Job and Satan - What does the Record show?
|
|
|
|
|
The Book of Job is often used to “prove” that a supernatural being known as Satan or the Devil is responsible for all the evil in the world, showing as it does that this “satan” afflicted Job with various calamities, but what does the account truly show us? Job lived in the “Land of Uz”. It may be the name of the country, as translated, it means “fertile land.”, or it may be the name of the ruler of the land, possibly Uz, the son of Aram, and grandson of Shem (Gen. 10:23; 1 Chr. 1:17). The Sons of God
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. Some Bibles translate “sons of God” as angels, however this is incorrect and the King James (above) and the NKJ stay true to the original Hebrew in this passage. The following verses show us the true (“literal”) meaning of Sons of God.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. So the Sons of God are True Believers. We believe from the style of writing and the names used, that the account of Job is one of the oldest in the Bible. If Uz ruled the land Job lived in, it would mean Job lived before Abraham. Back in that time, God still spoke regularly to his people, such as Noah and Abraham. So the Sons of God appeared before God on a given day. We do the same in this day and age, when we meet in the presence of God to worship Him and remember His Son, Jesus. Now someone known as satan, meaning “the adversary”, was among these Sons of God.
Who was this Satan?Who was this “satan”? What was his nature? The account does not say, so we will leave that question for later.Job was a righteous man, who acted as family priest (another sign of the antiquity of the account). He offered sacrifices on befalf of his sons and daughters who, it seems, did nothing but party. (Job 1:4&5) There was a debate between God and “satan” about Job. The crux of the issue was whether Job was truly faithful to God out of love or just because of the many blessings God had given him. To resolve the issue, God gave permission for “satan” to do various things to him, although he was limited in that he could not take Job’s life. “So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.”(1:12) (again no mention of heaven - the only place we know “satan” has been is “going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” (1:7) Again, whether “satan” had any special powers to do these things, or whether God gave him the powers, it does not say.
Job is TestedSo under the constraints of God, “satan” took away Job’s family, flocks and even his health. Job was devastated, as anyone would be. He could not understand why these afflictions had come upon him. Who would he blame for these calamities? Satan? No!
Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, Job 1:21 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. So Job recognised that as an Almighty God, nothing could happen unless God did it. This is confirmed by these scriptures:
Isaiah 45:5-7 I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else, [there is] no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that [there is] none beside me. I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].
No Other GodIn fact, in Isaiah 45, it says no less than six times that there is no-one else except God - “there is no God else beside me;”. The Hebrew for “god” is “el”, meaning literally “strength or source of power”. God is saying six times in one chapter that there is no other source of power - anywhere.Look back to verse seven and be amazed - God creates Darkness, God creates Evil, the Bible says so. There is only one God, Creator of all things, good and bad. This is confirmed in Amos 3:6 -
Amos 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done [it]? This shows clearly the source of all things, good and bad - God. Job knew this “the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Had “satan” deluded such a righteous man as Job into not believing in him? Was it only Job who thought God was responsible? What did Job’s wife think?
Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. and what did Job reply?
Job 2:10 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? A second time Job acknowledges that the evil he had encountered had come from God.
Evil from God?!?!?!?!?Let us just take a moment out to put this into context. Heaven forbid that we should consider God evil. This is obviously far from the truth. However, God has often used evil men to achieve his aims; men such as Nebuchadnezzar, Pilate and Herod. The aim of putting Job through these tribulations was to show the dissenter(s) that Job worshipped God for pure reasons, not selfish ones.”and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.” Satan moved God against Job. Yes, “satan”, the adversary, through his denial of Job’s pure unselfish worship, moved God against Job. The adversary was merely the instrument of God’s Will!There are other characters in the story of Job. In order to be thorough, we must examine their understanding of the source of Job’s woes.
Job 11:1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
Job 12:1 And Job answered and said, So Zophar agrees that Job’s suffering was the work of God. Here, if there was still any doubt at all, are a further four instances where Job acknowledges God as the source of his trials
Job 5:17 Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: Towards the end of the book, what do we read?
Job 42:11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
ConclusionFrom first to last, it is patently clear that in the account of Job, God is responsible for all things, good and bad and that Job’s trials were from God, not “satan”. The true identity of the adversary is not given, yet we see that his unbelief in the purity of Job’s faith was the reason God took the steps he did. It is also clear that this “satan” became the tool through which God afflicted Job.Supporters of Satan must look elsewhere for proof of his existence! |