King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 9 notes
1Again 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.
Earlier in chpt 1 vs 1...
I was wondering what Satan was doing among the holy and righteous ones.
I felt he was intruding in the space reserved for the sons of God. The holy ones.
But on reading this verse, it sounds 🔊 more like the presentation 📦 before God was more of a SUMMON and not a casual walk 🚶 in.
Like all kings, you cannot just 🚶 come in at your will.
So then every now and then Satan either receives a summon or has appointed times within which he is to present himself.
At such points he makes his accusation etc.
And for God to be justified as to why he protects us, as in Job's case, or for our own strength 💪 thening and building perseverance and hope among his children 🧒, as in below:
Romans 5:3-5 KJV
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; [4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope: [5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
He allows certain trials and tribulations.
Of course we have the promises of God in Christ, and so we resist the devil 👿 any time ⌚ he attempts to cross ➕ boundaries.
We are not to succumb and assume God has handed us over for testing. No.
In Christ the only suffering permitted is persecution on account of the gospel, not sickness 🤮, disease.
In Paul's case of a thorn in the flesh that refused to go away, he knew it was there for his glory, and that was a very personal case, not a norm for every believer.
I wonder how long after the first plague did this 2nd meeting take place. It seems also that these kinds of meetings and summons were scheduled.
An appointment of a sort.
Again Satan, the enemy of God, or is it man 👨, freely spoke with God. It seems Satan was still subject to God in a sense.
We have to really weigh 🏋️ this God–Satan relationship.
It seems that there were rules of engagement in this battle for the earth 🌎 and for man.
So Satan knows God can't, or rather won't, just snap his fingers and vanquish him. There are eternal unchanging laws that keep Satan alive and here to wreak havoc.
And there is a time for his overthrow and final casting into the lake of fire 🔥.
Till then he is god of the world.
I am wondering, between the destruction of Job's property and this second visit of Satan, what was God doing about Job's case?
Was he just waiting for Satan to show up so he dialogues with him?
How long was it between these two situations?
2And 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.
There is a battle going on for the 🌎 earth. Not a direct confrontation between God and the devil. No, far from it, for they are in no way equal.
But a battle based on rules and laws of the universe 🌌 and the earth, set in iron. It cannot be changed because of the unchangeableness of the word of God.
So based on that, Satan is wreaking havoc whiles God rules in the affairs 🕴️ of men 🚹 to save them.
All within the rules of engagement.
Satan knows that if he plays his game well and wins, he can keep this game up perpetually and thereby defer his judgements for all eternity.
GOD doth know that he is bound by his word and also has his agents for good on the earth 🌎, and he knows that he will win.
And that victory ✌️ will be attained within the rules set.
God will reward and rewards all who play on his team.
This calling business is no joke 🃏... It is a high call 🤙 and a matter of eternal joy or eternal suffering of man.
So we ought to play and play hard.
3And 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.
4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
How long was God going to put up with this? Either ways, that was the devil's full 🌕 and final arsenal, and it failed.
After, we did not see this kind of conversation going on ever between God and Satan in the scriptures.
5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
This is wisdom from an ancient source. Though we might not like the devil 👿 here, he's shared one of the secrets in bringing down man 👨.
Skin for skin, he says.
6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
How God trusted Satan to do only what he, God, had instructed is something to think about.
This is God we are talking about — the devil knew better than to disobey.
7So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
8And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
10But 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.
11Now 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.
12And 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.
13So 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.
Hmm, sad 😔 state.
Just on a lighter note,
these men lived for so long they had seven days to sit in silence 🤫, doing nothing.