Faith Conflicted

Job 2 ESV

1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” 6 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. 11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

Satan Attacks Job’s Health

2 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” 6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job’s Three Friends

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

Job know that the faithful must express their trust in God regardless of the circumstances that befall them.

The Book of Job E. The Affliction of Job’s Body (2:7–10)

Job knows that the faithful must express their trust in God regardless of the circumstances that befall them

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: with Werkgroep Informatica, Vrije Universiteit Morphology Chapter 2

אַחַ֤ת הַנְּבָלוֹת֙

Lest we think ourselves great on the front end. How have we ourselves been foolish?

Isaiah 6:

Isaiah 32:6 ESV

6 For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity, to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink.

Types of Foolishness:

Psalm 53:1–2 ESV

1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. 2 God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

Types of Foolishness:

Disregard for God’s Created Order ()

False Doctrine and Teaching ()

Unbelief ()

We must speak but we also must know when to be silent.

Psalm 39:1–6 ESV

1 I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.” 2 I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse. 3 My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: 4 “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! 5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah 6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

Psalm 39:1-

Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 19: Psalms 1–50 (Revised Edition) Explanation

The central concern of the psalm is that of an appropriate perspective within which to live out the single, but short human life which each person has received. Standing reflectively at a distance from human life, it is obvious that if any human being is to find meaning and fulfilment in existence, there must be some understanding and perspective. But the nature of the daily press and grind, which is the common experience of human living for many people, is such that the daily pressures and concerns, often legitimate in themselves, become subtly magnified into the meaning of life itself. Land, income, desires, enemies, friends—these are things that may become the stuff of life, as if it were somehow going to continue forever. But life is limited in its span; if its meaning is to be found, it must be found in the purpose of God, the giver of all life.

Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 19: Psalms 1–50 (Revised Edition) Comment

At the root of his dilemma, one must suppose that the psalmist had within him questions, such as those Job raised, about the prosperity of the wicked (Job 21:7–16); the sin would lie in answering such questions in anger and haste, which could only imply that God was not just and fair in his dealings with human beings.

Speak for the sake of and for the purpose of bringing life, not correcting behavior. Sin, in all of us, is the cause of behavior outside of God’s design. If we are going to speak to the heart of a person, it has to be words meant to bring life.