Week 25 Job 1 & 2
I was thinking about Satan again. Wondering about him.
I got out my word book and looked up “Satan”. I was surprised to see that the name only shows up eighteen times in the OT. Once in Chronicles. Three times in Zechariah. And fourteen times right here in Job 1 & 2.
In those first two chapters of Job Satan’s view starts to take shape. He said that Job (who the Lord described as blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil) was only loyal to the Lord because he is wealthy and successful.
Satan asked: if Job’s wealth & his health were gone what would Job do?
Satan answered: he’d curse the Lord!
Satan’s Theory of Religious Devotion was that loyalty to the Lord was directly connected to Life Circumstances. There were two linked principles:
1) When life is good then my devotion & loyalty are stronger
2) But if things go bad God gets shelved.
It’s a pretty straightforward view and I’m pretty sure Satan isn’t the only one who has it.
Satan thought that by dialing-back the good circumstances of Job’s life he would produce a negative religious reaction.
I think Satan was likely onto something. Which means I have to keep in mind not to hitch my faith-in-the-Lord wagon to the good life.
Good things in life might tell me something affirmative about the Lord.
But bad times have nothing negative to tell me about him.
Note: quote from Job 1:8 (NIV)