Learn from Job to Worship God in Your Suffering (Part 1)
THE EXPLANATION OF THE CALAMITY
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
The sons of God, of course, is a description of a phrase that refers to the angels. These messengers that God has created, these spirit beings who exist with him, and the Lord employes and gives these spirit beings to rule the whole universe in particular to rule the earth, the world with him and God meets with his angels periodically his messengers from time to time and here on this occasion, Satan came along with the angels.
Now scripture seems to clearly state that Satan was allowed in God's presence before Jesus' work on the cross. After the cross, Satan was cast out of heaven and was cast to the earth and confined to the earth. And we read this in several passages in the New Testament, for example in Luke 10, in Revelation 12 and John 12.
Now don't think it is so strange that God would use Satan to rule the world. Because God's word clearly teaches us that Satan is under God's control and that God uses Satan to govern in the same way that he uses all of his beings to govern. That how God does. God didn't create human beings to live in the world or in his presence as machines. He created personal beings. And God can use those personal beings to carry out his government and his plans.
And the Lord asked Satan a question in Job 1:7
And so it is interesting when God asks a question of any bod, isn't it? Of course, he knows the answer before he asks. God is not gathering information. God is not ignorant at all about where Satan has been. He is having a dialogue with Satan. And so God asks Satan, "Where have you been?" And what is Satan's reply?
Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it."
And so Satan is basically saying that I have been on a little recognizance trip. I have been on planet earth. I have been checking out what is going on there. I have been scouting things out. And I am gonna read a little bit between the lines now but I hope it will make sense as the story unfolds. It is as if Satan is saying to God, "I have been walking on the earth, and I have been seeing the very same things that you see. What does Genesis 6:5 say? It says that 'The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.'"
Satan is basically responding, "I have seen what you see. The earth is full of wickedness, the earth if full of rebellion against you. I don't need to tell you what I think of your creation. It looks to me like it all belongs to me! And none of it to you."
It looks like that's what Satan is saying as will see the story unfold here. And the Lord now does a very strange thing. Look at Job 1:8.
8 And 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, who fears God and turns away from evil?"
It is as if God is saying, "Okay, you have been on your little trip and you have seen all the chaos, you have seen all the rebellion against me. But how about Job? Have you looked at him?
John Pipper uses this analogy and I give him credit and I think it is a great way to think of this.
"This is like the owner of a jewelry store", Piper says. Now you have all been to a Jewelry store on one occasion. They have them in the malls and they have them at other places in town. But a jewelry store, of course, sells very expensive gems. And jewelry and necklaces and rings and such, earings. Very expensive. Made out of gold, made out of silver, made out of precious gems, made out of diamond. Very expensive. And a jewelry store, of course, is set up to allow you to see the jewels. So when you walk into the jewelry store, of course, there is a display cabinet. It has got glass on the top so that you can look in. You are not supposed to touch them anyhow, that's why the glass is there to keep your hands away. But that allows you to see what is there and to say, "Waooh, that is a beautiful one. How much is it?"
So Pippers little analogy is this way: "This is like the owner of a jewelry store, meeting a jewelry thief at his store at 2 o'clock in the morning; and asking, "What are you doing?" Any anyone who owns a jewelry store when he meets a jewelry thief at his store at 2 AM in the morning knows exactly what the jewelry thief is doing at 2 AM in his jewelry store. He is there to commit a robbery. He is there to commit thievery. He is there to check out what is the thing he wants to steal.
And the jewelry store owner says to the thief, "Have you considered my prized, precious diamond that is in the center cabinet at the front of the store? Have you looked at that one?" And what is the jewelry store owner doing? He is doing the very same thing that God is doing. God is setting up his servant Job for a test.
The whole Christian life is a life of testing, isn't it? You who have lived for some years and have been following the Lord know exactly that is true. Now the Bible is very clear that God never tempts anyone to sin. He never entices anyone to sin, but God does test. And he tests to reveal to you and me what is in our hearts. And the tests to strengthen the faith and the grace that he has placed there. And so we shouldn't be surprised that there is a test coming. This is the Christian life. It is a life of testing!
And of course we have the great promise that there is no test or trial that comes to you that does not come to man and God is faithful for he is not going to let Job be tempted and tried beyond his strength. Tried in that sense by pressure.
