Lenten Study Job Chapter 1
Welcome to the beginning of Lent. Several weeks ago, one of the questions for the week suggested making a schedule for the reading and study of the book of Job. For me, I decided to do that as a Lenten study. This is the start of that study. I invite you to read along with me and post any comments or questions that come up during your reading in the comments section for each day’s chapter post. I will read and respond as I am able.
"There was a man in the land of Uz" by andrevanb is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.
Job 1:1 (NASB)
The land of Uz is east of Israel at the conjunction of the borders of Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
Job 1:6 (NASB)
Satan was and is a real being, just like God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real beings. They could, did, and do move among us. It doesn’t say if the “sons of God” knew Satan was there or not. However, given that they are described as very righteous, coming to present themselves before God, I think Satan was invisible. The point is that during Job’s day, Satan walked the face of the Earth in and among people. Who’s to say he doesn’t still do that?
7 The LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
8 The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
Job 1:7-8 (NASB)
Why does God ask this question of Satan, do you think? God is omniscient (all-powerful and all-knowing), so he already knows both the answer and what Satan thinks. Why ask the question? Because God knows Satan doesn’t know the answer, not the real answer anyway. Satan thinks he knows, but God knows he doesn’t know the real answer.
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
10 “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
11 “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Job 1:9-11 (NASB)
Everything Satan says about Job and God is true. As we see from the first passages in this opening chapter, God has richly blessed Job. Job has a large family, wealth, position, power, and his children love and obey him. Everything is right with Job’s world as we start this first chapter.
12 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:12 (NASB)
God already knows what Satan will do to Job, that Job endures it all and the outcome. Why put Job through all this pain, suffering, and heartache? Only two individuals are aware of what is going on with Job; God and Satan. If God already knows the outcome, there are only two reasons to allow what is about to happen. Satan needs to see what happens, and/or God knows these events are to be recorded in His Word, and Christians from that day forward will all get to see and know what happens too. I don’t think Satan was aware of that second part. He certainly wasn’t aware of the first part, or he never would have challenged God the way he did.
14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15 and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Job 1:14-15 (NASB)
The Sabeans were a people who lived to the south and east of the Land of Uz, likely in what is now modern-day Saudi Arabia. The JewishEncyclopedia.com has an entry on the Sabeans found HERE.
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Job 1:16 (NASB)
We know from verse 12 God put everything of Job’s under Satan’s power, literally into “his hand.” This means when the servant tells Job, “the fire of God fell from heaven…” the servant has misidentified the source and composition of the fire. It is not from God. It is from Satan. It also did not come out of God’s realm but from the sky. What we do not know is whether or not Satan intended the fire to look like it came from God or not? Given the discussion that Satan asked God to smite Job, it is a good bet that Satan did intend the earthly humans to think these calamities were coming from God.
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Job 1:17 (NASB)
The Chaldeans were a people to the north and east of the Land of Uz in what is now modern-day Iraq. The Jewish Encyclopedia has an entry on the Chaldeans found HERE.
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19 and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
21 He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
22 Through all this, Job did not sin, nor did he blame God.
Job 1:18-22 (NASB)
This marks the complete and utter destruction of everything of worth in Job’s life save one thing. There is no mention of Job’s wife in chapter one. Satan’s goal is complete. He has destroyed everything God ever blessed Job with and laid the blame for that destruction squarely at God’s feet, at least as far as Job is concerned hence the later part of verse 21, “…the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.”
Job’s outlook on the material blessings of this life is a rare one. Job correctly identifies that he came into the world when he was born with nothing, and when he dies, he will be able to take nothing with him. The arrival of life and the departure of life is through a doorway that permits nothing material of this life through it. The temporary nature of the things of this world, including ourselves, troubles us, but it should not given the full content of scripture.
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
John 18:36 (NASB)
The Kingdom of Heaven is not on Earth. The things of value stored up for us where moth and rust have no sovereignty are not what we value here. Job knew that. We should learn to know that lest we work too hard to build up wealth in the wrong place.