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“Lesson 02 - How Satan Exploited Job”
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How Satan Exploited Job
The Historical Account
It is commonly believed that Job lived after the flood, but before the time of Abraham. Living in the land of Uz, whose precise location is uncertain, Job was blessed with a large family and abundant possessions. We are told that he was the greatest of all the people in the east, 1.3. But more important than the physical blessings, was Job’s character. He is described as blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil, 1.1.
It all seemed to be going very well for Job. That is, until Satan decided to pursue him and wreak havoc in his life. Satan challenged God as to Job’s motives for faithfulness. Satan charged that Job’s faithfulness would run out just as soon as his physical possessions ran out. Stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face, 1.11. The record says God allowed Satan to act. In a matter of minutes, Job learned that all his servants, livestock, and children were killed by enemy raiders and acts of nature. After learning of these things, Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshipped, 1.20. We also read, in all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong, 1.22.
If this wasn’t enough for Job, Satan wasn’t finished. God pointed out that despite his tremendous loss, Job held fast his integrity, 2.3. Satan then determined to strike Job’s health. He still believed that Job was faithful only because of God’s blessings. Satan hit Job with all he had - the only parameter set by God was that Satan could not take his life. Job was covered with sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, 2.7.
It must have been an awful scene. When Job’s three friends heard of his plight, they came to show him sympathy and comfort him, 2.11. Job’s physical condition was so poor that Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar did not recognize Job when they first saw him. Job’s suffering was at an incredible level. So much so that for the first seven days they sat in complete silence with Job - showing empathy.
We do not know how long Job suffered. It appears to be a long period. But as Job struggled physically and fought a war of emotion, God was with him. By the end of the story, God restored Job’s fortunes - giving him twice as much as he had before, 42.10. In 42.12, we go on to read that the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. He was blessed with additional sons and daughters and great numbers of livestock. He went on to live another 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. Job died an old man, full of days, 42.16-17.
Satan’s Method of Attack
In our previous lesson, we discussed how Satan attacks us in four primary ways: emotionally, physically, spiritually, and through our relationships. Satan was particularly effective within his exploitation of Job, but ultimately Job overcame. It’s a great lesson for us as we struggle with the condition of life - dealing with physical loss, emotional stress, disease, and death. James said, consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful, James 5.11.
Satan attacked Job physically. While most of us have not had to experience the loss of multiple family members of the closest relation (sons and daughters) as well as all our physical possessions in one afternoon, we have had to endure significant events of tragedy. Sometimes the circumstances are completely outside our control. On April 27, 2011, central Alabama suffered a devastating tornado outbreak - with one of the largest (an F-5) traveling across the University campus in Tuscaloosa. Within a matter of minutes, devastation became reality from one end of town to the other. One of the victims that Wednesday afternoon was 21 year old Marcus Smith, a member of the Northwood church of Christ. Smith, a junior management systems administration student, was remembered for how he impacted those around him through servant leadership.1 Why was such a young, promising life snuffed out at such an early age? His family and friends were left to pick up the pieces and filled with unanswered questions. Job would have been asking these same questions almost 5000 years ago. While Satan may not have spawned those massive funnel clouds that day, he certainly can exploit acts of nature to bring spiritual instability to the lives of those who serve the Lord. Such calamities are simply facts of living in a fallen world where sin, disease, decay, and death reign. And there is little doubt that Satan struck as close to the heart of Job as he could without attacking the man himself.
When his first attack failed, Satan also worked to get to Job through striking his health. The sores he suffered from would have been a source of unimaginable pain - from which no relief could be found. Job’s condition was especially hideous, as they affected how he looked and smelled. My breath is strange to my wife, and I am a stench to the children of my own mother,” Job 19.17. Imagine being in this condition day after day. You would begin to be effected - and Satan can and will seize that as an opportunity to question, doubt, and blame God.
Before moving off this point, I think it is very important to emphasize that Satan’s power has been severely curtailed since the events in Job took place. Obviously, during this time Satan had the ability to reach out and directly touch the lives of individuals - inflicting them with immeasurable difficulty and even death. However, I believe with Satan’s defeat through Jesus’ death on the cross, this level of power is no more. After the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden, God looked forward to a time when, he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel, Genesis 3.15b. While Satan no longer has the ability to directly impact us physically, there should be little argument over the fact of his ability to exploit physical events in the natural course of life in the furtherance of his agenda through raising doubt and blaming God. Satan’s tactics have not changed. He still persists in probing and probing until he finds our point of vulnerability. We need to be always aware of his methods.
Satan worked through Job’s relationships. Have you ever wondered why Job’s wife wasn’t killed in all the horrific events that happened that day of great calamity? I wonder if Satan left her in place in order to get to Job. When her husband came down with his severe health difficulties, there is little doubt that she was still undergoing the emotional trauma of losing her sons and daughters. When Job lost his health, she just gave up. Now, with her surrender, Satan uses the opportunity for his interests as she faithlessly heaps criticism on her husband for his continued faithfulness to his Creator. It is one thing to be tempted and pushed by those we do not have close relationships with. But it is entirely another thing to be pulled down by our closest companion. If there ever was a place of vulnerability, it would have been here. But, Satan failed to break through. In all of this Job did not sin with his lips, Job 2.10.
Satan also worked through Job’s three friends. Although they had the best of intentions, they wound up giving Job bad advice and could have driven him to the point of giving up. Never doubt the effectiveness and subtlety of Satan’s tactics.
Satan worked through Job’s emotions. Satan assumed that Job’s motives for serving God were purely selfish. He assumes the same about us. By afflicting Job with a physically painful, psychologically depressing and socially detestable disease, Satan figured he had found the perfect weapon in penetrating Job’s blameless and upright character. By working through physical and emotional pain, Satan seeks to squeeze us into giving in. Each one of us can handle differing levels of stress. Some have a low threshold. Others can handle a great deal for a long time. But, holding multiple high stressors simultaneously can cause us to be especially vulnerable. Think of the most severe stress factors we experience in life: divorce, death of a spouse, job loss, and moving to a new location are just a few. Stress is multiplied with several of these factors come to play within a short period of time. Without the help of God, we could very well break under the strain. When these moments come, we need to be prepared emotionally and seek the help of our spiritual family to be a source of support.
Conclusion
While Satan’s goal is to make us suffer, the story of Job teaches us that his power is limited by the protection of God. Satan’s sole purpose is to cause us to doubt God’s integrity, authority, and wisdom. He uses many different methods to attack. He can use the events of nature, the decline of our physical bodies, and events of chance to manipulate our thoughts. Someone has said that “Satan is a terrorist who customizes his attacks to fit the circumstances and take his victims by surprise.”2 He will continue to probe us until he finds a way to make us fall. As he probes, we make the decision as to how we will respond. Will we curse God and die, or will we trust God and grow?
Questions for Discussion
- Describe Job’s life and possessions before Satan’s attack.
- List the four events in 1.14-19 that Satan launched to take out Job’s possessions and family.
- How does Job respond? See 1.20-22
- How else did Satan attack Job? See 2.4-8
- Do you think Satan still has the power to attack this way today? How?
- What can we learn from Job in order to handle Satan’s advances?
- How did Satan work though Job’s wife?
- How did Job respond?
- How do you think this effected their relationship?
- Did Satan work through Job’s three friends?
1 Bamaproducer (2011). “UA Student and Tornado Victim Remembered As “Servant” and “Leader” At Memorial Service Attended by Hundreds”. Retrieved 12/12/2011 from http://bamaproducer.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/ua-student-and-tornado-victim-remembered-as-servant-and-leader-at-memorial-service-attended-by-hundreds/
2 Unknown (2011). “How Satan Attacks.” Retrieved 12/9/2011 from: http://www.ccel.us/whisper.ch3.html.
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