Job 2

Job 2.1-7:

"One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 2 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

3 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.”

4 Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.” 7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot."

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Remember the results of Job's first test? He passed, and I would think with flying colors! Now Satan, or the accuser, and his plan have failed to do what he thought they would do. Therefore, he comes up with another test to prove himself right and God wrong. Once more, Satan comes before God in His throne room in Heaven. Once again God 'brags' about Job, if you will. So Satan presents his next proposal for a test. The first test dealt with taking away things close to him, but Satan believes then that if you affect him himself, his loyalty would be gone. Once again, God's in control and only what He allows to happen, happens. It's crazy to me to think about all that Job has happening to him.

Job 2.8-10:

8 "Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”

10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong."

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Ouch! Once again Job takes to mourning and grieving about his current situation. But talk about a lack of support from a spouse! Could you imagine going through all of these things and having your wife question your devotion to God and integrity. Job's response to her, though, makes me chuckle! =) In his response to her, I think there's an important lesson that we should remember as well! Job asks, 'should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" I find this as a very enlightening passage because while some would claim that I'm speaking things that aren't true or even blasphemous if I were to ask this same thing, the author of Job notes, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit mind you, that in all of this, JOB SAID NOTHING WRONG. This is pretty crazy! I'm not saying that God's bad. That would be absurd! God is good! However since God is sovereign, He allows good and bad to happen and is ultimately in control/responsible of them both (notice I didn't say 'responsible FOR'... different meaning and while God is responsible for good, He's NOT responsible for bad).

Job 2.11-13:

11 "When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.12 When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words."

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This if not the only good example, is one of the only good examples that I've been able to get out of Job's friends. While later on they will proceed to accuse him of things and question his loyalty and devotion to God, here they just simply 'be' and sit with Job. Job's anguish is great. He's lost his wealth, his kids, he's been left with a nagging wife, and his health has been taken as well! The last words of this chapter share it well, "they sat on the ground WITH him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words." Sometimes whenever we see people in pain, we really don't have to comfort them initially with words. That might come later, but often times I've found that it serves best to sit there and listen to the other individual, allowing them to vent and express their pain/anguish. Well that's the end of Job's second test and chapter 2! Any of you notice anything that you thought was cool? =)

"Father may we learn to accept good and bad and simply rely on You whenever we encounter both! I also want to pray that You would help us become good friends that will comfort one another in a loving and beneficial way whenever another one needs it. Father we love You so much! It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen!"