As I was pondering the story of Job I was given a moment of revelation. I am certain that it will make more sense in my mind than it will on this blog but I still wanted to type it out and give it a voice.
So often, people think the story of Job is so very unfair. As if God is somehow unjust for allowing a righteous man to suffer in order to prove a point to satan. I used to think this too, until I saw just what was happening and how awesome of a story it truly is.
We tend to think that Job didn't deserve any of his suffering because we are told he was a good man who honored God. Good people aren't supposed to have bad things happen to them. Yet, all around us in real life, bad things happen to good people, to people we love, all the time. Why should Job's story make us so upset? Why does it seem so unfair? So wrong? I believe it's because it makes us afraid. It makes us say to ourselves, "If God would allow that to happen to Job, then I'm toast!" Am I right? I propose though, that God actually did Job a major favor in allowing him to take part in the story. How? I'll tell you. Job actually got to stick it to satan, and he didn't even know it!
Satan was God's most glorious created being. He was in God's presence and yet, turned in pride, desiring to be God instead of honoring his creator. He was able to deceive Adam and Eve into doing likewise to their Creator. Ever since, that has been his game, to separate God from his creation. Yet, God was about to show satan that humans were different than angels. That humans were special. That even though many would rebel, there were some, despite satan's best efforts, that would always worship God. Satan thought that humans, Job in particular, would only worship God if God protected and blessed them. Remove that protection, satan mused, and humans will curse God to his face. So, God allowed satan to attack Job. To test his theory about humans and their relationship with God. We all know how it ends. Job prevails through all the trials and worships God, even more aware of God's awesome power than before. We don't hear anything about satan or his reaction. I think it's because Job's response is all the triumph we need to see. He showed a fallen angel that a being made from the dust of the earth, could continue to worship God, a God he had never even seen, despite massive suffering and loss. Every tactic employed against him by satan failed. FAILED. Satan FAILED to destroy a being made of mud. Of simple flesh and bone. Satan, Lucifer, the most beautifully created being ever made...who had lived the direct presence and holiness of God...failed to destroy a human being. Ah...the embarassment. We don't get to hear what satan did when he realized that his plans had failed. I like to think that he slunk off to a dark corner somewhere to fume over getting OWNED by a human. Not only that, but he had to watch as God restored fully to Job every last thing that satan thought he had taken away. He learned that he had NO power. Even what he stole and destroyed, God was able to restore. Ouch.
Job didn't know all this. Had he known, he could have become arrogant or prideful. Instead, it was his lack of knowledge of what was happening in the spiritual that made him such an inspiration. He accepted good and evil from the hand of the Lord and worshipped Him just the same. His faith was pure. His faith was based on the knowledge that God is God and he was not. Unlike satan who wanted to be God, Job was content, even in suffering to submit to God. Bam. I said, BAM! This also foreshadows Jesus Christ. The Son of Man, who submits to suffering, only to be glorified and lifted up before all principalities and powers. Despite temptations, despite persecution, despite physical pain...Jesus prevails. Even to the point of death, Jesus overcomes. Job is never allowed to be killed. Job doesn't lose his own life. But his suffering is a picture, a promise to satan that if a regular man can overcome, just wait until the Son of Man comes...he will even triumph over death!
As Christians, God promises us that we can and will overcome as well. If we continue to trust despite the persecution, trials and temptations. We will be like Christ and we will win! Job didn't know of Jesus, he didn't know what we know..and yet he overcame. How much more should we be encouraged KNOWING that Christ is for us and in us! How awesome!
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