JOB LESSON 2


     We will begin this lesson in Job 2:1 "Again there was a day when
the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan
came also among them to present himself before the LORD."

     The presenting of themselves before the LORD indicates that they
were to come, and give an account to the LORD about the things they
had been doing. We decided in the last lessons that the sons of God,
here, meant the angels. Again, we see that Satan was mentioned
separately. He was really an archangel. Satan, Michael, and Gabriel
seemed to each rule over 1/3 of the angels in heaven.

     Job 2:2 "And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou?
And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the
earth, and from walking up and down in it."

     The following Scripture shows that Satan never changes. He is
still seeking whom he may destroy. I Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour:" Notice, that Satan is under control of
the LORD. He is accountable to the LORD for all that he does.

     Job 2:3 "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my
servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and
an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he
holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to
destroy him without cause."

     The one thing we must remember in this verse, waqs the statement
from the LORD that the attack on Job was without cause. This was not a
punishment from God for evil that Job had done. Job stayed faithful to
God under the worst of circumstances. Satan had told God that Job
would curse Him to His face, if God took the hedge of protection away.
Satan lost the battle. Job did no such thing. He worshipped God even
more than before the trouble began. I would say that Job really was a
perfect and an upright man in all of his actions. The worst of
problems had come, and he stood steadfast in his belief.

     Job 2:4 "And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin,
yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life."

     We can see, in this, just how brutal Satan can be, if he is
turned loose to have his way. He was saying that Job was left in no
danger of losing his own life, so he had not been tested to the
extreme.

     Job 2:5 "But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his
flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face."

     Many a person, in our day, has faced the pain of cancer in his
body. Some of the people, indeed, do turn from God during these
stressful times. Others draw closer than they have ever been to God,
who is their only help. Satan is viscous. He will do anything he can
to destroy a person's life.

     Job 2:6 "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he [is] in thine
hand; but save his life."

     This is the ultimate test. The LORD had confidence that Job would
handle this properly. Notice, again, Satan could go no further than
God allowed him to go. Job would not die of this illness.

     Job 2:7  "So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and
smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown."

     Satan, probably, rushed out to see what damage he could do to
Job, before he got over the grief of losing his children. It is almost
as if he went immediately from the presence of the LORD to afflict
Job. This was not just ordinary boils, this was something much more
serious and was very painful, as well. It appears, Satan covered Job
from head to toe with them.

     Job 2:8 "And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and
he sat down among the ashes."

     Job sat in the ashes as a way of mourning. A "potsherd" is a
piece of pottery made from clay. This type of sore was, probably,
draining fluid, and Job was scraping the fluid from his body.

     Job 2:9  "Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain
thine integrity? curse God, and die."

     Job's wife had not said anything, when the other attacks from
Satan came, but now, she realized this was definitely an attack on Job
personally. She suggested that Job do the very thing, that Satan said
he would do. Many times, Satan uses our family to make matters worse,
and not better in this type of circumstance. She was no help at all.

     Job 2:10 "But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the
foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of
God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with
his lips."

     Even in this terrible pain and suffering, Job still stayed
faithful to God. He not only did not take his wife's advice, but
scolded her for saying such a thing. Job, it seems, had great respect
for his wife over the other women. He knew this was not her usual
actions.  She just found it extremely hard to see him suffer like
this.  He warned her not to be like the foolish women.

     Job 2:11  "Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil
that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place;
Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the
Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn
with him and to comfort him."

     True friends come to the aid of a friend in need. A good friend
will pray with you, when there is trouble. A good friend will know the
kind of person you are, and will not attack you like the rest of the
world. These three men, that came to Job, were friends of long
standing.  It appears, they were used to all getting together, and
each helping the other decide what to do about problems. Distance is
not a problem with true friends. All of these came from a long way to
be with Job.  These three men were friends of Job, because they were
wise men. He honored their opinion. They came to comfort him and to
mourn with him. "Eliphaz" means struggle against. "Bildad" means son
of contention. "Zophar" means chatterer. It appears, these three
friends came from different lands, and met at Job's dwelling.

     Job 2:12 "And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew
him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one
his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven."

     The boils covered his body so completely, that they did not even
recognize Job, when they saw him. Job was seated in a bed of ashes
outside of his home. The friends could see him sitting there, but
could not recognize his body covered in sores. When they saw him and
knew it was Job, their grief overcame them. They tore their clothes,
and threw ashes on their heads in extreme grief for the fate of their
friend.

     Job 2:13 "So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days
and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that
[his] grief was very great."

     Sometimes, a person's grief is so great, that it is better not
to speak to them. At those times, there is comfort in the presence of
good friends. The seven days is questioned by many scholars, but I
believe the time to be literal. The friends could have been fed, while
they sat there. They could have wrapped up in their outer garments,
and slept there with Job. It is possible that they fasted for this
time, but probably, they didn't, since it was not mentioned.


















                            Job 2 Questions


1.  What did the presenting of themselves before the LORD indicate?
2.  Who were the sons of God in verse 1?
3.  Who was listed separately that stood before the LORD?
4.  What did the LORD ask Satan?
5.  Quote 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 8.
6.  Who is Satan accountable to?
7.  What was the main statement we must remember in verse 3?
8.  What had Job done, after the worst of attacks that Satan put on
    him?
9.  Satan said all that a man hath will he give for _____ ______.
10. What did Satan tell God to do to Job, that Satan was sure would
    cause him to curse God?
11. What restriction did God put on what Satan could do to Job?
12. What was his next attack on Job?
13. Where did Job sit, while he was afflicted?
14. What is a "potsherd"?
15. What suggestion did his wife give him?
16. How did Job answer her?
17. Who were Job's three friends?
18. Why did they come to see Job?
19. What does "Eliphaz" mean?
20. What does "Bildad" mean?
21. What does "Zophar" mean?
22. Where did they find Job?
23. Why did they not recognize him?
24. How long did they stay with Job?
25. What did they say to him?