In Job 2, we learn that God felt bad about Satan bringing destruction upon Job who didn’t deserve it. And how Satan persisted upon causing Job to suffer, in order for him to see Job curse God. What he did to him in this chapter is horrendous, as we will read together in this chapter. It begins with the following… 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. 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. 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. And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.” (Job 2:1-6) So did Satan trust in God’s words? Absolutely not. He thought he knew better, especially when it came to Job. Therefore, he thought he would deny God if he himself is afflicted. Did Satan’s plan work? No. However, did Job suffer? Yes, he did. Very much so, as we will read next.
So we now turn to verse 7, where Satan begins to try Job with boils all over his body. He was afflicted greatly because of this illness. And here is how it all began. 1“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. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 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 2:7-10) Wow! Can you imagine waking up one day with boils all over your body? Now, think about when you got the chicken box and how that made you itch. This illness does not compare to having blood rich boils all over ones body. This would hurt immensely, especially when any of these boils were scraped off or ruptured. Job didn’t even have the medical treatments we can get for boils in our day, but instead had to scrape them off the best he could with the tools in his time. This must have been excruciatingly painful. And in his pain, his wife was in agreement with Satan and told him to curse God and die. What was his response? 1“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?” (Job 2:10) He knew that in life there would be joy and pain, and still looked to God for comfort in these trying times. The same should be said of us when we are suffering.
The last thing we learn from this chapter is about comforting one another when they are going through a hardship. This is our duty as believers to comfort one another when times are hard. And this is exactly what Job’s three friends did. It reads, 1“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. 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. 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.” (Job 2:11-13) What these men did was a great example of what we should be doing when people around us are suffering or going through a hard time because of a death in the family, sickness, or anything else. I know how much you would love company and people calling you when times are hard, so why not do the same for people you care about. Here is one way to do this. Simply reach out to your friends on a monthly or weekly basis. Keep in touch with them over the phone and in person, if this is an option. Then, when you are talking with them, check in on their health, their job, and simply how they are doing. Then come over and lend an ear to them and pray with them. This is comforting those in need of comfort.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that we will be more kind, more compassionate, more forgiving, more loving, and more considerate of people’s needs. That we will see past ourselves and see the needs of others above ourselves. So many people are suffering in hospitals, prisons, nursing homes/assisted living facilities, on the streets, and in their homes, and so often we do nothing to help these them. This causes me to be pained and I can just imagine how people who are suffering are feeling when nobody or hardly anybody visits them or helps them. This brings tears to my eyes. Therefore, I pray that people who believe in You will also look for opportunities to love on someone who needs it most. That instead of always doing things for themselves, that their time and effort will be for others. I know that You can give us this loving and kind heart. I believe in You, God. I trust in You. Lead me to those in need, that I might bring into them Your peace and joy. I love You, Lord. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
