Job 1:1

JOB 1

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SAINTS COME TOGETHER TO WORSHIP?

SPECIAL INTRODUCTION FOR THIS CHAPTER

We have read twenty commentaries on this chapter and find no help in any of them; nor have we seen any other chapter in the whole Bible where we are any more certain that the interpretation of a chapter of God's Word by current scholars is any more erroneous and absolutely unacceptable than is the case here. Apparently, none of the scholars whose writings we have consulted thus far on Job have been reading the same Bible that we read.

They all say that the scene here is "laid in heaven." Ridiculous! Satan does not have access to heaven. Revelation 12:7-9 declares, regarding Satan and his angels, that, "Their place was found no more in heaven," and that, "Satan was cast down to earth," and this epoch event is revealed as taking place before the creation of Adam. That is why Satan had access to the Garden of Eden. Throughout the period of human history, Satan's theater of operations has been the earth, where Satan now is, along with his fallen angels, "Reserved in chains (pits) of darkness to the day of judgment" (2 Peter 2:7). See more on this under verse 12, below.

Regarding Revelation 12:7-9, I have written half a dozen pages regarding that key passage in Vol. 12 of my New Testament Series, pp. 265-271.

In this light, therefore, how can a score of Biblical scholars write that, "We have here a scene in heaven where Satan questions Job's motives"?[1] To explain such opinions, we must suppose (1) that they are made by men who never read the New Testament, (or if they had read it, did not understand it), or (2) that they accept this whole chapter of Job as merely a fanciful folk tale, invented by some unknown person as an allegory, or for the purpose of teaching some kind of a lesson. Some commentators, of course, freely admit holding such a position. We reject that notion out of hand.

HOW DO FALSE INTERPRETERS PLACE THIS SCENE IN HEAVEN?

(1) The word "heaven" is not in this chapter. However, it does state that the sons of God were there; and, of course, by falsely interpreting that expression as a reference to angels, advocates of the current error may exclaim, "And, certainly angels are in heaven." That's how they do it; and it sounds convincing until it is considered that the ordinary meaning of sons of God is simply, men who worship God. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14). Likewise Hebrews 12:7,8 speaks of all Christians on earth as "sons" of God. Oh yes, but Job used the same expression in Job 38:7 in what is admittedly a reference to angels, not because the expression means angels (for it doesn't), but because the context requires a different meaning; and that is a condition that does not exist in chapter 1. Are there then two meanings of the expression sons of God? Certainly! There are dozens of words in the Bible that have more than one meaning. Note:

And the captain fell on his knees BEFORE Elijah (1 Kings 1:13).

And Haran died BEFORE ... Terah in Ur (Genesis 10:28).

In the passage in Kings, the word "before" means "in the presence of"; and in the passage from Genesis it means "prior to." We could cite dozens of other examples of the same word standing in the Bible with diverse meanings.

Therefore, the use of the expression "sons of God" in Job 38:7 where the context forces a meaning different from its ordinary denotation, is no excuse whatever for forcing that meaning upon the expression in this chapter.

We are happy indeed to find one scholar who admits the dual meaning of the expression sons of God, and who gave it the proper interpretation in Genesis 6:2. pointing out that there, "The meaning of this phrase is men who worship God, for angels and men alike are, `sons of God,' as created in his image, to obey and serve him."[2] We have thoroughly researched the meaning of that passage in Genesis, which has no reference whatever to angels. (See my commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1, of the Pentateuchal Series, pp. 102,103.)

When the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, Satan also came among them (Job 1:6). Before Jehovah! Ah, there it is, doesn't that refer to heaven? No! The words before Jehovah generally refer to what men do on earth. "Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Genesis 10:9). In heaven? Of course not. Where do men usually hunt? This morning at church, the deacon who led the prayer at the Lord's table began, "Father in heaven, we are assembled in thy presence ... etc."; nobody jumped to the conclusion that all of us had suddenly been transported into glory. That is, unless some of those Bible scholars who think God's presence is limited to heaven happened to be in the audience.

Note that this assembly of God's worshippers (that's what sons of God means) probably included Job; and the presence of Satan should also cause no surprise. There has hardly ever been an assembly of the saints when Satan was absent!

Let it be observed also that Satan's theater of operations in this passage was restricted absolutely to the earth. That is where Satan went up and down and to and fro, "seeking whom he may devour," (1 Peter 5:8); and, of course, that is his present occupation also.

What is revealed in this chapter is a typical gathering of God's people, with Satan usually, if not indeed always, present, ever looking for sins and shortcomings of God's people. Oh no, today we can not see the kind of repartee that took place between God and Satan in this chapter; but, without any doubt, the same thing is going on upon every occasion when the sons of God come before the Lord in worship; and it is the glory of this chapter that the inspired author, whom we believe to have been Moses, pulls aside the curtain of those hidden things that belong to God, enabling us to behold the merciless hatred of our cruel enemy (Satan) as he continually accuses the brethren "before God"; but absolutely not in heaven. Satan is not in heaven, but on earth; and God sees, hears and understands everything Satan does, for everything on earth is done BEFORE THE LORD.

Paul admonished Christians to, "Draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy" (Hebrews 4:16). Of course, "the throne" here is God's throne, which is in heaven; but Paul did not mean that we must go to heaven in order to pray. We come before God and his throne (in heaven) every time we pray right here on earth!

What an incredibly beneficial revelation is this inspired account! When we suffer unjustly, when life is cruel and merciless in what falls upon God's saints, when evil men are honored and promoted and the righteous reduced to poverty, disease, and dishonor, our Father in heaven is not to blame; our enemy, Satan, is the hidden cause of it.

Job 1:1

"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil."

"There was a man." Yes, Job is historical. See our introduction. We are not dealing with some folk tale.

How blind was that scholar who wrote, "The Book of Job should begin with, "Once upon a time," (like any other fairy tale)! One of the ancestors of Job was a son of Aram and the grandson of Shem (Genesis 10:23); and, from this connection, some believe that. "The land of Uz is that settled by the sons of Aram."[3]

"In the land of Uz." This place is unknown; but, "It lay somewhere east of Canaan near the borders of the desert that separates the eastern and western arms of the Fertile Crescent. It was an area of farms, towns and migrating herds."[4]

"That man was perfect and upright." This cannot mean that he was sinless, but that he was perfect in his generation, as was Noah. Sinless perfection is an attainment that does not lie within the perimeter of mortal man's ability. Only the blessed Saviour lived and died as a mortal man without sin.