A Study of Job
Chapter 1

Job 1:1 � There 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. 2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His 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.

Job was perfect and upright, feared God and eschewed evil. He was also exceedingly rich. As we shall see later, he was highly honored by those who knew him and he was very conscious of caring for the poor, widows, and orphans.

By man's standards, he was not "worthy" of the kind of suffering he endured. This causes a lot of confusion in people's minds even yet. It is impossible for some to comprehend why the righteous suffer. (Why Do the Righteous Suffer?) Some who cannot figure it out will assume that "obviously" the sufferer must not be righteous. This is a perilous conclusion and can get you into trouble.

4 � And 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. 5 And 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.

Job was deeply concerned about his family's spiritual standing before God. He "worried" about it and acted accordingly. My own personal perspective on this is that he was almost scrupulous in his concern for them.

Job 1:6 � Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And 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. 8 And 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?

First notice that it was the Lord who started this whole thing. He asked Satan if he had considered Job! He had a purpose from the beginning and was in full control of the situation from the very start. Yes, Job suffered horribly. His losses were great. And yet, in the wisdom of God it pleased Him to be glorified through Job's life this way.

Also notice that God repeats the facts we learned in verse 1. Job was perfect and upright, feared God and eschewed evil. This was Job's testimony from the mouth of the LORD. (This is important! Remember this!) Whatever man said, whatever Satan said was of no significance whatsoever. God Himself said Job was upright and perfect. He said there was none like Job in the earth! What a testimony!

People make a lot of false assumptions and conclusions about those who suffer. Whether it be from calamity, physical or emotional afflictions or even insanity. Here is a prime example: John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. The disciples natural assumption was that someone had sinned or this man would not be blind. Notice how Christ corrected them! No one had sinned. The man was blind so that the works of God could be manifested in him. Think about this - his blindness led to privilege. He was appointed to this suffering for the purpose of manifesting God's works! God has a purpose in suffering and affliction.

Friend, are you accusing someone falsely regarding their affliction? Do you assume that all people who suffer from depression, anxiety and such like are "in sin" or being punished - are somehow "not right with God"? Do you accuse them of worrying, doubt, and lack of faith? Perhaps you blame their parents somehow for sinning. Did it ever occur to you that God Almighty may have a purpose in their suffering? Did you ever stop to think that God might allow some of His children to suffer deeply in various ways so that they would be able to understand and comfort others in a way that you, who have not suffered that, could never do? Look - ...God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son... John 3:16 He loved the world. He gave His own Son. Surely He would allow us to suffer as well, in different ways, that we might pass on some comfort and hope to suffering sinners. Also, He would allow us to suffer so that we might help our fellow saints.

Now, this is a personal opinion, but I am inclined to think that this is what Paul was getting at when he wrote, Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: Colossians 1:24

Whether or not that is what he meant, I still believe that God allows His children to suffer various afflictions so that we can comfort others. I believe this because He said it in His word. 2Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

I used to be the kind of person that assumed someone who suffered from depression "was not right with God." I used to despise women who suffered from emotional difficulties relating to PMS. The Lord put me through some pretty terrible things in these two areas to convince me to adjust my thinking. May I suggest to you that you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6), so that He does not have to humble you Himself? Believe me, it's a lot less painful to just agree with what Jesus said in John 9 without having it proven to you on a personal level! I have known other Christians as well who considered all depression sin. Curiously they often seem to eventually succumb to the problem themselves in one way or another.

I believe the Lord allowed me to suffer such things so that I would have pity on others and understand a little of what they are suffering, even though mine was so small compared to the suffering of many. If you have never been close to or suffered from depression, anxiety, insanity or other like things, you have no idea how it feels to talk to someone who can say, "I understand," and you know they really mean it. There is comfort there that is altogether beyond the trite words and empty clichés that people usually use to answer these problems. I have experienced this comfort from fellow believers who have suffered these things, and I thank God that He allowed them to go before me for that purpose. I'm thankful that He brought us together, and I'm thankful that they were willing to pass on the comfort they received from Him.

If you don't get anything else from this study, please, please remember this: Job was not being punished for his sins. He was upright and perfect; he feared God and eschewed evil. God Himself said this. He was NOT being punished for his sins! Most of us have probably never met a man of Job's stature. In fact, he was one of the three most righteous men that ever lived (see Ezekiel 14:14 & 20). He was not being punished for his sins! The application is - stop assuming that everything that goes wrong, either for you or others, is punishment. Let God decide who is righteous and who is not. He knows. We do not!

1Samuel 16:7 ...for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
2Corinthians 10:7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast 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. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He accuses them day and night before God according to Revelation 12:10. This is not a desirable calling, and yet there are altogether too many candidates for the office, especially when it comes to the subject of the emotional and mental afflictions. Too many believers, particularly pastor's and "spiritual leaders", are ready to accuse people to their face, to others and to God. Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. Proverbs 30:10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

Also notice Satan's accusation. He challenged God that if He took Job's blessings away Job would curse God to His face. Apparently Satan judges men by his own half-bushel. That is to say, because he rebelled against the Most High, he thinks that given the right circumstances, all men would curse God. Now he has some basis for this conclusion because The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9 But, he cannot conceive that anyone would love the Lord in spite of suffering and apparent chastisement. We will see this again.

He is also a liar. John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. His accusations were false. We know it now, because we have the whole story. God knew it even when Satan said it to Him.

Satan (and his devils) will also introduce accusations to us. He will suggest "reasons" why we are suffering. He will accuse us of things that we never did or that are confessed and forgiven through Jesus Christ. He will accuse God by suggesting that He is treating us "unfairly" or "unjustly." He will send others who will declare these lies to be true and join in the accusations. Oh, and by the way, humans can think of plenty of accusations and lies on their own. Remember the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.

One lady I know said that when she was going through the worst of her depression she confessed every sin she could think of. She confessed sins she never did. She even decided maybe she wasn't saved and tried to do that again. The problem was that she thought "a Christian shouldn't feel this way" if nothing was wrong spiritually . She had not yet learned that the physical and emotional can effect us in ways similar to the spiritual. They are all tied in together and it is very hard to discern which area is causing the problem to start with. Like many of us, she assumed that only guilt or sin could cause those horrible feelings she was suffering. Later she learned to give those things to the Lord and let Him show her what He wanted her to do - what she needed. She learned to lean on Him and seek His help to lead her out of those thought patterns, or to show her if some spiritual or physical problem or outside source was causing the trouble. 1John 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

If you are suffering under guilt, please read Quiet without Guilt. If you really do have something to take care of, please take care of it, and then believe the Lord has forgiven you.

Job 1:12 And 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.

The Lord granted Satan permission to attack Job, but He limits him.

In one sense this is a pretty scary account. But, in another sense we ought to take great comfort because the Lord has shown us that Satan has no power beyond what God allows him!

I think it was Hudson Taylor who said something to this effect, "Nothing can touch me that does not come through the hand of God first." John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Do we believe we are in the hand of God? As His children we are, regardless of how we feel; and we can rest assured that whatever suffering or affliction we are dealing with has come through His strong, protecting hand - His kind and comforting hand.

Job 1:13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And 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. 16 While 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. 17 While 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. 18 While 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: 19 And, 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.

This is an astounding series of events. I would dare to guess that most people would not even survive such news without at least losing their mind or health. It is amazing that Job did from a human standpoint, but we know that the Lord had not given Satan permission to touch him yet.

I would also like to point out here that two of the things that happened here we would define as "acts of God" - the fire falling from heaven (which the servant thought was from God) and the great wind. Indeed, these are acts of God in other places in scripture (Gen. 19:24-25, Jonah 1:4, 1Ki. 18:41-45, 1Ki. 19:11, etc.). There are times in history as well that appear to be acts of God. Today people are inclined to say that storms, volcanoes and such like are all caused by natural elements - are natural disasters. It is interesting to note here that Satan caused these things under the direction and control of the Lord God Almighty! Some storms and "natural" events seem like the devil himself has been turned loose to do harm - in fact it could well be. But, always remember - God is in control. Satan can do nothing to God's children without His express permission! Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And 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. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Truly Job was a righteous man and one that feared God greatly. His attitude is beautiful. It is a standard and example for all time. In the midst of all this loss and all this sorrow his first response is moving. Still he worshipped God. Still he blessed the Lord. He did not claim anything he had as his rightful possession. His hand was open before the Lord. At this point he had not sinned and he did not charge God foolishly. This is a very hard thing to do! We are so quick to blame and resent the wisest, kindest choices of our Father. Calamity and losses will so often drive us to charge God foolishly for all flesh is grass. But let us take Job for an example. James 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

Job was a man of patience we are told in James 5:11, Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. (Note that the Lord is full of pity of tender mercy, and this is mentioned in the context of Job, showing that God was pitiful and merciful toward Job in all his trials. Thank God for that!) Job is also named in Ezekiel in what appears to be a list of the three most righteous men in the Old Testament, Ezekiel 14:14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. (See verse 20 also.) This is not a small thing!

Interestingly, we do not know Job's national background. He apparently lived somewhere in the Middle East, but he was not necessarily a Jew. I think that is of particular interest because we also have no date for the account, no background for it, though it appears to be the oldest book in the Bible. It's as if it stands alone in some sense; as if God has set it forth in an unattached manner to spotlight the question of the suffering righteous, and perhaps depression as well. He shows us this amazing man and his amazing experiences - for our learning, for our help, for our comfort - for the suffering child of God in all eras. Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. If this book was written before any of the others, it seems to me an indication of how important this subject is to the Lord.

Summary - Important to remember

1. Job was righteous. (Ezk. 14). He feared God, eschewed evil, was upright and perfect. God said this.

2. The LORD started this whole series of events. It was all in His control; by His permission; for His glory, and for Job's ultimate good, Rom. 8:28. It was also for our learning and comfort, Rom. 15:4.

3. Satan did these thing, but could go no further than God allowed him.

4. Satan is an accuser and a liar. Rev. 12:10, Jn. 8:44

5. The fact that Job could endure such calamity - losing so much in one short day - proves what God said of him was true, and also proves God's sustaining power. What happened to Job is beyond our comprehension, and yet it is true.

6. Job did not sin, nor charge God foolishly. Up to this point he did the right thing and he glorified God.

1Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: