King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 16 notes
1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
5th Jan 2022
The land of Uz] The land of Uz was south of Edom and west of Arabia, extending to the borders of Chaldea. In those days it could have comprised even Arabia-Petra itself (Jer. 49:7,20; Lam. 4:21; Ezek. 25:13; Amos 1:11).
Job] Job, afflicted. He was the third son of Issachar, the son of Jacob (Gen. 46:13; Ezek. 14:14,20; Jas. 5:11). He is mentioned 56 times in the book that bears his name.
This commentary above is from my Dake's Study Bible.
2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
4And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
The life of the rich kids 🧒. Feasting and merrymaking.
Obviously wild partying 🎉, else their father would not have sacrificed on their behalf if he did not have suspicion of their doings.
5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Where did Job learn to offer burnt offering from? The same was said of Abel and Cain.
They offered sacrifices to the Lord. From the book of Job we would move back to Abraham.
Where he also offered sacrifices. Where did they learn such practices from, as this was before the law?
Especially considering that this practice started way back as the firstborn Abel.
6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
What's he doing here? How did Satan have such access to God?
How come God is tolerating him?
The sons of God came to present themselves, and Satan, a son of God also though cast out, also came.
I have asked this question before. What was the devil doing here in the presence of God after all the havoc he had caused?
How come God was allowing him audience, without anger or animosity of any sort?
Indeed the conversation between God and Satan lets us in on the nature of their relationship.
There is something about God that we really need to understand.
God's Laws and nature are fixed. God is not evolving or getting better.
We therefore ought to study what is to understand who he is.
So for instance, why did God not stop Adam from eating of the tree, knowing full well the untold hardships this would bring on man?
That lets us in on the nature of God and man.
God has set the systems in motion. Man was to be the one to have dominion on the earth, not God or another.
If he stopped man in his tracks, man was no longer an independent being.
Man had literally been made in the image of God; how could he be treated less?
Nothing was going to cause God to change his free moral image of himself.
That was the whole idea for creating man, so the universe will live with the consequences.
It was this unchanging, unevolving nature of God that Satan knew; that is why he came before God's presence.
Why? Because he, Satan, had the right to. He had a place in heaven and he was going to utilize it full well until the time for him to be deposed was up, as we see in Revelation.
But even then he was not going to give up on the heavens without a fight.
Indeed fights have been had in the heavens, as we see in the book of Daniel when the angel Gabriel was held up until Michael came to his aid.
But the book of Revelation scene was an entire war.
So Satan shows up here exercising his full rights to come before God's throne.
How he got this right we will study some time later.
7And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8And 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?
Before asking him of his consideration for Job, what was Satan's original agenda for coming to see God?
Was he presenting a list 📃 of people he wanted to strike at but needed God's informed consent?
If so, why wasn't Job part of the list 📃? Or could it be that there were some people who could just not be on Satan's list, so he did not bother asking for them.
Again, if my conjecture is right, God wanted to prove a point that those on the "can't touch hedge of fire 🔥" list were there not just by privileged position but have actually earned the right to be there.
So again, following my conjecture, as Satan went through his hit list 📃, God, in his infinite wisdom and eternal nature, seeking to make an example for all eternity of his faithfulness to the end, suggests and releases Job into Satan's hands 👐
9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Is this what is on every believer? This hedge 🦔 of protection round about.
I believe Job was not the only one with this protection. Abraham had it, Moses had it.
We as believers have it. I suspect that the extent of protection is subject to how we remain within the boundaries of his protection. Through obedience and walking in his ways.
What we yield to God comes under his watch and protection.
How do I know this? See how devout Job was. Even making sacrifices for his children 🧒 and 👪, thus they were also under cover.
Obviously he did also for his work and property.
Again, all believers, and I dare say unbelievers. The whole world 🗺 is under a protection of a sort.
How do we know this? See how swiftly the moment the part of Job's life that was taken out of cover came under complete and merciless destruction.
If God lifts his cover just a bit, I believe there would be no world 🗺.
We see in Paul's writings about the man of lawlessness and how that the moment we are taken away such swift destruction will come.
2 Thessalonians 2:5-7 KJV
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? [6] And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. [7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Evil 😈 is being held in check ☑ to varying degrees.
And in our own lives, if we still have life and no swift destruction has come upon us and that which concerns us,
Then know we that we indeed are under cover. The devil 👿 is not lenient, and full 🌕 of wickedness.
He will swiftly destroy if given the least chance 🤞 💱
So now that which was supposed to be the natural state of the earth 🌎 is now called a blessing.
The earth was supposed to yield for man, be fruitful and multiply.
But now when the earth does what it was originally created to do, we call it a blessing.
We indeed were cursed 🤬
11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
What was the guarantee that Satan 😈 was going to stay within his boundaries?
How could the devil 🐝 be trusted in this regard?
I guess there was no point in disobeying God; if he took Job's life, God would just bring him back and end the whole arrangement, thus Satan would miss his opportunity to prove his point.
Why lose such an opportunity to bring down the greatest man in the east?
Could the east mean he was within the promised land territory?
God trusted Satan to not touch Job's life, and this he did. He touched not his life or body.
Interesting thought there.
13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
So innocently, they did not know their protection was gone.
14And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
Satan leaves God's presence 📦.
The next thing we see is Job loses all he has... After God speaks, immediately the hedge of fire and blessing etc. is lifted.
We are not told the process of that happening. That probably the angel in charge of multiplying the flock of Job, the fire 🔥 angel 😇 who keeps everything in check etc., upon hearing the command of God, move into action.
Who knows, likely as soon as God spoke, the angel of his presence who carries forth messages from the throne room to the herald for onward distribution goes into action.
We are spared all this and just see the effect on Job.
In verse 14 we see a messenger of Job come to deliver the bad news 📰. In heaven the same thing, I believe, happened.
An heavenly messenger delivers 🚚 the bad news to the angels who were standing guard over Job's property to protect it.
That they had to allow evil. I'm sure they might have asked, 'But why?'
It is the Lord's sovereign will. Job has done no evil btw. So they vacate post.
15And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Honestly, this arrangement to test Job's faithfulness that involves the life of others... Iiiii...
Is someway
16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Hmm 🤔 interesting... It's incredible. The devil 👿 had this much power and influence?? 😳
Such coordinated attack in one 1⃣ day. Through both natural and supernatural means.
He controlled men, the Sabeans, the Chaldeans, the wind 🍃 and 🔥 fire.
18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
I get it if, for purely experimental reasons and to prove a point to Satan and for all eternity, Job loses his properties etc.
But to lose his children 🧒, innocent, just to prove a point.
That does not sound right.
Here again is my conjecture.
One can infer the debauchery and kind of life of Job's kids, that they were in no way like their father.
They just enjoyed his riches. Again we have to look at the nature 🏞 of God. He is righteous and would not suffer the innocent and righteous to perish.
That is why he did not permit Satan to take the life of Job. If there was righteousness on Job's kids, he obviously would have spared them, or at least the righteous ones.
Either ways, we can trust the righteousness of God to do that which is right.
20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
What a response... What a shock 🤯... I'm sure that was the devil's reaction 🤯. How possible 🙆