Job's Second Temptation (Job #3) - Bible Baptist Church

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Text: Job 2

Some have said the theme of Job is “why do good people suffer?” That’s not the theme, but it is a question that leads to the theme. The theme of Job, the most ancient book we have in existence in the world today, the theme is that God is right in everything He does. Since God’s righteousness is the theme, this temptation to bring an accusation against God shows up several times in the beginning of the book of Job.

Job is concerned that his children may have cursed God in 1:5
Satan is the being in creation who brings into question God’s righteousness: Job 1:9-10, 2:4-5, Job’s wife questions God’s judgment in 2:9
The most important thing you have is your attitude toward God and what you think about his judgment.
The unbeliever says if he can find a flaw in God, then he can ignore any judgment that God would make on his life. So he says:
- What kind of God would send people to hell? And what he really means is the God of the Bible is a tyrant therefore I don’t have to listen to him.
- What kind of God would allow a baby to die? And what he really means is the God of the Bible is a merciless dictator therefore I don’t have to listen to him.
- What about the people who have never heard? And what the scoffer really means is the God of the Bible is an unjust lunatic therefore I don’t have to listen to him.
But the God of the Bible is:
- Deuteronomy 32:4 …a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
- Psalms 7:9 …for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
- Isaiah 45:21 …a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
- Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

The Devil (vss 1-6)

(vs 1) sons of God are angels in the Old Testament. They show up in Genesis 6 and they are angels there. They show up in Job 38:4-7 and they are angels present at creation.
(vs 2) speak of the devil…1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
(vs 3) This is a heavenly conversation between God and the devil. Paul said in Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(vss 4-5) Satan’s has no direct access to a soul. His way in is through the flesh, the carnal part of mankind. Satan will cause Job physical pain by giving him a medical problem. The devil has a close relationship with the flesh.
- 1 Corinthians 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
- Paul had a messenger of Satan that was a thorn in his flesh.
- Luke 13:11-16 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
- 1 Corinthians 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
- Ephesians 2:2-3 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
- Satan’s temptation in the flesh of Jesus Christ
- People, to the devil, are pawns in his attempt to hurt and overthrow God’s work.
- People to the Lord are precious souls who God wants to see bear fruit in faith and grow up as royalty in his kingdom.

Job’s only comfort (vss 7-8)

Job ends up with a terrible medical problem.
The doctors would have their diagnosis of several staph infections. They would search in vain for a cause. Maybe Job got these infections from digging cuts and scrapes digging around in the rubble of what use to be his home to find and bury his children. But that’s not the reason.
The healers would tell Job he just needs more faith to get over his disease. But faith wouldn’t heal Job’s painful boils.
Job’s only source of comfort is a sharp edge of a broken pot he uses to open up the boils and let them drain.

Job’s wife (vss 9-10)

Job’s wife suffered everything Job suffered except the boils.
Apparently his wife was no fool, Job says you’re talking foolishly, it’s not like you to say these things.
And the devil certainly got Job’s wife. He got Adam’s wife too in the beginning.

Job’s friends (vss 11-13)

These men make an appointment to come see Job and for seven days they do a good job. They keep their mouth shut.
There isn’t always something to say. And things don’t always need to be said.

The lessons in all this are found in verse 10.

Then the lesson from a man who has suffered more concentrated suffering than any other man on earth opens his mouth and instructs in wisdom.
Satan wanted to squeeze a curse out of Job, but couldn’t do it.
1- Job trusts the God of the blessings, not the blessings themselves.
- You know that trusting God when everything is right is really not that valuable. But trusting the Lord in trouble is very precious.
- God’s testimony of Job is there is no cause to destroy Job. He’s not self righteous. Job doesn’t have something wrong with him that God is trying to prove to him. In fact, God sees a man whose faith can be tried and he won’t budge.
- 1 Peter 1:7 7 That the trial of (Job’s) faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
2 – Job says suffering injustice is not a reason to sin, but a reason to stay faithful.
- 1 Peter 2:20-25 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
- If your motive and goal in life is equal rights and to be treated fairly, at best, you’ll never be a good Christian. At worst, you may not be saved.