The background to the Bet:
‘Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.’ Job 1:6
God initiates the dialogue: ‘How is it going?’
The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Job 1:7
Satan gives an answer:
Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth,
and from walking up and down on it." Job 1:7
Thus far, we see that satan, like the rest of the sons of God goes to ‘worship?’. But it is apparent he is a ‘wanderer’ and ‘drifter’. God is interested to interact with Satan, to guide and teach him (and us). So God tries to help satan!
Satan seems to infer: He has seen it all (‘to and fro’, ‘up and down’) and there is not one and it is not worth it!
So, God responds with a ‘SOLUTION’ (not bet) when he points to Job (who satan is familiar with in his travels).
Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the
earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from
evil?" Job 1:8
Job was the solution for satan! While God bets on Job, the context is very different: To advice and save satan! I.e. As Job ‘turns away from evil’, you also do likewise.
Now this satan fella, was aware of Job’s way of righteous life and had probably considered adopting it. This is because he reasoned thus:
Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no
reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that
he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his
possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and
touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." (Job
1:9-11 ESV)
So begins an appeal to change, by God to satan, through Job. Was satan worth saving at the cost of Job? Now this attribute of God of using righteous men to save the wicked is a bit common: It starts with Abel who was murdered by Cain. Cain was offered forgiveness and the blood of Abel was not avenged.
Satan and Cain are parallels. Cain the wanderer:
Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth;
and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a
vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that
findeth me shall slay me. (Gen 4:14)
“And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the
land of Nod, on the east of Eden. “ (Gen 4:16)
Of Cain it is said:
1Jn 3:12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and
murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds
were evil and his brother's righteous.
Of Abel (an example like unto Job)
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice
than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending
him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he
still speaks.
Cain and Satan thought alike:
- Cain was jealous of Abel. Satan had no regard for Job. God had good
regard for Abel and Job. {God and Abel, God and Job were on the same
wavelength and team}. {Satan and Cain were on the same wavelength}
- Cain went away from the presence of God. Satan also seemed to
prefer this but yet he could not resist coming back to God’s
congregation. He is a seeker but unwilling to execute righteousness
in his life.
- Cain gets a second chance. God reasoned with Satan twice…
- God reasoned in detail with Cain (before the act) like he did with Satan:
“The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face
fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not
do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but
you must rule over it.” (Gen 4:6-7)
- Cain like Satan paid no attention to God’s word and strikes Abel as much as Satan
struck Job.
Was Cain worthy of being forgiven even though he slew his own brother out of Jealousy? Now was satan worth saving at the expense of Job?
As much as God did not slay Abel or chop the head of John the Baptist neither it is God who intents to bring evil on innocent Job. God’s goal was to bless Job, so he did. But God not willing that wicked or half believing people should perish, uses righteous, holy and innocent people to ‘try’ and save them.
Others with a similar fate as Job
Elijah was a righteous prophet who was worthy of honor yet he was persecuted by Ahab and Jezebel! Likewise we find great prophets such as Jeremiah humiliated and jailed.
The story of the prophet Zechariah had a sad & unjust ending:
Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the
priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says
God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the LORD, so that you
cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken
you.'” But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they
stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD. Thus
Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada,
Zechariah’s father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was
dying, he said, “May the LORD see and avenge!” (2 Chronicles 24:20-22
ESV)
- Zechariah was the son of Jehoiada the priest
- Jehoiada had guided Joash in doing the right thing and had saved his life and made him king.
- Joash repaid the kindness by killing Jehoiada’s son.
- God used the blood language of LOVE to appeal: “God’s Spirit spoke to Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest,”
God and Job were on the same team. When calamity struck, his wife could not recognize it, neither his friends (but Satan knew this and wanted to break the bond).
Wandering Satan’s reasoning:
- "Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. (Job
2:4 ESV)
- "Does Job fear God for no reason?” (Job 1:9 ESV)
I.e:
Satan: “Men cannot be righteous and hate evil!”
God: Yes! They can be!
Satan: “Ha! Been every place, seen it all – I have found none!”
God: Did you miss Job “MY” servant?
Satan: “Impossible! He is a fake! He is a hypocrite! No man can be righteous or truly fear you!”
The story unfolds: More scorn!
Wife: Job your righteousness is wasted! You are a looser! Curse God and die!
Salty words from friends:
Bildad said:
“If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into
the hand of their transgression.” Job 8:4
Zophar said:
“The possessions of his house will be carried away, dragged off in the
day of God’s wrath. This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the
heritage decreed for him by God.” (Job 20:28-29)
Elipha said:
“Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into
judgment with you? Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your
iniquities. For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing
and stripped the naked of their clothing.” (Job 22:4-6)
Still Others:
“Young people now insult me, although their fathers would have been a
disgrace to my sheep dogs.” (Job 30:1 CEV)
Satan in Hebrew means 'enemy' and Job’s three friends were also behaving like his enemy. Instead of comforting him they criticized him. Now there is another dimension to the same problem. The friends, like satan, could not accept Job was righteous. They applied the law of Karma and justified his fallen and beaten state!
God finally VINDICATED Job
God finally VINDICATED Job from his friends and every other Tom, Harry and Satan!
“After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to
Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two
friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant
Job has.” Job 42:7
God was not against Job but for Job! That is the beginning and end of the story! God loved Job and he was even merciful towards satan and the three friends. But, he had higher regard for Job.
God’s attitude towards Job’s friends (forgiveness and second chance):
Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job
and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall
pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you
according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right,
as my servant Job has." (Job 42:8 ESV)
Hopefully, the friends and the people at the time learnt a great lesson from the life of Job i.e. follow in his example.
James’s view of the story (in essence):
“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have
heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of
the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. ” (Jas 5:11)
Eventually, God would allow his son to be murdered at the hands of wicked men to save others. As Hebrews put it, ‘looking to Jesus’:
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to
Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is
seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who
endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may
not grow weary or fainthearted.” (Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV)