Job was a man of faith. He trusted God regardless of the circumstances in his life. When God withheld something from Job, he trusted God to have his best interest foremost in mind. When God allowed hardships, trials, and even death and sickness to enter his life, he held onto his conviction regarding the goodness of God. He wanted his children to love and trust God similarly, and he prayed for them every day that this would be the case with his children. However, there is an enemy. This enemy wants us to doubt God. He is called the “adversary” many times in the Bible. He comes into the story about righteous Job at this point. Job 1:6 tells us of his arrival, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.”
The “sons of God” is taken to mean the good angels primarily. They are God’s servants. God sends them to help mankind in one way or another. Although Satan is a spiritual being like the other angels, his intention for mankind is not to help them. In the Hebrew text, “Satan” is “the Satan,” the article indicating a title rather than a name. Satan is a personal and powerful supernatural being. While some disagree, there seems to be no reason to identify this character as anyone other than the Satan, who appears regularly on the pages of the New Testament.” He’s the one that Peter tells us about. He’s prowling around like a roaring lion looking for those he might devour. He is the figure from Genesis three that brought sin into the world through the sin of Adam and Eve. He’s the figure described in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 who exalted himself above God. He made himself God’s adversary. He is the adversary of all mankind. John calls him the “accuser” (adversary) of the brethren. As we’ll see, Satan finds his joy in humanity’s misery, and he delights in our pain.[1]
As Cowles observes, “It is important for us to admit what everywhere revelation has taught us—that Satan is a real person; is the enemy of all righteousness. Indeed, it may be supposed that Satan is brought to view here, not merely to indicate to us his work among men and his moral attitude toward God and all the good but also to suggest one reason why God should permit these extreme afflictions to befall one of the best of men. This terrible scene of suffering might otherwise seem unaccountable even to the angels nearest the throne above. Moreover, God might deem it wise to permit a test case to show the devil and all his party how God can save his children; bring good out of Satan’s intended evil; and frustrate his schemes, to his own everlasting chagrin and confusion.”[2]
Things were going along fine for Job, and life was good. He had seven sons and three daughters. He had 7000 sheep and 3000 camels and 500 oxen and 500 donkeys, servants galore, and everything that would make a man feel blessed and satisfied with life. Then it happens! It seems to come out of nowhere! The old saying “up jumped the devil” becomes a reality in Job’s life. Such suffering comes to Job that he begins to think he’s being “ghosted” by God. I’ve just learned the modern term “Ghosted,” which means “someone stops answering your texts or calls without explanation. This often happens out of nowhere. It can leave you feeling confused, hurt, and paranoid.” Not only is Job not being ghosted, but God also has his hands on the controls during the whole process, as we’ll see. We can be sure, at times when we might feel “ghosted,” that God is still there and looking out over the whole episode and will work things out for our good in the end! He’s really good at that!
[1] Allen, David L. 2022. Exalting Jesus in Job. Edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference.
[2] Cowles, Henry. 1877. The Book of Job: With Notes, Critical, Explanatory, and Practical. New York: D. Appleton & Company.