(Ver 1.2)  This is Part 2 in a series of lessons on understanding the book of Job.  The book of Job is a very tough book of the Bible to understand using just the reasoning found within your human mind.  If you have not read this series from the beginning, I would highly recommend that you go back and start with “Part 1”.  Too many Christians want to put themselves into the role of a Job because of all of the bad things that have happened to them and they find some peace or reason to help explain their situations in life.  They use Job to help explain what is going on in their lives, because they think if God can test Job, then he must be testing me also.  They want to see themselves as a Job being tested by God and this somehow makes them feel worthy of the bad things that have occurred.  After all they think that God sent all of these evil things that were occurring in Job’s life to test him.  That would be great if that was really what the Book of Job actually said, but that is just someone’s misinterpreted view of the book of Job and that does not make it the truth.  Nevertheless, this view is widely taught this way and that is exactly the way Satan wants it to be taught.  You see as long as you think that it is God sending you the curses of life you will have to accept them and just be patient until God changes His mind to bless you.  You do understand the difference between blessings and curses?  It is the difference between day and night and good and evil.  Blessings are good and curses are evil.  As you read the book of Job you need to figure out first who sends good things into your life and who sends the bad things to hurt you.  If you think that God sends them all, you are sadly deceived and playing into the hands of Satan.  Here is what my Bible says about God:

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

So as you can see God is the sender of every Good and Perfect gift into your life.  Then who sends the evil bad curses into your life, do they also come from heaven above?  You see you cannot conclude that they do, because this verse also says God does not change.  If there is not any shadow of turning in God, then God is not blessing you today and cursing you tomorrow.  God is not having full confidence in you today and testing you tomorrow.  This is so absolutely important for you to see and to understand.  God already knows the future, he does not have to test you to know what you are going to do, He already knows.  Whenever Christian think that God tests them, they automatically think that God is stupid and does not know the outcome.   The Bible says that God makes known the end from the beginning, so he must already know the end.  Do you get it?

The story of Job is a story of God’s blessings and Satan’s curses.  If you confuse the two roles you are just going to be deceived.  If you recall, we have already looked at the first 12 verses of the book of Job.  Job was said to be an upright righteous man blessed of God with tremendous wealth.  This is what God is guilty of doing for Job.   Satan sees the hedge of protection that God has placed around Job and his family and Satan starts to look for ways into Job to force God into lowering the hedge of protection.  I showed you that Satan is called the “accuser” of the people of God in Revelation 12.  Suddenly Satan appears in heaven and starts the legal accusation process.   God is a God who holds all power and all knowledge.  God is an omnipotent God and only He sees the future.  But just because God is all powerful, too many Christians want to think that God controls everything that happens in the world.  This results in a “No Fault” Christian religion.  In other words no matter what happens to me in life, it is not my fault.  This makes it all God’s fault.  People like to think that when good things happen to them it is God’s blessings, but when bad things happen to them that it is just God’s tests and trials.  However, I showed you in Deuteronomy where God says I set before you life and death and blessings and curses, now you choose life.  So it would appear that God places the choice for both life and blessings in the hands of men on the earth.  But, here is Job’s problem, he didn’t have Deuteronomy to read and he certainly didn’t have the book of Revelation to read.  Job is flying in the game of life blindly, by the seat of his pants trying to figure out what to do and how to do it.  This is Job’s greatest weakness, his ignorance.  In Hosea 4:6 the Bible tells us clearly why God’s people are destroyed and it declares that it is for their lack of knowledge.  If only Job had possessed the correct knowledge Satan would not have been able to make inroads into his life.  This is what I am attempting to teach you about so that you do not fall into the same mistakes as Job.  There is a popular quote that says those that fail to learn the past are destined to repeat it.  Are you learning anything from God and Job yet?  We are about to see that ignorance is what it is that is controlling what is happening to Job.  So let’s continue our Bible study of this valuable book:

Job 1:13  And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

This verse reveals that the children of Job have not changed their ways.  They are still party animals and are in the process of having fun and fulfilling their fleshly desires.  Here we find out that these are not young kids, for the eldest has a house of his own.  At the least the eldest doesn’t live with dad Job anymore and it could be that every kid had their own house.

Job 1:14  And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:

What we are beginning to see is the power of Satan being made manifest that God describes to us in verse 12.  It is funny how a messenger is spared in each case to come tell Job of the bad news.  It is also interesting to note that before one messenger stops speaking another shows up with more bad news.  So you can see the rapid progression of simultaneous events.  Let’s continue reading and see what happens:

Job 1:15  And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Do you see how Satan works?  Satan does not come into this world and steal your stuff from you personally.  Satan uses people in this world to steal your stuff from you.  This is the only legal course that Satan can take.   The Bible says there has no temptation overtaken you except that which is common to man (1 Cor 10:13).  The words “common to man” means “in the natural course of things”.  In other words it is illegal for Satan to tempt you supernaturally.  But, the Greek word translated as “temptation” also means “to test”.  Job is being tested, but it is certainly not God that is doing it.  The Bible says in James 1:13, “Let no man say when he is tested that I am tested of God, for God cannot be tested with evil and neither does God test any man”.  I changed the words that were translated as “tempted” to “tested” because that is what the word means in the Strong’s.  Look it up for yourself, if you do not believe me.  Prove all things and then hold fast to those that are true.  The story of Job is definitely the testing of Job and how Job survives it using his patience and the grace of God.  But, James says God does not test men, so God clearly had nothing to do with the tests of Job.  Do you understand this?  If you do we can continue, if you do not you should go back and reread James a couple of hundred times until you get it.

Job 1:16  While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

It seems that the messengers just keep coming and bringing more and more bad news.  God gets blamed for something in this verse that He did not do.  This still happens today.  People call earthquakes and hurricanes acts of God.  These clearly destroy things and kill people and take away human life.  Is this the God that you serve?  It is not the God that I serve.  My Bible says that God is Love!  Love does not bless you today and take it all away tomorrow.  That doesn’t make any sense for our God to do that.  One of the most important verses in the Bible is John 10:10 and it clearly describes God’s role and Satan’s role in the world.

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

This verse sound like a major problem for the God is testing us theory.  What is the major difference being described to us in this verse? Who is the speaker and who is he speaking about?  Jesus (God in the flesh) is speaking here to us personally and He said I came that you might have life and that life more abundantly.  Now using this information if you try to say that God sends hurricanes on the earth when someone dies; then somebody lied when they wrote the Bible.  Do you think that Jesus lied or was He just confused about His role with the Father God?   God the Son came to Give us Life; but God the Father sends storms that will kill you.  Would this mean that God’s house is divided?  Is God opposed to Himself?  Which one is God doing, giving life or killing you?  What did Jesus say about a house divided?  If God gives life to people and kills people this is a Dr Jekyll and a Mr Hyde type of God and that is clearly a problem to me.  You better go and study your Bible a lot more before you accuse God of sending storms to kill people.

Job 1:17  While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Again we see another example of how Satan can influence people to come and attack you, steal from you and do you harm.  So here we get to some of the most devastating news:

Job 1:18  While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

Job 1:19  And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

A strong wind from the wilderness; what is that?  That sounds like a tornado if you ask me.  I do not know of any stronger wind on this planet than one of these forces of nature.  Can Satan cause one of these to occur?  It would appear from reading this story that he can.  The force of the wind was directed at the house of the eldest brother, was this a coincidence?   It cannot be a coincidence given the sequence of events that have just transpired in rapid succession.  The odds for all of these events occurring to Job in that short of time are astronomically impossible.   You talk about bad luck; it seems that Job has just hit the bad luck lottery.  Here we are just 19 verses into Job and most of his possessions are taken, his children killed and this all in the matter of minutes.

I am going to stop with chapter 1 and 2 and skip ahead in the book of Job to show why this is occurring and what Job did to open the door for Satan to do it to him.  You see if you begin to understand things in the Bible, you can apply what you learn in other places to help you better understand places like Job.   What we will do is see if Job gives us any clues to what choices he made in order to choose the curses instead of the blessings.  What we are going to do is look for what Job did and not focus on what you think God did or did not do.  So let’s skip forward and read the last 3 verse of chapter 3 and learn what Job says about what just happened:

Job 3:24  For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.

Job 3:25  For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

Job 3:26  I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

Amazingly enough there are some critical clues in these three verses.  These verses taken in light of other verses in the Bible clearly demonstrate where Job missed it and allowed Satan to have access to his life and his family.  Let’s see what he says.

Verse 24 speaks of Job’s” roarings like water”, what is that?  What happens when a lion roars?  It is making vocal sounds.  Well this is a clue that Job was running his mouth too much.   What is water a symbol of in the Bible?  The N.T. tells us that we are made clean by the washing of the water of the word (Eph 5:26).   So water must represent God’s spoken words in this verse.  God speaks words that can make us clean, so what kind of words does the enemy Satan speak?  I believe these are words that make us dirty.  So what kind of words are you speaking?

Pro 18:4  The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

So Words are Water!  I do not have time to teach you everything that the Bible says about words in this lesson but you can go read my other lessons on this subject.  In James God tells us that our mouths are like water from fountains and asks can a fountain bring forth fresh water and salt water at the same time?  No it cannot, but it can either bring forth only fresh water or it can also bring forth the fresh mixed with the bitter undrinkable salt water.  It would appear to me to be a choice to which one that you allow your mouth to bring forth.  I will tell you very plainly that I believe your spoken words are Satan’s number one access into your life.  If you say the wrong things, you open the door for Satan to waltz right in and use his power to steal, kill and destroy you.  You in effect give him orders that allow his work to be accomplished.  It is like a spiritual permission slip that is granted to him.  Let me help to prove what I just said using the Bible to back it up:

Pro 6:2  Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

Proverbs teaches us some very powerful lessons on the words that we speak.  This is one of the most powerful lessons to learn found in this verse.   God clearly tells us that we are “snared” or “taken” captive by the words of our mouth.  To be “snared” or “taken” captive means to be imprisoned, enslaved, or to be trapped into something or somewhere that you do not want to be.  Do you understand this?  It is like falling into a pit and you did know was there.  So is Job facing a situation that he did not want to be in?  Of course he is, Job has been trapped or tricked into a series of things that were clearly not what he desired to happen to him.   What happens to Job is based upon Job’s spoken words first and foremost, but that is not the entire problem revealed to us.  Let’s look at the next verse in chapter 3.

In verse 25 of chapter 3, Job says that the thing that I feared the most has come upon me.  That which I was greatly afraid of has over taken me.  People, who do not understand faith in the Bible, do not know what Job has just told us.  The Bible in the N.T. tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6).  So why is faith so important to God?  And then what is faith so that we can please God?  Again I cannot teach you the answers to either of these questions fully in this blog.  It would take way too long.  I can only begin to tell you what faith is not in this blog.  Faith is not fear.   Faith is not being afraid.   In fact fear is the opposite of faith.  If you would like to read about “Understanding Bible Faith” then you can go to this series of lessons that will better explain why Job failed.  Fear opens up the door for Satan to cause what you are afraid of to come to pass in your life.    Faith opens the door for God to bless you and fear opens the door for Satan to curse you.  This is how the whole Bible works and it is a common theme from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22.

Finally in Job verse 26 of chapter 3 we see more of the problem being described to us.  To be in faith means to be in peace, but yet Job was in fear so he was definitely not peaceful and resting.  The Bible says that to those who have believed they have entered into rest (Heb 4:3).  When you have faith in God you can rest that he will do what He has promised.  This is also having peace in your spirit.  Job did not have this, so Job was open to the attack of Satan.  Job was constantly in fear and was worried about his children and offered sacrifices to help his children and Job did this continually provring he was not in faith believing that it was working.  This is not peace or rest, it is works based and the Bible says that no man is ever justified by his works.

Did you know that in any court of this land, you cannot go in and plead ignorance?  Ignorance is never a valid reason for committing a crime. I’m sorry judge I didn’t know driving 140 was illegal.  So it is with God’s spiritual laws.  Just because you do not understand faith, spoken words, peace and rest does not mean you can get away with not doing them.  You can clearly see that Job’s problem was at least 3 fold.  He couldn’t keep his mouth shut; he was in fear for his family and finally he did not have any confidence in God’s ability so he could not rest.  These are just Bible basics that God has hidden in the Word of God so that we can find them.  We can also clearly see why God said everything that he possesses is in your power.  It was Job’s own words and actions that open the door for Satan to come in.  I would strongly suggest if you do not know much about faith and spoken words that you go study these two subjects extensively.  If you can understand these, then you can clearly see how Job let Satan into his life.  Then you can apply the lessons of Job to understand this is also how you let Satan have access to your life.  So it is a vitally important subject to learn.  I have gone too long in this lesson, so I’ll end it right here.  I pray that you will continue reading in the next lesson so that we can learn some more from the book of Job.   God Bless!

If you would like to continue reading this series you can continue with “Part 3“.