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 would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2:1-10 ESV)
Job was shown to be a sincere worshiper of the Living God in our last message from Job chapter 1. Satan gave Job his best shot, destroying his family, estate, and reputation, leaving him without hope for the future. Yet, Job maintained his integrity.
Not satisfied with the outcome, Satan requests God ‘s permission to take away Job’s physical health. The Accuser thinks that Job can forgo his family, but he cannot lose his health without finally cursing God and thus proving that he’s a phony and God is not worthy of selfless worship.
Surprisingly, the Lord grants Satan’s request with one limit – do not kill Job.
Satan once again gives Job his best shot, striking him with terrible, painful, irritating, and offensive ailments.
Job once again refuses to curse God.
Now, many of us are familiar with what happens next, and the pain and agony that Job expresses. However, this passage, along with chapter 1, raises another question with which we’ve all wrestled: Who is in control around here?
It seems like Job was doing everything right and then suffered such unimaginable pain merely because Satan requested it. Does that mean Satan is in control?
The Book of Job often “says the quiet part out loud.” That is, as Christians we are expected to be satisfied with pat answers and never question God. However, we do. In our hearts. Often. And looking at Job’s plight, how could we not?
As stated before, the Book of Job does not neatly answer all of our questions. But what the book does do is give us eternal truth that offers rest for our restlessness, light for our days of darkness. This Sunday, we will be confronted with Spirit-inspired truths that assure us that though all seem dim at times, perhaps even out of control, that God really does hold this world in his hands, and wickedness has been, and will ultimately be, conquered by the risen Christ.