Can I Know The Will Of God? Pt. 28 Satan Attacked Job's Health But Job Remained Faithful.

We began looking at the permissive will of God as it was revealed in the life of Job. Satan attacked the godly character of Job and God defended him against the Devil's accusations.

God's permissive will allowed Satan to attack Job's wealth and his family. A series of devastating calamities occurred where Job's principle forms of wealth and his servants were taken away from him. Then, a storm made one of his son's homes collapse, killing all of his children.

God's testimony of Job was that in spite of enduring such terrible tragedy, he did not sin nor did he speak anything against God.

Satan attacks Job's integrity and faith again.

Job 2:1-6  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. 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. 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. 4)  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)  And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 

Another day in heaven saw Satan giving God an account of his doings and God defended Job again. He said that Job was still an upright man, perfect before God, who feared God and avoided evil.

Job maintained a good witness for God even though Satan was permitted to destroy his family and his wealth.

Satan tried a new tactic. He accused Job saying, that if God allowed him to afflict Job's body, then the patriarch would curse God to His face.

God allowed Satan to physically afflict Job.

Job 2:7-10  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. 8)  And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. 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. 

God's permissive will allowed Satan to physically afflict Job with some type of disease that caused his body to break out in boils. It was severe enough that Job sat down in the ashes and took a piece of broken pottery to scrape his wounds.

They were some form of malignant boils. Job was covered with painful inflammation. The use of the potsherd suggests this was either a form of leprosy called black, or elephantiasis, because the feet swell like those of the elephant. (See Deuteronomy 28:35 and Isaiah1:6).

In either case, Job had to live separately from his wife so that she did not become ill and because his own disease was accompanied by the stench of death. 

Notice the grievous words that Job's wife spoke. She mocked his faith in God and told her husband that he should curse God and die. She prompted Job to do exactly what Satan wanted Job to do.

She was filled with bitterness toward God and her husband. She lost her children and the source of her comfortable living. 

Instead of being Job's completer and help meet, she poured salt into the deep wounds of his physical affliction, by her poisonous words.

Job's reply was to correct his wife. To tell her that she spoke like one of the foolish women, was a strong rebuke. 

He essentially said "You are talking like an unbelieving heathen woman. Shall we not praise God for providing abundantly for us for many years and still praise Him for one day of afflictions?

Job defended God's right to dispense both good things and bad things as He deemed best. 

Job assumed that God would allow him to experience bad things, but he did not know that Satan was behind this attack.

Satan attacked Paul with a physical illness.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8)  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9)  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

We know that Satan can cause physical illness and disease. This happened to Job and it also happened to the apostle Paul. 

Paul was transported to heaven in a vision and saw wonderful, marvelous things. Because there was a possibility that the apostle could become puffed up over his heavenly vision, God allowed Satan to afflict Paul's body. 

He prayed three times for this affliction to be taken away, but the Lord's reply was "My strength is made perfect in your weakness." Paul was then content to endure the physical malady from Satan. 

Jesus healed an infirmed woman who was bowed over in her affliction. He specifically said that Satan had bound her up with her disease for eighteen years (See Luke 13:10-17). 

Some illnesses are to put the glory of God on display. 

John 9:1-3  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2)  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3)  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 

Jesus healed a man who was born blind. His disciples asked Him if the man or his parent's sin caused his blindness. Jesus' answer is very instructive for us. This man's blindness was not due to any sin he committed or anything that his parents had done. 

Rather, his blindness was ordained by God to occur so that when Jesus passed by, He would heal the man. Thus, blindness for this man was for the glory of God to be manifest when Jesus cured his blindness. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Our enemy, the Devil, is very cunning. He attacks us through our possessions or the lack thereof, and he attacks our health through physical afflictions. 

He will try to get us to focus our attention and source of happiness upon wealth, but God says that the love of money is the root of all evil. 

He will try to get us to live independently of God by motivating us to accumulate more wealth, but God says it is best when we are fed with food convenient for us, and when we do not have too much or too little. 

Matthew 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 

Jesus used the example of a really wealthy man who sought to gain the whole world. What is the point of accumulating that much land and wealth, if your soul is damned for eternity in Hell? 

All the world's riches cannot atone for someone's soul. Only the blood of Jesus can redeem us from our debt of sin.

God's permissive will was to allow Job to suffer the loss of his wealth and family. Job's faith was tested and he passed the test by remaining true to God.

Proverbs 17:22  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. 

Psalm 1:1,2  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2)  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

In Satan's second attack, he sought to break Job's spirit because he had a happy heart.  A heart that is content with having God above all else, does good to our physical well being. It is like good medicine for our body. 

The contrast is one who has a broken spirit which dries up the bones. It is a picture of becoming physically unhealthy through a spirit overwhelmed by the circumstances of life, and thus is a broken spirit.

The Psalmist says that a man who follows God and trusts Him is a blessed man. The word "blessing" literally means much happiness. 

There is blessing when we walk uprightly with our God, like Job did. There is blessing when we avoid evil like Job did. 

Satan sought to break Job's spirit so that he would fall into a downward spiral, but he was not successful.

Could it be that when we suffer financial troubles, or family problems, that God is allowing us to be tested? Will we pass the test and continue strong in faith like Job did?

Could it be that when we suffer serious health issues, God is allowing us to be tested? Will we pass the test and continue strong in faith like Job did?

I think that we have to allow the possibility of God doing work in us, whenever we experience some of these great problems in life. I think we must remember that God promised to work all things out for our good and His glory.

May the LORD do a mighty work in us as we consider the testimony of Job during times of financial hardship, family losses and difficult health problems. May we look to our LORD and give Him glory through it all.

Bob