, scatter, urge. (Emphasis added) So Job was so wealthy, thanks to God’s hedge of protection, that his barns were ready to burst open from the vast stores within them. In verse 11, Satan declared: But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. The Hebrew word naga,’ which is interpreted in this verse as touch, has a much deeper meaning than we ordinarily attribute to it. The definition of naga’ is: properly to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication to reach (figuratively to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.):--beat, (be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch. (Emphasis added) Perhaps a better translation of naga’ would be destroy. The Hebrew word barak which is translated here as curse, seems to me to be somewhat of an odd choice. It is defined as: to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):-- blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, kneel (down), praise, salute, thank. (Emphasis added) The word barak is found 330 times in the Hebrew text and for 302 of those times it is interpreted as bless." Let us turn to Matthew Henry’s Commentary for additional insight: The proof Satan undertakes to give of the hypocrisy and mercenariness of Job’s religion, if he might but have leave to strip him of his wealth. ‘Let it be put to this issue,’ says he (v. 11); ‘make him poor, frown upon him, turn thy hand against him, and then see where his religion will be; touch what he has and it will appear what he is. If he curse thee not to thy face, let me never be believed, but posted for a liar and false accuser. Let me perish if he curse thee not;’ so some supply the imprecation, which the devil himself modestly concealed, but the profane swearers of our age impudently and daringly speak out. Observe, 1. How slightly he speaks of the affliction he desired that Job might be tried with: ‘Do but touch all that he has, do but begin with him, do but threaten to make him poor; a little cross will change his tone.’ 2. How spitefully he speaks of the impression it would make upon Job: ‘He will not only let fall his devotion, but turn it into an open defiance—not only think hardly of thee, but even curse thee to thy face.’ The word translated curse is barac the same that ordinarily, and originally, signifies to bless; but cursing God is so impious a thing that the holy language would not admit the name: but that where the sense requires it it must be so understood is plain from 1 Kings 21:10–13, where the word is used concerning the crime charged on Naboth, that he did blaspheme God and the king. Now, (1.) It is likely that Satan did think that Job, if impoverished, would renounce his religion and so disprove his profession, and if so (as a learned gentleman has observed in his Mount of Spirits) Satan would have made out his own universal empire among the children of men. God declared Job the best man then living: now, if Satan can prove him a hypocrite, it will follow that God had not one faithful servant among men and that there was no such thing as true and sincere piety in the world, but religion was all a sham, and Satan was king de facto—in fact, over all mankind. But it appeared that the Lord knows those that are his and is not deceived in any. (2.) However, if Job should retain his religion, Satan would have the satisfaction to see him sorely afflicted. He hates good men, and delights in their griefs, as God has pleasure in their prosperity. In verse 12, God agreed to allow Satan to put Job’s faith to the ultimate test: And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. Let us consider for a moment just one Hebrew word from this verse. The word is raq and it is translated as only. It is defined as: "properly leanness, i.e. (figuratively) limitation; only adverbially merely, or conjunctionally although:--but, even, except, howbeit howsoever, at the least, nevertheless, nothing but, notwithstanding, only, save, so [that], surely, yet (so), in any wise. (Emphasis added) This is just one tiny little word, insignificant by itself, but contextually it bears great importance. Just as God puts a limitation on the seas: And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?" (Job 38:11) so too He places a limitation upon Satan. The Nelson Study Bible makes this comment about verse 12: That Satan must receive permission from the LORD to lay a hand on Job indicates that God limit’s Satan’s power. Believers can find strength and assurance from the fact that Satan’s actions are limited by God’s sovereign control. After the prologue, Satan is never mentioned directly again in the Book of Job; he is only a minor character compared to the LORD of the universe.

The next part of chapter 1 consists of verses 13-19 in which we are told: And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Suddenly, on a single calamitous day, Job found his entire world turned upside down. Filled with grief Job tore his robe, as was the custom, and fell prostrate before God. Such unimaginable tragedy and grief is almost beyond human comprehension. How could anybody cope with such devastation? What would you do? In the next section we will see what Job did.

The last portion of chapter1consists of verses 20-22: Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. What an example Job sets for us in this passage. Even in the depths of his despair, Job neither sinned nor made foolish accusations against God. The Jameison-Faussett-Brown Bible Commentary adds this comment: We are to submit to trials, not because we see the reasons for them, nor yet as though they were matters of chance, but because God wills them, and has a right to send them, and has His own good reasons in sending them. The Bible tells us: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8) I firmly believe that the same is true of Satan. Just as he took great pleasure in the tremendous suffering of Job, even today he revels in every opportunity to bring about suffering to each of us. We must always be on guard against Satan’s cunning ways. We find in Scripture: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:12-16)

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CHAPTER 2

Satan Strikes Again

Satan, the devil, the false accuser, the adversary, the old serpent, has given it his best shot. He has done everything possible to destroy Job and make him curse God. He has taken away all that Job possessed. His livestock, his wealth, his children. In an instant all was taken away. Satan was confident that Job would give in and turn his back on God. But he seriously underestimated the nature and the character of Job. Instead of cursing God, Job fell face down before God and praised His name. Satan, though, was not about to give up just yet. His brilliant yet diabolical mind was set in motion once again. He carefully crafted a secondary plan to bring down God’s beloved servant.

In chapter 2, we once again see that all of the angels presented themselves before God. And once again Satan appeared along with all of the other angels: In verse 1, we find: Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. Just like in the first appearance, God asked Satan where he had been and Satan gave the same deceptive answer. In verse 2 we find: And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. God knew very well what Satan had been up to. He knew that Satan had done his best and yet Job maintained his faith throughout his terrible ordeal. In verse 3, we see: And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. Satan was quick to answer for he desperately wanted a second chance to bring Job to the breaking point even though his first attempt was a complete failure. He told God that a man will do anything to save his own life. In verse 4, Satan declared: And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. Satan believed that his new plan would bring about his desired results so he asked God for permission to attack Job physically. In verses 5-6, we see: But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. We can see in these two verses that God allowed Satan to attack Job again, but that He placed a restriction as to how far this attack would be allowed to go. According to the Geneva Study Bible, Satan can go no further in punishing than God has limited him. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, concerning Job 2:5-6 states: The Lord allowed Satan to afflict Job with painful boils. Satan was permitted to do anything that he wanted to do to Job except kill him. Satan immediately left the presence of God and he wasted no time in putting his devious plan into effect.

The next section of chapter 2 consists of verses 7-10: So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. In verse 7, Satan attacked Job: So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. It is not definitively known what these boils were. The original Hebrew text uses the word shechiyn which is translated as boils and it is defined as "an inflamed spot, a burn, an inflammation, an eruption, a boil, or leprosy. (Emphasis added) Whatever they were, we can be certain that Satan made them as excruciatingly painful as possible in order to elicit the desired response from Job--- that is to get him to curse God. In verse 8 we see that Job went to sit on the ash heap: And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes." Job used a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores in some sort of attempt to alleviate his agony. Now for the first time we see mention of Job’s wife. Why, you might ask, wasn’t she killed when all of the other members of his family were killed? The answer can be found in Matthew Henry’s Commentary: If Satan leaves any thing that he has permission to take away, it is with a design of mischief. It is his policy to send his temptations by the hand of those that are dear to us, as he tempted Adam by Eve and Christ by Peter. Does Job’s wife try to comfort him in any manner? Does she bring him words of encouragement? Does she try to dress his sores and ease his pain? Absolutely not! Her amazing response is found in Job 2:9: Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. She tried to convince Job that he would be better off if he were to blaspheme God and, by doing so, have God strike him dead. She tempted him to commit suicide. We can be certain that such poor advice, regardless of how great or how wise the advisor, is actually nonsense straight from the devil himself. In verse 10, we see that Job instantly rejected his wife’s suggestion and he rebuked her for saying it: But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. Obviously, Job understood the fact that both good and bad can happen at any time to anyone. He had many years of peace, prosperity and joy before Satan employed his evil designs against him.

The apostle Paul, during his two years imprisonment in Rome, wrote a letter to the church at Philippi in which he warned of the suffering and the loss which may lie ahead: According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me. (Philippians 1:20-30) Paul went on to say that whatever he loses for the cause of Christ is worthless anyway: "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all