(Job 2:1-6) 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. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered 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 to ruin him without cause.” 4 Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” 6 So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”
Satan's second test was against Job's person. From the symptoms described, it could have been elephantiasis or a leukemia of the skin. Affecting his entire body, his skin was crusty, hard and oozing puss, which would have attracted worms. This was accompanied by a fever and aching bones.
Not only was Job in excruciating physical pain, but Satan influenced problems in the marriage. When Satan was speaking to God, he had predicted that Job would curse God; so somehow Job's wife got the idea that this is what Job should do...
(Job 2:7-10) 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. 8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.
9 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 speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
At least Job's three friends did what friends should do - initially! For one week, they showed sympathy and gave him comfort and support with their presence.
In the rest of the book, they began to suggest that Job must have sinned in order to deserve all of this. But from the first two chapters of Job, we know that this was not true. We have been told that Job was a man of integrity and that God allowed him to be tested...
(Job 2:11-13) Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky. 13 Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
From this we see:
- God allows demons to meet with Him in heaven for now (2:1)
- demons have access to the heaven for now (2:1)
- sons of God are angels (2:1)
- Satan and demons are "angelic" beings (2:1)
- demons are beings (like a person), they are not just evil influences (2:1)
- demons can roam and walk (2:2)
- demons can hold conversations (2:2)
- demons have emotions, Satan was antagonistic toward Job (2:4-5)
- demons are intellectual and calculating (2:4-5)
- demons have some amount of power, but are limited by God's sovereign control (2:6)
- demons have some sort of power over our health (2:7)
- demons lie and try to accuse God's children (2:4)
- demons desire to disgrace God and oppose and destroy God's Person, His plan and His people (2:5)
- demons cannot act without God's permission (2:6)
Personal experience: while on the mission field, I contracted dengue, which is a mosquito-borne tropical fever. It kept me from work for quite a while, and even when I went back to work, I probably shouldn't have. In fact, I should have been hospitalized as soon as I got sick.
Anyway, would-of-could-of-should-of - what was done was done - and my immune system was compromised. It has taken over two decades to figure out how to manage chronic sinusitis, etc. However, throughout all of this, even now, I have to look at it as a blessing! Not only does it make me pace myself and consider which important things in life should be tackled first; but it makes me continually depend on God for my strength and health.
Today's takeaway: it is so easy to take our health and comfort for granted! Did a demon escort that mosquito my way??? I have no idea! But if that's how it happened, it was only through God's permission. And through these tests and trials, there is no advantage in getting upset.
Even the medical field knows that stress does not help one's health. In fact, stress can cause health issues. So if sin did not "cause" a health issue - a sinful attitude after-the-fact will only exacerbate the issue.
Just as a doctor does a diagnostic assessment for our physical health, we should be doing daily diagnostic assessments on our spiritual health. Treatment for that can be immediate!...
(James 5:13-16) Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much
(Philippians 4:4-9) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
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