kjv@Job:2:1@ Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
kjv@Job:2:2@ And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
kjv@Job:2:3@ And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
kjv@Job:2:4@ And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
kjv@Job:2:5@ But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
kjv@Job:2:6@ And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
kjv@Job:2:7@ So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
kjv@Job:2:8@ And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
kjv@Job:2:9@ Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
kjv@Job:2:10@ But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
kjv@Job:2:11@ Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
kjv@Job:2:12@ And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
kjv@Job:2:13@ So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
One argument insists that God only rewards those that do good and seek His way. They can ask what ever they want and God will be glad to do it for them. Most of what they would ask for is material things. Job's present argument is that the wicked do just fine on their own if riches and rich lives are the mark. God seems often to leave them alone till their final demise. It is the upright that seem to draw his correction. Today, where does the evidence tend to rest?
From what I have seen the evidence of this process seems clear. Whom God loves he corrects and this reproof is a way of life. It is an investment in who we will one day be. The wicked however, there is no reason to invest, correction only makes them more intent on their wicked ways. They may appear to be left to their own but, God has their end prepared. He also has us standing in the gap for those helpless victims; it is part of our test.
Who can know his ways or cleans his own self? If the fear lacks (and it most certainly does) how can man know that he lives and breaths evil enough to depart it. The falseness of moral relativism is that evil is determined and judged without regarding any fear of the Lord therefore is there little regard for any evil other than that hurt which is brought against oneself by others.
The tendency when reading this book is to put ourselves in the role of Job. Clearly from this passage very few of us have half the previous track record of righteousness and longevity as Job did. This is what makes the story so much more than what we make it: there was in fact none more righteous than Job and yet this happened. We would like to think that it is Satan attacking us similarly to Job; is it because we are more righteous than Job? What makes us think that Satan has the slightest interest in making another ultimate challenge with God regarding our faith when he pretty much has our faith locked up anyway? Odds are better that we are playing the role of one of Job's friends trying to talk him out of his righteousness. That is the story.
The righteousness of Job had flushed out a great many pretenders, a number who were unworthy/untrusted even to be dogs in his flock (and that is not to knock the dogs). Now that God's hand was removed these enemies and low lifes saw opportunity to pound the image and reputation of Job into the dust. Apparently the many poor and needy that Job had helped were unable or unwilling to stand up for Job; as is often the case. It is almost like watching a plane crash; everyone just watches in awe.
2012 - pBiblx2 Field Wise Bible System Version 2.0.9d - GPL3
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