Considering God's servant Job

"The Book of Job stands out in all of antiquity because of its unique views on justice. The pagans believed that the gods were fickle and the operations of the cosmos were reduced to a simplistic retribution principle: suffering was an indication that one had offended the gods in some way.

"Piety for polytheists centered on keeping the needy gods happy, mainly through ritualistic performance, something referred to by scholars as the Great Symbiosis. It was in one’s best interest to serve the gods, for prosperity would result. This is what the Challenger implies in the prologue of Job when he asks, 'Does Job fear God for no reason?' In essence, he is asking if righteousness is its own reward, a question virtually unheard of in the ancient world."--article online.

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II John says the issue of being able to discern the seducing policy of the Adversary has to be carefully practiced in the home. III John says it has to be practiced in the ministry in the local church. And the two things that he adds on to I John as appendixes—

II and III—don’t tell them how to do it; it tells them where to do it.

People like to quote II John in regard to ecclesiastical separation, but it’s about separation in a home—in a house, among a family. That’s what was happening in Job’s house, says Richard Jordan.

When Job’s seven sons and three daughters died, he knew he didn’t really lose them because he believed in resurrection.

In Job 19, he says, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."

Job’s supposed friend Bildad actually accuses Job of being at fault for the death of his children.

He reasons in Job 8: [3] Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

[4] If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;

Oh, it’s a cruel shock—a terrible thing. Bildad says to him about his kids being dead, "If they had been living for the Lord, they wouldn’t be dead now."

Man, wouldn’t that be a cruel thing to say when you just lost 10 kids?! You know, "God’s just and if your kids hadn’t been living in sin, they’d still be with us." Ouch.

Can you understand why Job wouldn’t consider these people a great comfort? They were "miserable comforters," as he called them. "Forgers of lies," he calls them. That’s why it’s so remarkable he later has this change of heart about them.

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Job didn’t suffer because of anything he did; he suffered because of something God was doing—he suffered according to the will of God.

God has allowed Job to be in satanic captivity because of something bigger than what’s going on with Job. It had nothing to do with anything Job was doing wrong. In fact, if you look at chapter 1, when Satan comes on the scene here, it says:

[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 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.
[3] 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.
[4] And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
[5] But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
[6] And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

When you go to and fro in something, and you walk up and down in it in the Bible, that’s a gesture, a posture of ownership. God told Abraham in Genesis 13 to, "Go over into that land and walk up and down in it because it’s yours." It’s an exercise that speaks of possession; ownership.

When you have free access to something it’s because you’re at home; you possess it; you own it, and that’s what Satan’s doing. "As a roaring lion he walks to and fro on the earth, seeking whom he may desire."

He’s going around in the earth looking for anybody arguing with him on the earth, and if they are, he’s going to eat ’em up, chew ’em up and take them captive and spit them out.

Satan says to God, "Hey, I’m down there possessing the earth! It’s mine!" You see, the issue between God and Satan immediately is the possession of the Planet Earth. And in the context of that contest between God and Satan—in connection with his contention with God over the earth—the Lord said unto Satan, "Whence comest thou." Then the Lord said unto Satan, "Hast thou considered my servant Job?"

Notice Satan didn’t answer saying, "If you knew Job like I know Job, you’d know he was a dirty rotten rascal." You read down through there and you’ll never find Satan say anything bad about Job.

Job’s a good guy, and the issue isn’t going to be Job’s conduct in the sense of "he’s doing something wrong; we’re going to get even with him."

The reason Job’s going to suffer is there’s this conflict between God and the Adversary in the angelic realm, and involved in that conflict . . .  in order for God to bring Satan, the proud one, low, as Job 40 says He’s going to do, Job’s suffering has to do with the fact God’s doing something in the earth.