Today in God's Word—May 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
May 28, Job 2
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them, to present himself before the LORD. - Job 2:1
Is the secret of success failing lots of times until you finally succeed? Our parents and teachers taught us so as we struggled to acquire basic skills like walking, reading and tying our shoes. What was their mantra? "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Edison discovered over two hundred things that did not work before he discovered what would work when he invented the lightbulb. Many successful business owners failed many times before they developed the product or technique that brought them success. Succeeding really is a matter of getting up after you fall one more time until you get it right.
Many of us have learned to "try, try again" as we have battled temptation and failed. Many worship leaders have had to go through some embarrassing experiences to gain enough experience and proficiency to do well. Whether it's a child learning to hit a ball or learning to play an instrument, or an adult trying to memorize a Bible verse or do something they've never done before to serve the Lord, we all have to keep trying.
Satan is tenacious in his pursuit of souls. He follows the scheme of trying again when his first attempts to tempt us fail. He did it with Jesus, and he will do it with you. Job 2 describes the ugly scene of Satan's second attempt to turn Job away from his trust and devotion to God. The opening lines of this chapter are almost exactly the same as the beginning of chapter 1. And as God’s people came before him, Satan came, too. (Let's not think when we come to worship the Lord that Satan stays away. A church assembly is a great place for Satan to tempt us to be proud, self-righteous, lustful, greedy or any number of other sinful opportunities to indulge our flesh.)
God asked Satan where he had been. When God asks a question, he is not trying to learn something. He already knows, and wants the responder to know. Satan acknowledged that he had been going to and fro on the earth, because he had already long ago been put out of heaven. Then God asked him again to consider Job's righteousness and devotion. The Lord noted that Satan's devastating attempt to shake Job's faith had failed.
Satan's retort reminds us that there is not a shred or crumb of kindness or compassion in Satan. He acknowledged that Job remained faithful when he lost everything. But he again accused Job of selfishness, implying that losing all those children and all that wealth didn't affect Job, but that attacking his person would cause him to turn away from God. Once again, God gave permission for Satan to test his theory. He could afflict Job, but he could not kill him. God was still in control, limiting what he permitted Satan to do.
Satan attacked Job's body and ruined his health. Job had painful sores from head to toe. His flesh and breath had a terrible odor. Maggots crawled on his sores. His throat swelled closed, strangling him. He was terrified when he was awake and had nightmares when he slept.
Did you wonder why Satan didn't take Job's wife when he stripped Job of all he had in Chapter 1? Maybe it was to use her as another point of attack on her poor husband. When Job was greatly weakened by all the sickness and disease Satan had cast on him, his wife taunted him. She exhorted Job to do exactly what Satan had predicted he would do — curse God. But Job dismissed her talk as foolishness, and reasoned that we received both good and evil (or disaster) from the hand of God.
God allowed his servant Job to be stripped of all the security the world can offer. All his prosperity, all his family and finally his health and strength were taken away. But for all the things Job did lose, he did not lose his trust in
God. His reverence and respect for God gave him stability in the face of unthinkable loss and shattered health.
Does it frighten you to think about Satan's vicious attack on righteous Job? Remember that God was in control. All Satan could do he had to get permission from God to do. The secret of Job's triumph and faithfulness was his confident faith and unwavering trust in God. That same shield of faith is available to you and me for our battles with the evil one.
Have you won some rounds of fierce temptation? Good for you. Thank God for those victories. But do not forget that Satan knows the same secret Mama taught you about succeeding. Make no mistake. Do not rest on past victories. Be vigilant, because Satan will surely try, try again.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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