Jewels From Job
Job – Chapter #2
1 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. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." 3 Then 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, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause." Job 2:1-3 (NKJV)
JOB’S SECOND DAY OF DISASTER
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. Job has lost all of his material things – remember they are only “things” – except for the children. They were people – his own offspring – to lose them had to be the greatest hurt of all. I have heard the statement – it’s even found in movies – “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? That is the question of the book of Job and to honest I’m not sure the book of Job gives a complete answer. 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.
4 So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 6 And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life." 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job 2:4-7 (NKJV)
JOB’S PAIN BECOMES MORE PERSONAL
Now the suffering takes on another form. Not only has Job lost his possessions and children he is about to lose his health. 4 “Skin for skin!” Satan answered the Lord. “A man will give up everything he owns in exchange for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face.” Job 2:4-5 (HCSB) Satan proclaims that when someone loses his health he will “curse God.” This surely happens sometimes – but not always.
People will travel the world over for a cure from their disease. They will spend a fortune on their health and Satan knows that.
When we are in pain we become very self-centered. Who of us when we have hit our thumbs with a hammer are more concerned with our neighbor’s wellbeing then we are with our own?
God again grants limited power to Satan. This fact displays the sovereignty of God. Satan is again given limited power and Job is afflicted from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. But he will not loose his life. Job is now struck from head to foot with boils.
8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. ." Job 2:8-10 (NKJV)
THE FOOLISHNESS OF JOB’S WIFE
At this point his wife gives him some advice. His wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job 2:9 (HCSB) I believe this is the only time we hear her speak. She is not the greatest counsel to him. Remember he is a man who is – of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil. Job 2:3 (HCSB) What this tells us is that we must discern the wisdom and counsel that comes to us. Just because people are close to us does not mean that they will always give us the best advice. We all need wise counsel – Job is no exception – but through out the book of Job there is only one who gives him wise counsel and that is God alone. Job does give his wife wise counsel though when he says to her: “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Job 2:10 (HCSB)
We can learn lessons from foolishness –
One speaks foolish when:
1. He rejects the existence of God.
2. He is willing to give away the eternal for the temporal.
3. He thinks there is no life beyond this one.
Here are three lessons of wisdom:
One speaks wise when;
1. He acknowledges the Lordship of God.
2. He knows the future is in God’s hands.
3. He lives for God’s kingdom rather then his own.
Note that there are a couple times in the first two chapters that Job is commended for what he says. Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything. Job 1:22 (HCSB) Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:10 (HCSB) The book of James goes in depth of speaking about the importance of taming the tongue.
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place--Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. 12 And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. 13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great. Job 2:1-13 (NKJV)
JOB’S FRIENDS – AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW
Three friends of Job give us an example to follow – not when they open their mouths – but before that. They —heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and offer sympathy and comfort to him. Job 2:11 (HCSB)
There actions were five fold –
1. They came to him.
2. They wept with him.
3. They tore their robes.
4. They threw dust in the air and on themselves.
5. They sat in silence with Job for a week.
So far so good.
“Oh Lord, when I see the suffering of others – may it move me to action.”
