Job 1 – Job’s Character & Wealth, Satan Allowed to Test Job, Satan Take’s Job’s Property & Kids

Job 1 – Job’s Character & Wealth, Satan Allowed to Test Job, Satan Take’s Job’s Property & Kids

Job was blameless and upright, feared God, turned away from evil. He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 oxen, 500 female donkeys, man-servants. He was the greatest man of all the east. Job rose early in the morning offering burnt offerings for his kids and asked God to forgive them for their sin. He did this continually. When the sons of God came to present themselves Satan came from walking all over the earth. The Lord asked if he had considered Job. Satan  said that Job only loves God because of his possessions and safety. The Lord told Satan that all Job had is in Satan’s hand, only don’t touch Job himself. A messenger came to Job and said the Sabeans killed his servants, another messenger said fire from God burned up the livestock and servants, another messenger said the Chaldeans raided the camels and killed the servants, another messenger said his sons were killed when a great wind came across the wilderness. Job tore his robe, shaved his head, fell on the ground and worshiped saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job didn’t sin or charge God with wrong.

Job isn’t in on the conversation between God and Satan. Job has experienced material prosperity, and Satan uses that as an argument that the only reason Job loves God is because of the ways God has been kind materially. The thing Satan doesn’t understand is that God’s people are His people no matter what. God allows Satan to take everything away from Job and look at Job’s reaction: he worships God. It seems counter-intuitive, but even though God’s people may struggle to fight unbelief, suffering isn’t ultimately an occasion where unbelief wins in the life of God’s covenant people. It’s an occasion for God to display His preserving grace, shown in God’s people as they persevere in worshiping Him in the midst of the pain and confusion of it all. Our lives are a canvas on which God displays His steadfast-love, taking root in our perseverance.

God bind up and seal my heart to You, so that when I face trials my heart doesn’t sin against You, but only humbly comes before Your throne through Christ alone and worships.

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