Bible with Brandi Week 34 – Job, chapters 1-2

An interesting scene unfolds in Job chapters one and two. The “sons of God” (used here and in Genesis 6:2 to mean spiritual beings created by God) appear before the Lord in what seems to be a heavenly “check-in.” Ha-satan (the adversary, accuser, and deceiver) makes an appearance as well. Revelation 12:9 describes him as the one who was cast down to the earth. God asks him what he has been doing, and his answer lacks a little luster: “Going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job 1:7)

So God draws his attention to something meaningful. Not just meaningful in general, but someone deeply meaningful to His heart—Job. “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1:8)

Can you imagine hearing that description if you were ha-satan?

There is an interesting contrast here. Scripture gives us a glimpse into Satan’s former glory in Ezekiel 28, where the language describes one who was the “seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” He was adorned with precious stones and gold and occupied a place of great honor. Yet something happened. Unlike Job, ha-satan did not shun evil. He partnered with it. Instead of fearing God, he exalted himself. Pride entered in, and it became his downfall.

And now, here he is, standing before God, and God points him toward Job—a man who fears God, shuns evil, and walks uprightly. Job was living out the very posture that Satan had abandoned. And so the adversary turns his attention toward Job and attacks. Not once, not twice, but five times.  His goal is not simply to test Job. His desire is to destroy his faith—to make Job’s devotion to God crumble under suffering. But what ha-satan does not understand is that Job’s relationship with God is not ultimately built on what God gives him. And that is where this story begins to become deeply personal for us.

Because what happens when the blessings disappear?

What happens when the things we thought were secure seem to falter?

What happens when we do not understand the purpose in or reason for our suffering?

What happens when God does not immediately answer our cries?

Job is about to find out. And so are we.