November 16: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN

“But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” Job 1:11

Satan’s claim that Job’s love for God is not genuine, but based on the receiving of material blessings, is positive proof that he cannot see into human hearts as God can. Our adversary is attempting to provoke God into snatching away the worldly blessings with which Job has been entrusted. God allowed Satan some leeway to prove his bogus claim. Notice that God was not provoked into taking away Job’s earthly blessings. Instead, He told Satan, “you will have to do it yourself”: And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (v.12)

Yesterday we gained a glimpse into Satan’s tactic of accusing God’s people of impure motives before Him. The flip side of that same “coin” reveals that he accuses God of impure motives in our sight. The first example of this that we see is in Eden (Genesis 3:4-5), but later it is revealed that Satan had previously waged a campaign of words and ideas against God among the angels, and was eventually cast out of Heaven as a result: War broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:7-9)

The attack upon Job by Satan was misrepresented as being from God (v.16). The one who came to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) used people and weather to destroy property, steal animals, and kill children. It is of utmost importance to understand Job’s response to this tidal wave of misfortune: he gave God glory for all of the blessings he had enjoyed, and he also understood that the LORD had allowed them to be removed: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. Job 1:21-22

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7