“For the things I feared greatly has come upon me and what I dreaded has happened to me.” Job 3:25
[Question]: Did Job permit Satan to come in to bring havoc by the words he spoke?
Premise: Peter writes, “Your adversary the devil prowls about as a roaring lion seeking whom to devour,” 1 Peter 5:8 The devil has no need to be directed, to seek out whom he may devour. He is the slanderer, who used to stand before God bringing accusations of the brethren. If there is a fault in man, he knew of it.
At the beginning of the book Job, Satan came before God along with the sons of God, and God said to him, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil?” Job 1:8 When he was presented with this question, Satan shows that he has considered Job, and was very well aware of the favour of God upon him. And he responds by saying, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns?” Job 1: 9-10
We can to some degree, estimate what he meant by that, it is as if he has sought a route by which he may attack Job yet has found none. If he has not looked he would not have known, “there is hedge about him,” there was no breach by which he may attack him, not through the words of Job or in his deeds. That is if Job by his words broken down the hedge around him, the devil would have known it and would have brought disaster upon him.
Later, the Devil uses this incident to accuse God, to one of Jobs’s friends saying, “Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker? If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error,” Job 4:17-18 Which angel is he speaking of, and what error and who is the man who was deemed righteous? He is saying there is no cause to attack Job, yet he claims he was giving means to afflict him, for which he accuses God of error.
It is unfair to say, Job was responsible for the disaster that befell him, through making false confessions. Job justification of himself in his last discord in chapters [26 -31] bare witness to a man who is measured in his speech and in his deeds. “my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will not utter deceit. I will never say that you are right; I will maintain my integrity until I die.” Job 27:4-5 And when the second, round of the affliction was to befall Job, the Lord Himself bares witness of Job saying, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Job 2:3 That is, God Himself testifying there is no cause in words or deeds why this may come upon him.
[What was the error of Job?]: We can say it is his perception, his confidence was in his own righteousness, not in God? He trusted in his works to be the grounds for the blessings in his life, the very reason he clung to his integrity to the very end. In fact all seem to hold this perception of works as a means to escape trials, Job his friends and even the devil. In truth Job was more righteous than anybody in his generation. And God bares witness to this even in later days, and list him with Noah and Daniel as righteous men whom God would spare from the disaster that was going befall Israel and Judah. Therefore, the deduction we can make from Job’s statement, “For the things I feared greatly has come upon me.” is that, Job performed those righteous deeds, fearing if I do not do this things, evil may fall on me. And an example of such an acts is, how Job made sacrifices for his sons and daughters after they made a feast saying, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Job 1:5
However, Job did not go around saying, “Oh disaster is around the corner, sickness and disease are hot on my heels…” The fact Job himself was astonished at the disaster that came upon him is evidence of that. As far as he was concerned, he has done all, things right to sustain him and his children in the blessing of God. So he says, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.” Job 13:15 When his friends fabricated reasons, why God so chose to afflict him, he stood saying I have done all things right, there is no justification for the trouble that came to me.
[What did Job learn?]: Job learnt that his righteousness was nothing to brag about. At the end when Job met God, and he saw His righteousness, said, “Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, but I have no answer— twice, but I have nothing to add.” Job 40:4-5 [And] “My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42: 5-6 Job changed form “I will defend my ways,” to “I repent in dust and ashes.” He learnt his righteous works were not grounds to escape trials and tribulations, but doing what is just and right which is his duty. Elihu teaches Job this point when he says to him, “If you are righteous, what do you give Him, or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself, and your righteousness only a son of man.” Job 35:7-8
Therefore, later James would refer to the suffering of Job as a lesson for us, of the patience endurance of a righteous person in times of difficulty and as an example of the mercy and compassion of God. Peter also makes a point of this saying, “For this is acceptable, if for sake of conscience toward God, anyone endures griefs, suffering unjustly. For what kind of credit is it, if sinning and being struck, you shall endure? But if you shall endure doing good and suffering, this is commendable before God.” 1 Peter 2:19-20, which we can say Job is an example of.
Then the point is suffering comes both to the just and unjust, what counts is reaming faithful to God. In the case of the righteous, trials and tribulation serves to perfect our faith. James writes, “Esteem it all joy, my brothers, when you might fall into various trials, knowing that testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 And perhaps that is, why God permitted the trial of Job. To prove Job’s faithfulness to God, was not rooted in the blessing God has given him, not in his riches, family or health, and the final outcome was that, there was no accusation Satan can make of him. And Job can walk before God perfected, neither lack nor riches nor trials and tribulations drew his heart away from God.
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