Daily Devotional Wednesday 18th August 2021

by William Moody

Job 2

Satan Attacks Job’s Health

2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “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? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”1 In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job’s Three Friends

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

Footnotes

[1] 2:10 Or disaster; also verse 11

(ESV)

Satan and the Lord here discuss Job again. God’s continues to speak highly of Job (v3). There is sadness as God mentions what has happened to Job.

Satan again accuses Job of having just conditional commitment to the Lord (v4-5) Satan is given permission to harm Job (v6), but a limit is put on what he can do. As we consider the problem of evil in the world, we need to remember that God constantly limits what evil can do.

Satan attacks Job’s body and he becomes a very sorry sight (v7-8). His miserable life has now become so much worse.

Job’s wife adds to his suffering (v9). When he needs support she is encouraging him to turn from God. Job though refuses to listen to his wife’s advice and remains amazingly strong in his faith (v10). We need to pray for grace to have such faith in days of trouble.

Job now has three friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar who come to show sympathy (v11). Job was unrecognisable to them because of what he has gone through (v12). They show kindness as they sit silently for seven days with Job (v13). Often the best thing we can do for those who are suffering is just to be there for them.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®),
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.