Victorious in Love Thanks to God’s Grace

The Lord says in the Bible that Job was a blameless and upright man. He feared God and shunned evil. He had 10 children and 11,500 livestock. He was the greatest of all the people of the East. [1]

Satan hated Job. He said to God, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” [2]

The Lord did not harm Job but allowed Satan to test Job’s love for God. He said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” [3] If the Lord does not restrain Satan, Satan destroys. That is what he does.

Waves of attacks follow:
Wave 1: Oxen and donkeys stolen; servants murdered
Wave 2: Sheep and servants consumed by fire
Wave 3: Camels stolen, and more servants murdered
Wave 4: All his children die a tragic death [4]

Job fell to the ground and worshiped God afterwards. He said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. 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.” [5]

Satan was disappointed. He urged the Lord, “Stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” The Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” Satan struck Job with painful boils from head to foot. Job’s wife urged him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” She wanted the attacks to end. “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” [6]

The Lord makes a key point about Job’s suffering when He says to Satan, “you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.” [7] Satan wants to destroy God’s people though we did nothing wrong to deserve it. If it were not for the Lord’s protection around us, we would perish.

Job is a type of Jesus. Jesus Christ suffered not for sin that He committed, but because He loved His Heavenly Father and He loved us God’s people. The wealthiest Son of Man lost everything when He came to earth. Even His flesh was flayed and pierced. He was falsely accused and crucified, but like Job, He experienced a great reversal. He resurrected from the dead, and as a result, many more have come to believe in and follow Jesus. “Yes, we do love God and are willing to suffer for His Name’s sake, knowing that His grace is sufficient for us.”

Praise God, our High Priest (Jesus Christ) sympathizes with us. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” [8]

[1] Job 1:1-3
[2] Job 1:9-11
[3] Job 1:12
[4] Job 1:13-19
[5] Job 1:21-22
[6] Job 2:5-10
[7] Job 2:3
[8] Hebrews 4:15-16