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SEVENTEEN
Job’s Test

Many Christians prefer to ignore or avoid the book of Job because it challenges or perhaps contradicts their theology. We must be humble enough to admit, however, that when our theology contradicts the Bible, it isn’t the Bible that needs to be changed—it’s our theology. I can hardly believe that God wants us to ignore any book of the Bible, much less one that contains forty-two chapters.

Job experienced one of the most severe trials that any person has ever faced. His was a M.I.T.—a Maturing/Testing Intended Trial. Job’s friends, however, considered his trials to be D.I.T.s—Disciplinary Intended Trials. In their minds, all suffering is God’s judgment upon sin, so they assumed Job must have sinned to a great degree to deserve such severe punishment. Job himself was baffled as to why he was being afflicted. We, however, have a supreme advantage over Job and his friends because we have the book of Job to read. There we find the reason why such bad things happened to this good man: 

Now there was a day when the sons of God [angels?] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered [literally, ‘set your heart to’] My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Thy hand now and touch all that he has; he will curse Thee to Thy face.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord (Job 1:6-12). 

We know precisely why Job was afflicted: Satan accused Job of serving God only because of the blessings he received. Supposedly, according to Satan, if God didn’t bless Job so much, Job would stop serving Him, and he’d curse God to His face. As a result, Job was tested, and God permitted Satan to take away practically every blessing Job had ever received. Satan (through various means) killed Job’s livestock, his children, and most of his servants. He lost everything except his wife and his health.

When Job learned of the tragedies, did he curse God? No, he amazingly fell to the ground and worshiped the Lord, saying, “The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Obviously Job had no idea that Satan was the one who actually did the taking away, but at least he recognized the sovereign hand of God. His trials could never have happened without God’s permission as we have been reading from the Scriptures. 

Job’s Second Trial 

Some amount of time passed, and again Satan appeared before God: 

And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered [literally ‘set your heart to’] My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him without cause.” And Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse Thee to Thy face.” So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head (Job 2:3-7, emphasis added). 

Still Job didn’t react as Satan predicted. Even when his wife encouraged him to curse God, Job said, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not adversity?” (Job 2:10). From what I can tell, Job passed the test. He never cursed God.

I can’t answer every question that the book of Job raises, but I can say that it comes as no surprise to me that Job was tested. We have already looked at numerous examples of people whom the Bible says God tested.

God tested Adam and Eve in the garden. God tested Abraham when He commanded him to sacrifice Isaac. God tested all of the people of Israel at the bitter waters of Marah, as well as at other times. We’ve read that God tested Joseph and David. In addition, there are plenty of other people whom the Bible says God tested and many other scriptures that refer to God’s testings that we haven’t had the space to examine. (If you are interested in every biblical example, see the appendix.) In fact the Bible says that God tests everyone. So why should we be shocked to find that God tested Job as well?

It does appear that Job’s testing was more severe than any other biblical character, but possibly God had a higher purpose in mind. Some have suggested that if Satan could prove that the best man on earth was actually only outwardly righteous, but inwardly wicked, then he could prove that no person was worth redeeming. I don’t know if that is true or not because the Bible doesn’t say. Regardless, the point is, Job was tested.

Notice that when Satan accused Job of only serving God because of what God did for him, God did not reply, “So what if that is why Job serves Me? I don’t care!” No, obviously God does not want us to serve Him solely because of the blessings we receive. We should obey God because He is God, regardless of any promised rewards. Perhaps we should ask ourselves how we would react if we were tested to the degree that Job was. How many people have become angry at God for lesser difficulties? 

Was Job to Blame for His Trials? 

Some well-meaning people who want to exonerate God in this story, try to place the blame on Job for his problems. If we can find some flaw in Job, then we can let God “off the hook.” We need to be careful, however, in looking for flaws in a man about whom God Himself said, “There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:8).

Some have suggested that Job opened the door to Satan through his fear, based upon Job’s statement in 3:25: “For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.” They say that if Job hadn’t been afraid, he never would have lost his children, servants, health, and livestock.

I must ask, If Job opened the door through fear, what is the point of the first two chapters of the book of Job? Why did Satan have to appear before God before he afflicted Job?

If Job was full of fear and not faith, why would God brag about him as the one person on the earth who stood out among all the rest? Especially when we know that “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6)? Job was a man of much greater faith than the average person, as demonstrated by the fact that he worshiped God after being afflicted. How many of us would have lost all faith in God if we had been in Job’s place?

If Job’s fear was the reason for his affliction, did he become more fearful after the first test and, therefore, open the door wider to lose his health?

If Job opened the door through fear, why did God or Satan never mention that fact?

If Job opened the door through fear, why didn’t the loving God tell him so he could resist Satan and not be afflicted? Or why didn’t God mention to Job that he opened the door through fear during the final chapters when He spoke directly to Job? Foremost, why did God say to Satan, “You incited Me against him, to ruin him without cause.” (Job 2:3, emphasis added)?

Again, if Job opened the door through fear, then what is the point of the first two chapters of this book? The idea that Job opened the door to Satan through fear is certainly not valid, and such an interpretation, although well-meaning, is strained at best.

I might also mention that Job said in 30:26: “When I expected good, then evil came; when I waited for light, then darkness came.” By taking another scripture out of context, we could just as easily (and wrongly) prove that Job opened the door to Satan by expecting good things! 

A Happy Ending 

Job persevered during his months (see Job 7:3; 29:2) of being tested. He spent some of that time debating with a few of his friends who had nicely packaged God into their own theological box. Although they relentlessly tried to convince Job that his suffering was punishment from God because of his sin (a D.I.T.), Job steadfastly maintained his innocence.

Understandably, Job also spent some of his time in prayer, and there were a few times when he questioned God as to what he had done to deserve the treatment he had received. He concluded that God hated him and was treating him unfairly, punishing a righteous man. For that, in the end, Job was rebuked by the Lord Himself: 

Then the Lord said to Job, “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it....Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?” (Job 40:2, 7-8). 

And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning, and he had 14,000 sheep, and 6,000 camels, and 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. And he had seven sons and three daughters....And after this Job lived 140 years, and he saw his sons, and his grandsons, four generations (Job 42:12-13, 16). 

God’s blessings made Job even wealthier than he had been before his testing, enabling him to do even more good than he did previously. Job had first proved himself trustworthy, and it was now obvious that Job did not serve God only because of the prosperity that came with obedience. 

Are God and Satan Arguing About Us? 

When we find ourselves in the middle of a “M. I. T.,” is it because God and Satan have had an argument about us? I don’t think so, but then I don’t really know. Other scriptures do indicate that Satan may still have access to God’s throne (see Zech 3:1-2; Luke 22:31-32).

Satan is referred to as “the accuser of the brethren” in the Revelation 12:10. In fact, the scripture there says, “The accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.” Still, that doesn’t prove that every M.I.T. is a result of an argument between God and Satan. To me, this is one of “the secret things that belongs to the Lord our God” (Deut. 29:29). We just don’t know everything we would like to know. Job’s story, however, does illustrate the same truth that we have seen in other scriptures: God may allow Satan to bring a trial in order to mature or test us. 

What Can Suffering Do For You? 

Job became a better man because of his trial, both materially and spiritually. According to the Bible, suffering can have many positive results. We have already learned that by passing tests, we can prove ourselves trustworthy to handle more blessings and responsibilities. That’s one positive result of persevering under trial. Beyond that, Paul wrote: 

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character (Rom. 5:3, emphasis added). 

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (Jas. 1:2-4, emphasis added). 

When we endure during the times our faith is tested, the result is that we are perfected and completed, finally lacking in nothing. That is why we should count it all joy when we face difficulties. They are a part of God’s divine plan to make us more like Jesus. God is dedicated to our spiritual growth, and whether we care to admit it or not, Christ-like character is forged in the fires of afflictions, tests, and trials.