Job 1 - 2

God Must Grant Permission

Note: Today's portion begins the 5th section of our reading, the section of poetic books.  Job is one of my favorite books in the Bible. The narrative, the dialog, and the symmetrical activities of the Heavenly court and the earthly habitation are expressed in some of the most beautiful prose in Scripture and in all of literature.  Often referred to as a parable on suffering, to me Job is much more than that.  It is a testament of the faith of a man in extreme circumstance and an affirmation of God for a righteous man. 


Chapters 1 and 2 provide the prologue to this great story of Job.  A wealthy man, with many responsibilities and worldly concerns, Job is presented as "blameless - a man of complete integrity." (1:1), a claim confirmed by no less than God Himself (see 1:8 and 2:3). Job's concern for righteous and honor to God is expressed in 1:5 where his "regular practice" was to offer purification sacrifices and burnt offerings for his children. In spite of the time constraints imposed by his wealth and stature, Job (and this is a paradigm all of us should inculcate) always made time for God and worship.

Job's righteousness did not go unnoticed by Satan either.  While Job was performing his duties on Earth, there was a great counsel going on in Heaven, a meeting in which Satan attempted to mock Job.  What is key to understanding this story is expressed in 1:12 (and later 2:6) is that even though Satan mightily desired to destroy Job, he could not nothing, not a thing!, until first God granted him permission and set the strict boundaries under which Satan could afflict and tempt Job. This is critical for Christians to understand! Satan is totally and completely helpless and can do nothing to a Christian without first getting permission from the Lord.

Satan predicts that Job will curse God, but as we shall see, Job's testimony of God's goodness and Job's integrity as a righteous man remains intact throughout his entire ordeal.  Even Job's wife could not persuade him to curse God (2:9).  More importantly, we will also discover that the Lord's testimony of Job remains unchanged throughout this drama!

After Satan is permitted to attack Job the first time, four messengers come to Job with increasingly bad news. First his farmlands and farm animals are destroyed or stolen by Sabean raiders .  Next his sacrificial animals and shepherds are destroyed by "heavenly fire." Thirdly, his modes of transportation (camels) and trade are stolen and servants killed by Chaldean thieves.  Finally, his children are killed by a fierce wind.  All of this takes place is a short time showing that one's circumstances can go from extremely well to pathetically depleted in a moment's time.  Job had it all, then he had nothing, yet 1:22 states, "In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God."

Satan is never satisfied.  His predictions concerning Job's reaction to loss were totally repudiated.  He makes his case before the heavenly host one more time, and God grants Satan permission to afflict Job physically but is not permitted to take his life.  Once again  we see that the Lord is in control allowing His believers to be tested only to the limits the Lord defines.  Satan can do nothing without God's permission and thus he proceeds to afflict Job with boils drives Job to the ash heap.

As the second chapter of Job comes to a close, Job enters the second phase of his life.  His first phase was "before the ash heap," 1:1 to 2:7.  His second phase is "on the ash heap," 2:8 to 42:9 and his final phase is "after the ash heap," 42:10 to the end of the book.  It is obvious that "on the ash heap" is the majority of Job's existence and the area which is the most revelatory of his life.  The same is true for us as Christians  - it is during our "ash heap" experiences, i.e. the trials and tribulations with which Satan is permitted to try us, that we define and shape our Christian experience.

At the very end of chapter 2, three friends of Job come on the scene. At the point of their arrival (and this was most likely months or possibly a year after Job's trial began) they are shocked at his appearance! Verse 12 states, "They scarcely recognized him." and they began to wail and enter into his suffering throwing dust and ashes upon themselves and sitting in the dirt with Job.  So shocked were they, that none of them spoke for seven days.

As a postscript to the post, I find it interesting that four messengers came to Job. I think these are somewhat in parallel to the four horse riders of the first four seals in Revelations 6. The first messenger brought news of Jobs loss of sustenance and the first horse rider (the white horse) brought a message of deception to deny the ability of the nascent Christian church to receive spiritual food and correct doctrine.

The second messenger brought news that Job's sacrificial animals were stolen.  The second horse rider (the red horse) brought war and slaughter to the Christian church, in affect substituting the sacrifice of believers for the true sacrifice of Christ.

The third messenger brought news of the loss of camels, i.e. Job's economic capabilities (camels are not farm animals or sacrificial animals, they were used to transport goods).  The third horse rider (the black horse) had a balance and controlled the economics of the times.

The fourth messenger brought news of death of Job's children.  The fourth horse rider (the pale horse) was named Death and brought spiritual death upon the church.

I am not saying that this is a perfect type, but is just my opinion and observation.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.