No 17 "God, Please Take the Witness Stand" 

God On Trial (Part 2 of 2)

Carefully Crafted Challenges (Chapter One)

Satan thought he had backed God into a corner with his carefully crafted challenges.

8 [The Lord speaking] 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?

9 [Satan speaking] Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

12 [The Lord speaking] And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord (Job 1:9-12).

Satan's crafty challenges may be stated in various ways:

            Doesn’t Job have good reason to fear You?

            You pay him so well.

            You bless (literally, burst forth) everything he does.

            Prosperity had never failed him.

            Nothing goes wrong in his life.

            You bribe him to be loyal to You.

            You bribe him with protection (the hedge).

            You provide special protection for Job.

            You are sheltering him because he is one of Your favorites.

            You only want to make Job look good.

            You pay Job to follow You.

            You have purchased his loyalty.

In the presence of the assembled sons of God, Satan charges God with political corruption. If this was an election, Satan would be charging God with buying votes.

Satan Said that Job Could Only Be Selfish

            Satan is assured that Job is is utterly and always selfish.

            He claims Job’s goodness is selfishness under the guise of religion.

            Job is pious because he is prosperous, says Satan.

            He truly believes everyone is just like himself―selfish to the core.

            And he sets out to prove this.

            Therefore, God is partly responsible for Job’s selfishness―God nurtured it.

Satan Questions Job’s Motives

            Satan knew Job well.

            Satan could not deny that Job was a good and honest and devout man.

            He could not deny Job’s godliness.

            What he questions was Job’s motives for serving God.

            Satan attempts to discredit Job’s motives.

            What if Job was actually asked to serve God for nothing?

            Would he still be willing to do so?

            Would Job worship if he got nothing out of it?

            Satan’s challenges pose the central issue of the book.

            Does anyone love God because He is God?

            Does anyone love God for God’s sake?

            Satan says “No”

            God says “Yes”

Satan Questions God’s Character

            What Satan is saying to God is this: I know what You don’t know.

            I see what You don’t see.

            Does Job serve You for nothing?

            You think he is serving You because he loves You.

            I tell You that he is serving You because of what he gets out of serving You.         

            You are making him rich.

            Why would he not serve You?

            You have a protecting hedge around him so that

                        nothing hurts him

                        nothing troubles him

                        nothing harms him.

            And You can’t see it, God.

            You’re not as smart a God as You tell everybody You are, said Satan

            You think You know everything―You claim omniscience.

            Yet You cannot see when people are using You for their own good.

            He worships You only for what he can get out of You.

            Satan is throwing rocks at God.

            He is casting aspersions against God.

            Satan’s challenge goes way beyond the existence of a righteous man.

            Satan’s challenge denies the existence of a righteous God.

            Who is the scoundrel?

            The one who accepts the bribe?

            Or the one who pays the bribe?

            Satan is accusing God of acting underhandedly―of covering up a deal.

Satan is Working the Jury

Satan is working like a shrewd lawyer trying to get into the minds of the jurors, as it were.

What Could Only Be Job’s Response?

            The only response that Job could make is acceptance.

            Not even a “Uhmm.”

            To say anything more would give credence to Satan’s accusation.

            Satan's charge was that Job loved things more than he loved God.

            "And You, God," said Satan,"are only the One Who gives him things."

Job’s Response

20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly (Job 1:20-22).

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Carefully Crafted Challenges (Chapter Two)

Nonplussed by his own miscalculations, but never admitting defeat, Satan comes back with a second round of challenges. God does, however, acknowledge His victory―and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

3 [The Lord speaking] 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.

4 [Satan speaking] And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

6 [The Lord speaking] And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life (Job 2:3-6).

Was Satan More Certain of His Second Challenge?

            Job will do anything to save his life.

            Give him pain and he will curse You to Your face.

What Could Only Be Job’s Response?

            Acceptance.

Job’s Response

9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and

die. 

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 (Job 2:9,10).

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God Does Not Bring Calamity

But notice, God did not bring the calamity into Job’s life.

God never does the devil’s work for him.

Blessing is God’s work.

Satan even admitted that, when he said, Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land (Job 1:10).

The devil took no credit to himself for Job’s prosperity.

He acknowledged that it was from God.  

Still Satan pressed home his challenge.

Put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face (Job 1:11). Boldly the Lord answered, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand (Job 1:12). 

And so the devil got to doing his work. Disaster, sorrow and calamity were the result.

God refused to do Satan’s work.

Satan had asked God to put forth His hand.

God replied, “No that is your job.

The touch of My hand results in blessing.

Trouble, when it comes, comes from you---not Me.”

What comfort this should be to God’s children.

I like God's ways of doing things, don't you?

Please send questions or comments to Will Hardin at P O Box 24 Owenton KY 40359.

Image of the judge's gavel at the top by ARUN S from Pixabay