at all...
No darkness
What about Job?
What does the book of Job tell us about the battle of good and evil?
A. The New Testament instructs us to consider Job’s end (Jas. 5:11): And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. . . . So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. . . . After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. . . . So Job died, being old and full of days. Job. 42:10,12,16,17. Remember this key: the book of Job is about how God turns the captivity of the righteous. Most scholars agree that “Job’s captivity” lasted for nine months to a year. Both before and after, Job was the most prosperous man in the East. May we all finish our race as strong as Job. No, stronger than Job because we have the indwelling spirit of God whereas Job had the ondwelling spirit of God (Jn. 14:17).
B. Job is generally taught to be the oldest book in the Bible. Interestingly, its first two chapters clearly delineate a heavenly courtroom where two opposing forces - - God and Satan contend for the soul of a righteous man - - Job. So it was then and so it is today - - the same court battle goes on for the soul of every man (Rev. 12:10). Satan’s weaponry used against Job as revealed in Chapters One and Two include: nature (lightning: “fire from heaven”; tornado or storm: “great wind”), men (Sabeans and Chaldeans), and sickness (“boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown”). This is strong authority that Satan as the “prince of this world” (Jn. 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) in whose power lies the whole world (1 Jn. 5:19 NIV) uses three key weapons to attack us: nature, man and sickness. Jesus rebuked a demonic storm, a Satanically controlled Peter, and thousands of demon spirits of infirmity.
C. The book of Job is crystal clear that Satan, not God, was the source of Job’s captivity. Job himself (and his friends) seemed completely ignorant of Satan’s existence, input and activity in Job’s captivity: the killing of his children and servants, the destruction of his flocks and the affliction of his flesh. Ignorance of the wiles of Satan leads to the mother of all mistakes: either blaming God directly for being evil, or accepting evil as part of God’s will. The tragedy of the former is that it curses God and in the New Testament is comparable to blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:22-32). The tragedy of the latter is that it leaves saints defenseless and unable to resist Satan per 1 Pet. 5:8-9.
D. Job never cursed God by blaming God for being evil. Rather, Job tried to honor God on some level by accepting evil as part of God’s will. Although well intentioned, Job’s view resulted in several inaccurate and unfair statements about God: “And [Job] said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. . . . What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” Job 1:21; 2:10. Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. Job 10:8. For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me. Job 10:16. Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, . . . Job 10:20. Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposes thyself against me. Job 30:21. But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company. And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face. He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me. Job 16:7-9. He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. Job 30:19. I call these type of whinings above “Job-speak.” Many Christians talk this way continually. They attribute God as the agent of all their misfortune. Though they don’t commit the sin of calling God evil, they wrongly label Him as the source of evil. “Job-speak” sounds religiously pious and longsuffering as the “noble” speaker “bears up” under the hard hand of God. However, “Job-speak” dumps all the blame for evil circumstances in the lap of God. Jesus never used “Job-speak.” He never assigned evil (death, destruction, disaster, sickness, disability, oppression) to the will of God. Rather, Jesus always focused on evil as a result of Satan’s wiles combined with men’s unbelief. (Jn. 8:34-47; 10:10). He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 Jn. 3:8. Charles Capps counted some 74 false accusations Job and his friends made against God regarding His being the primary source and agent of evil in the situation. Job repented over all these faithless statements when he finally beheld the true glory and goodness of God. Then Job answered the LORD, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. . . . Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Job 40:3-5; 42:3. Again, Job was a righteous man who was sincere in his beliefs, but sincerely wrong. Job did not “sin with his lips” or “attribute folly to God” by cursing God as evil, even though his wife encouraged him to do just that. (Job. 1:22; 2:9-10). Had Job said, “God is evil” or “I curse God for His foolishness,” or “God is a fool,” then Job would have sinned with his lips. Job remained faithful to this concept: God knows best. What Job lacked understanding about, though, was how evil operates. Job assumed that because God is omnipotent (all powerful), He is also omni-causative (that God directly and actively causes everything). Job attributed all events, good or bad, as coming from the sovereign will of God. Job and his friends lacked any knowledge of Satan, his power, his demons, his influence, his activity, his will and his schemes. Bottom line: Job wrongly assumed that everything that happened 24/7 was God’s will. Jesus came to shed God’s light on this wrong thinking: to teach us the Father’s will is only good, to teach us all evil comes from man and\or Satan, to teach us we are not helpless but that we can resist Satan, to teach us we can rebuke Satan, to teach us we are not to go quietly into the night, to teach us God’s will does not equal Satan’s will, to teach us we are to crush Satan under our feet (Rom. 16:20), and to teach us to never throw our hands up in the air and say “Oh well, whatever happens to me must be God’s will.” Let us all resolve to remove all “Job-speak” from our conversations. Let it be replaced with “Jesus-speak,” righteous lips which speak only faith words and good confessions.
E. The book of Job never explains why Satan had access to penetrate God’s protective “hedge” (Job 1:10). Why God allowed the hedge to be partially broken is not stated. Did God arbitrarily choose to lower Job’s hedge so that He and Satan could have a friendly wager as to whether Job would curse God or not? Of course not! Does anyone think that God allowed Job’s children and servants to be killed just to win a bet with Satan? No, there is something deeper going on here. God had to allow Satan access to attack Job. To see this, we must look at Job through the spirit-baptized eyes of the New Testament. First, the New Testament clearly teaches that Satan is able to harm us because we give him place to do so. (Eph. 4:27; Jn. 14:30; 1 Pet. 5:8-9; Eph. 6:16). Satan “accuses” us and “our brethren . . . before our God day and night.” Rev. 12:10. This point is consistent with Job 1-2 where Satan accuses Job before the Father in order to gain access to attack. The question in the Old Testament was unanswered as to what gave Satan legal access to actually harm Job, unanswered until the New Testament revealed the key to Satan’s power to afflict all of us (including Job). That key is fear.
1. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Heb. 2:14-15. (“Fear of death is the worm at the center of the core of all fear.” William James).
2. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Rom. 8:14-15.
3. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Tim. 1:7.
4. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. Is. 54:14-15.
5. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Rev. 21:7-8.
6. Many people are not aware they have strongholds of fear. Many people struggle with non-stop panic or worry over various situations. Many people live in a constant dread about certain people, places or things. Many people are timid with their testimony, gutless with their
faith, double-minded with their thoughts of God, tentative with their giftings, mistrustful of God’s word, lazy in the spirit, and tormented by unforgiveness and bitterness. The result is that their high calling of Christ Jesus is being continually avoided, denied, and concealed with fig leaves of fear, pride, and shame. Fear is truly the mother of all negative emotions underlined above. “It is reported that the newspaper counselor, Ann Landers, receives an average of 10,000 letters each month, and nearly all of them from people burdened with problems. She was asked if there was any one of them which predominates throughout the letters she receives, and her reply was the one problem above all others seems to be fear. People are afraid of losing their health, their wealth, their loves ones. People are afraid of life itself.” Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times, Paul Lee Tan, ThD., #1641, p. 434. In spite of what they say, 90% of the chronic patients who see today’s physicians have one common symptom. Their trouble did not start with cough or chest pain or hyper acidity. In 90% of the cases, the first symptom was fear. This is the opinion of a well-known American internist as expressed in a round table discussion on psychosomatic medicine. This is also the consensus of a growing body of specialists. Fear of losing a job, of old age, of being exposed – sooner or later this fear manifests itself as ‘a clinical symptom.’ Sometimes the fear is nothing more than a superficial anxiety; sometimes it is so deep-seated that the patient himself denies its existence and makes the round of doctor to doctor, taking injections, hormones, tranquilizers and tonics in an endless
search for relief.” Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times, Paul Lee Tan, ThD., #1642, pp. 434-435. “A nation-wide survey of more than 2,200 seven-to-eleven-year-olds, released by the private Foundation for Child’s Development, indicated that most children feel good about their lives, their families and just being themselves. But many are also afraid. More than two-thirds are scared that ‘someone bad’ is skulking about their neighborhood, waiting to break into their homes. A quarter of the children are afraid that they will be attacked when they go outside – with some justification, since more than 40% have been harassed by older kids or adults while playing.. . .” Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times, Paul Lee Tan, ThD., #1645, p. 435.“. . . . A man who lived in terror of crocodiles was eaten by one 15 feet long with
three legs and no tail near Weipa in far north Queensland. An investigation into the death of Peter Reamers, 35, bared that he was so scared of crocodiles he never would wade in water more than a few inches deep. But the crocodile was aware of Reamers’ habits and stalked him for days before it took him at the end of a hunting trip.” Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times, Paul Lee Tan, ThD., #1661, p. 438. “In his sermon ‘Fear,’ Clarence E. Macartney describes a peasant, driving into a European city, who was hailed by an aged woman. As they drove along, the peasant became alarmed as he learned his passenger was the plague, cholera. But she assured him that only ten people in the city would die of cholera. She even offered the peasant a dagger, saying he could slay her if more than ten died. But after they reached the city, more than a hundred perished. As the angry peasant drew the dagger to deal a death blow, the plague lifted her hand and protested, ‘Wait, I killed only ten. Fear killed the rest!’” Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times, Paul Lee Tan, ThD., #1665, p. 439.
7. And his [Job’s] sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. . . . For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. Job 1:4-5; 3:25-26.
8. Job’s fear gave Satan access to afflict him. Reading “between the lines” of Satan’s demand to God reveals the heart of the dialogue was as follows: “God, I can’t touch Job because you have hedged him with your favor. But look in Job’s heart and smell his fear. He is fearful of losing his children, his possessions and health. If I can’t attack Job as a consequence to his fear, then You have violated his free will. Job has given me place to attack him and I claim the right to execute the captivity.” God responds, “You can launch the attack, but my servant Job will repent of his fear and ignorance, and you will be rebuked.” Notice how similar this exchange is to Jesus’ exhortation to Peter: And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Lu. 22:31-32. Job did ultimately repent for his “words without knowledge” (Job 38:2): Then Job answered the LORD, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. . . . Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6. It is also interesting to note that Elihu, the only speaker whom God never rebuked, stated his frustration at Job’s (and his friends’) mis characterizations when he vented the following words: Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge . . . Touching the almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict. Job 35:16; 37:23. God himself echoed Elihu’s same frustration when he appeared to Job out of the whirlwind: Then the Lord answered Job out of
the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy lions like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me . . . . Job 38:1-3.
9. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 Jn. 4:18. (Fear gives Satan place to torment us. Faith working by perfect love casts fear
out of our lives. Gal. 5:6).
10. “I want you to promise the Lord that, from tonight, you will not think back,
11. look back, or act back!” Smith Wigglesworth.
By Richard K. Murray
