Job Chapter 2

One of the most mesmerizing, puzzling, and unpopular passages in the Bible is, no doubt, the story of Job. Job was a moral, wealthy, and godly man. As the story unfolds, his life was a bad movie script….

Job2: 1 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 3 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."

The story is almost a repeat of what happened in Chapter #1. God holds a counsel and Satan is there. God asks Satan if he has considered his servant Job. Satan at this time has considered Job. In chapter one Satan has taken away Job’s possessions – “Stuff” – but this also included his children. I have heard the statement – “no parent should die before their children” – but it still happens. Wars, disease, accidents, suicide, are all facts of life and in them all people die regardless of their age. We live in a world where there is pain and suffering – and we ask the big question – Why? What we find later on in the book of Job is that God tells us that He is God – and in some ways that may be all we need to know. God knows the big picture and we must have faith that: We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (HCSB)

God gives the same testimony of Job that He did in the first chapter.

1. He was blameless.

2. He was upright.

3. He feared God.

4. He shunned evil.

Job did not serve God because God had put a hedge around him at all times, sheltered him from harm, or kept watch over him, his household and his business, property, and livestock. Job had feared and served and loved God unselfishly and unflinchingly, not for fame or reward, but for better and for worse.

Satan was wrong. Job was steadfast, stable, and single-minded.It is easy to cry for Job, sympathize and identify with him, because you may have gone through unspeakable pain or know of someone who has gone through or is going through extreme suffering.

The first thing Job did when life seemed unfair was to stay true to his character. Job is a profile of courage in the face of adversity, because Job did not give up on his character, give in to his pain, and give way to Satan.

The Chinese have a saying: “True gold is not afraid of fire.”

Do you know why gold is so expensive? I did a little research on gold and discovered some interesting facts on gold. Gold is a hedge against inflation, a popular form of savings, and a reliable asset during times of economic uncertainty or political upheaval. Gold has a fairly high melting point of 1945 degrees Fahrenheit. It is valuable because it is almost indestructible and has been used and then reused for centuries to the extent that all gold that is in existence today is almost equal to all the gold that has ever been mined. Gold is also a great medium metal for jewelry, as it never rusts or tarnishes. Gold appreciates in value when more of it is present in the material. For example 10K gold is the least expensive, and there is more gold and value in every additional 2K gold, up to 24K gold, which is 100 percent gold. http://www.beejeweled.com/metals.htm

Job was as good as 24K solid gold. He did not bend in his character, deviate from his character or part with his character. In a sense, Job was as headstrong and as thick-skinned as an ox. He was stubborn, uncompromising, and indomitable. He was did not move, budge or retreat from his position, or stand. That was what drove Job’s wife nuts in chapter 2 verse 9. The same word for Job’s determination to “maintain” his integrity is translated as “holding on” (2:9). His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to( or maintain) your integrity?” When his three friends accused him of harboring known and deliberate sins in his life, Job had the same fighting words for them: “I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will “MAINTAIN” my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live. (Job 27:5-6) God used an unusual word “integrity,” or the Hebrew word for “innocence,” to describe Job’s character (2:3). This word is found only in Job and Proverbs – four times in Job and once in Proverbs (11:3). Job upheld, pleaded and maintained his innocence to the intimidating end: “Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.” (Job 31:6) The root word for “integrity” is derived from the Hebrew word “blameless” in the same verse (2:3). No matter what others said, Job claimed innocence – he had a strong grip on his own innocence.