Job 1: Job's First Test

Job 1:21 "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

This doesn't read like what I've been reading. It sounds a lot like a parable. A story. It doesn't read like a history book. Anyway, it is a story with a pretty incredible beginning. We are introduced to Job, who is described to be a lot like Noah...most notable for being upright and a God-fearing man. He was a rich man with a large family from the merry old land of Uz. 

Job would even make atonement sacrifices for his family after large feasts, just in case they debauched themselves, so they would be covered. Was this something God commanded? Could that substitutionary sacrifice work, for someone who's heart may or may not have been in the right place? Or was it Job's invention? I'm curious to know what God's thoughts on this were. It apparently wasn't a sin. I don't recall reading about it in my perusal of Leviticus or Deuteronomy. 

So one day, the angels come to present themselves before God. Apparently it's angel inspection time. Satan was one of them, and God asks what he's been doing. Satan was wandering the earth. Not heaven. Unless this angel inspection was somewhere other than heaven, I don't know. God informs Satan about how awesome Job is, upright and unlike anyone else on earth. Satan says, "Psshh...that's because you protect him and make him rich. Take it away and he'll curse you."  

God says, "It's on" giving Satan permission to mess with Job, but not to touch his life.

Notable here is the differing view of man that God and Satan have. God glories in Job's goodness. Satan cynically suspects its only because God made him rich, a dig at both Job and God. Also, it is God who allows Satan to do these things, and binds him against injuring Job himself, which, if God had to mention it, Satan most certainly would have. Satan can't just do what he wants.

So anyway, Job is hanging out when a servant runs up and tells him that the Sabeans (a people group...not like, "The Sabean Family") have carried off the oxen and donkeys, and murdered all but this one servant. That stinks. 

A second servant comes up and tells Job that the fire of God came down and burned up the sheep and the servants, sparing just this one. That's troubling. 

A third servant runs up and reports that the Chaldeans came and stole the camels and murdered even more servants, sparing this one. That's infuriating.

A fourth servant arrives and reports that a mighty wind a-blew in and knocked out the four corners of the house Job's sons and daughters were partying in, and it collapsed on them and killed them all. That's horrifying.

Does Satan have the power over fire from heaven or the wind? Did Satan influence the Sabeans and the Chaldeans? I doubt it, this is probably more evil from God. And we've covered instances where God has used evil. This doesn't mean God is evil. But it was Satan's barbecue, so these things, Satan probably dreamed up, and told God what he wanted to see happen. Is that so absurd?

So...all this happens to me. I would freak out and be depressed. Would I curse God? I don't know. I'd have some serious questions for him, because I wouldn't know why this was happening. I wouldn't even think Satan was involved, and I would say, God, why are you doing this to me?

Job's perspective is grounded and sensible, without being emotionless. He recognized that all the things he had...that he owned, he had because of the LORD, so they were at his mercy to be taken away at anytime. Job probably doesn't have any misgivings that he earned any of this wealth. A person comes into the world with nothing, and that's all he has left when he leaves.