Smoodock's Blog

According to our present study, it appears that in the course of time, while the Lord rules among the gods of this earth, one or more of these men of rank (human gods according to Psalm 82) may challenge God to prove those whom he judges righteous. Job was righteous, and righteous folks have enemies, in that the unrighteous are jealous of them, even offended in them. Why is this? Many presume, or presume it is thought by righteous folks, that the moral character presents a context that the righteous are better than the unrighteous. One man even complained to me that, because I contended God’s people had his Spirit within them, I was claiming the righteous were more advanced or greater human beings than the unrighteous or those who didn’t believe in God. Thus, the unrighteous seem to be challenged or duty-bound to prove there is no difference between righteous folks and the unrighteous.

In our present context of studying the Book of Job, “satan” (Job’s jealous and offended enemy) went out from the presence of the Lord in order to prove his case (Job 2:7). According to satan, Job, is no better than anyone else, and proof of this will come, once the Lord strikes Job at his very core. Like everyone else who has rebelled against God, he will curse the Lord to his face, and walk out of the Lord’s presence, proving to one and all that he, too, is in the state of rebellion.

As for God’s part in all of this by accepting satan’s wager, it was the Lord who touched Job’s person, and removed his good health. Job became like a leprous man, except lepers don’t feel great pain. Job had inflamed skin throughout his body and painful boils and open sores. Nevertheless, a casual reading of the text would lead the reader to believe satan removed Job’s good health. However, how could this be so? Can a human being at that time affect the health of another human being in the manner in which Job was affected? On the other hand, should we really be looking for a powerful angelic being, concluding he had the ability to destroy Job’s health? The problem with this idea is that the text says: “Put forth **YOUR** hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh…”

In other words, satan challenged the Lord to take away Job’s health (Job 2:5), just as he removed his hedge of protection from him earlier (Job 1:9-11). Thus, just as satan was powerless to remove the hedge of protection the Lord had put around Job, he was also powerless to remove Job’s good health. God had to do his part in this, if he wished to prove his case that Job was, indeed, righteous. Thus, the text implies that, if Job passed this test, satan would have no argument with which to accuse Job any further. However, if taking away Job’s health was the Lord’s part in this, what was satan’s part?

According to the text, Job was humiliated and covered with painful open sores and ulcers. Once the greatest of the men of the East (Job 1:3), he was now cast out of the city and sat among the ash heap (the town dump) scraping his sores with a broken piece of pottery (Job 2:8). No doubt, Job’s wife came out of the city to bring him food and water, and out of pity advised him to curse God and die (Job 2:9). At least he would be out of his misery. Some scholars accuse her of adding to his temptation, but I see her as someone who had suffered the loss of all things with her husband, and now he is suffering. She merely pointed to a way out, however ill advised that may have been.

Nevertheless, Job did rebuke her, saying it was important for men to accept evil from the Lord, especially when they had been so greatly blessed by him. So, Job agreed that the Lord was within his right, as Master of the universe, to do these things, if he pleased. Thus, in all of this, Job didn’t accuse the Lord of impropriety (Job 2:10).