The Untouchable-Part III-Job
After Satan’s initial attack on Job’s
health described in 2:7, Job’s reaction was one of contemplation as:
‘He took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among
the ashes.’ But his wife said unto him: ‘Dost thou still retain thine
integrity? Curse God and die. But he said unto her, Thou speak as one of the
foolish women speaks. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of the God, and
shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’(2:8-10)
His wife, frustrated with the
circumstances and the condition of her husband, became another source of
temptation as she obviously gave him the wrong advice for the situation Job was
experiencing. His helper had become his hindrance. Her ungodly attitude
suggests the opposite of what God’s servant Job needed to hear from someone who
should have been his encouraging partner during this severe affliction.
But, Job, nevertheless, went on in the
midst of Satan’s assault seemingly without a friend in the world until his
‘friends’ appear on the scene. They came to sympathize with him, to comfort him
and their response was mourning and weeping, tearing their clothing and
sprinkling dust upon their heads when they did not recognize him due to the physical
damage Job suffered. They fully realized that his affliction was dreadful!
(2:11-13)
In chapter three Job opens his mouth and
Cursed His Day (3:1-10). He then went on Questioning His Delivery/Birth
(3:11-13) followed by Questioning His Light (3:20-23). This, his first
vacillation, was thorough in that he questions his very existence and desired
death instead.
But, Job gives us his heart condition and
the cause for his calamity: ‘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.’
He was in fear of what might happen, this
fear was now upon him, it had taken over his thinking, fear ruled his mind and
his faithless response is seen in the preceding verses when he vacillated and Cursed His Day, Questioning
His Delivery/Birth, and the Light God gave him! Fear was in charge and not
faith!
He abandoned his trust in God, he
faltered, he fainted, he lost confidence in the LORD because his physical
affliction was severe and had continued on now for at least seven days. This
extended period of suffering was what Job had dreaded and it brought him down.
He was at the bottom desiring death. Suicidal tendencies, thoughts of ending it
all are the work of Satan’s oppressive attack on the soul of even the strongest
saint of God!
God had to take him through this valley
for it was the one thing that Job feared. He had to get the victory over this
in order to be able to get victory over Satan and this was God’s only way to
make it happen! God so used Satan through this affliction that Job ended up
getting the victory over his greatest
fear…extensive and severe suffering…it is significant that Job would be the
first to proclaim the Coming of the Redeemer Who would suffer and die for him:
‘I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter
day upon the earth’ (Job 19:25)
Yes, Job, the first book of the Bible to
be written prophesies of the Coming of the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, the
One Who suffered and died for the sins of the mankind that we might have
eternal life, and live and suffer for Him here on earth, that He might receive
maximum glory!
Maybe you are experiencing this same type
of affliction. Suffering for God’s glory is the way God refines his children.
But, we must respond God’s way, rejoicing regardless through it all, for He is
building and deepening our faith, supplying us with patience, for the Lord
Jesus Christ tells us that through patience we possess our souls! (Luke 21:19)
No comments:
Post a Comment