Job - chapter 2
Chapter 2
Job 2:1-13 KJV
(1) Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
Again. . . the day when the sons of God came before God, and satan was again with them. We’re only given the bare bones. Was this day a regularly scheduled occurrence? How many ‘sons of God’ are there? What kind of venue did they meet in? Was it on earth or heaven? Are their manifestations vaporous as spirits? How do they communicate, is it entirely mental. . . telepathically? What language do they use? How do they address Him? Jehovah? Almighty God?
The Hebrew word translated as ‘sons’ here (Strong’s H1121), ‘bane’, appears 4925 times in the KJV Old Testament. It is overwhelmingly translated as ‘sons’ as in sons of fathers. . . The phrase ‘sons of God’ appears 11 times in the KJV, 5 times in the Old Testament, and 6 times in the New.
Here are all the instances of ‘sons of God’ in the KJV:
Genesis 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
1John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
In the Old Testament the phrase refers to heavenly entities. In the New Testament the phrase refers to human believers. Whatever the case, the use is significant, not trivial.
(2) And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
An exact repeat of Job 1:7. If satan is to be believed, a BIG if, from his statements here in Job, he spends his days exploring the Earth. I do not believe that he’s interested in beautiful sunsets, or majestic mountains. His interest is:
John 10:10 KJV
(10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
I don’t know what is in the mind of satan, but drawing parallels with people who are destructive, and seem to enjoy tearing down and destroying other people, they are often inwardly insecure, and can only feel good in their own eyes, by tearing others down.
(3) And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
God repeats verse 8 of chapter 1 here, which as we previously discussed must have been very wounding to satan, but here he adds the last sentence reminding satan that he failed in his attempt to destroy Job.
(4) And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.(5) But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
satan, ignoring God’s positive words regarding Job, wants to ramp up the stakes. . . strike Job personally. . . satan now attempts to become a prophet, predicting (falsely) the future.
(6) And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
Granted additional powers by God, God puts a boundary around what satan can do to Job.
How do we view this interaction between God and satan? I do not believe that God gives satan permission for every evil act. . . every horrific disease. . . every rape, murder, molestation that takes place. I believe the evil of this world is a consequence of our initial rebellion against God. Our rejection of God’s authority, gave satan authority. This interaction between God and satan is a special circumstance, for our benefit. . . possibly for satan’s benefit. . . probably for Job’s benefit.
(7) So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. (8) And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
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What a terrible trial. Losing his wealth. Losing his children, and now losing his health. . .sitting in the ashes. . . not on a chair or bed, but in the dirt of the ground, amidst the cook fire remains. How could Job’s life get any worse?
(9) Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Unspoken in all of this is the grief of Job’s wife at the loss of her children. I lost my son. I know well that grief, but I don’t know the depth of grief of his mother. . . One flesh for nine months. A father cannot know the grief of a mother at the loss of a child. Somehow Job’s wife seems to intuitively attribute the events to a test of Job. She is enduring all but Job’s latest affliction of health issues, along with him. Does she somehow believe that the test of Job will stop, if only he capitulates, and blames God?
(10) But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
Job rightly rebukes his wife. The spiritual strength of Job in this statement. . . loss of wealth, and children, and health, now added the loss of his wife. Rather than supporting one another, his wife has fractured their union, and left Job truly alone in his misery. God has blessed us so greatly. Should we abandon Him at the first sign of trouble? The depth of Job’s wife’s despair in revealed in her words. . .
(11) Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
Job’s three ‘friends’ came. The only name found outside the book of Job, is ‘Eliphaz’, a son of Esau who Jacob/Israel bought his birthright for a pot of porrige. His name means ‘god of gold.’ We know nothing of them, other than being described as friends. The verse says: ‘they had made an appointment together’. From this we can assume that they lived in close proximity to one another, long distance communication being beyond what was possible in that day. Seemingly arriving at the same time, perhaps they traveled together.
(12) And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
His friends arrive and genuinely appear to share Job’s grief. He is so consumed with grief, and physical disfigurement. . . covered in boils (skin ulcers), and ashes. . . a shell of his former self, that they do not recognize his appearance.
(13) So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
Their response is commendable. They sat with him as true friends should. . . supporting him by their presence, but staying by him in his grief. There if needed, but not intruding on Job’s abyss of sorrow. . .
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