Bible In One Year-Day 244 (Monday, September 1, 2014)

Commentary: Job1-3. In the scripture, there are many instances where debates and deliberations took place in the spirit realm over a situation or personality. The book of Job started with one unique one; a debate over the personality of Job, the righteous one. If we regard the book as a book of debate, we will be right in that after the debate between God and Satan, the remaining part was a debate between Job and his earthly friends.

He never knew that there was a debate in heaven over him and was never revealed to him in the dream of vision that something was about to happen. He was so squeezed by the devil, that his friends and wife could not bear him.

We need to know as well that the problem of Job was not due to any sin, because whatever the scripture says remains the truth. Here is how he was introduced and described by the scripture.

Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.”

To eschew is to habitually avoid or shun things especially on moral or practical ethics because you do not think it is right or proper.

This is what is required of a person of God. Job fulfilled what is required by the scripture. His life was a clear representation of what Christ says in Matthew 6:33

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

The comfort and peace in his life was a reflection God’s faithfulness. No one rivaled it in that region all his life.

Job 1:3 “His substance also was (great), and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.” (mine emphasis in parenthesis).

From this we could realize that your righteousness could anger the devil so much that he could go to obtain permission from God to harm you.

From God’s statement in the debate with Satan in Chapter 1, there are things that are under the control of Satan, yet very useful to us.

Job 1:12 “And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.”

All the wealth of Job were given to Job by God but were under the control of Satan only by permission. Satan must have tried to use these possessions to distract Job without succeeding. Job did not put his life on it, rather he used all he had to glorify God. To be wealthy and have material comfort is not a sin, but when it becomes a thing that dictates to us, then it becomes an instrument of death. Though Job had what it takes to be comfortable in life, he did not let this steal his heart from God. In the face of the bombardment of the calamities that befell Job, he blessed the Lord and refused to sin against the Lord.

Job 1:21 “And said, …; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”

The heart of Job was not in the treasure he had but in God; that is to say that God was Job’s treasure and not the possessions he had.

Matthew 6:19-20 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”

Satan became frustrated because he could not get at Job by afflicting him in taking away what gave him earthly comfort and so he went back to God for another debate over Job in Chapter 2. Satan knew that a man could compromise when he comes to the point of death. He said to God that if God allowed him to inflict his health, Job will change towards God. God told him to go ahead but refused him to tamper with his life.

Job 2:6-7 “And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore (painful) boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.”

Not only did Satan attacked his health, he also exposed him to scourge of tongues from his wife and friends to break him down emotionally. But the scripture has a testimony on him.

Job 2:10 “… In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

We have to stand for God even at the cost of our life. In the book of Job, Satan told God: “skin for skin! Indeed all that a man has he will give for the sake of his life” (2:4). Satan realizes that man values his life above everything else. But God said that the overcomers love not their lives. The attitude of the overcomer is that he does not care what Satan may do to him. Even though Satan would take his life away, he would never bow to Satan, but always remain faithful to God. The attitude of the overcomer is to be able to say to the Lord: “For Your sake there is not one thing that I would not forsake, even my life.”

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is Job4-6. Keep the fire of burning and alive.

Pastor Supo Abayode

+1-302-230-6792

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Delaware, USA