In Job we have man put to
the test; we might say, with our present knowledge, man
renewed by grace, an upright man and righteous in his
ways, in order to shew whether he can stand before God in
presence of the power of evil, whether he can be
righteous in his own person before God. On the other hand
we find the dealings of God, by which He searches the
heart and gives it the consciousness of its true state
before Him.
Job and his
accuser before God
All this is so much the
more instructive, from its being set before us
independent of all dispensations, of all especial
revelation on God's part. It is the godly man, such as
one of Noah's descendants would be, who had not lost the
knowledge of the true God, when sin was again spreading
in the world and idolatry was setting in; but the Judge
was there to punish it. Job was encompassed with
blessings and possessed real piety. Satan, the accuser of
the servants of God, goes to and fro in the earth seeking
occasion for evil, and presents himself before Jehovah
among His mighty angels, the "Bene-Elohim": and
God states the case of Job, the subject of His government
in blessing, faithful in his walk.
Satan as God's
instrument
It is carefully to be
remarked here, that the spring and source of all these
dealings is not Satan's accusations, but God Himself. God
knew what His servant Job needed, and Himself brings
forward his case and sets all in movement. If He demands
of Satan if he had considered His servant Job, it is
because He Himself had. Satan is but an instrument, and
an ignorant though subtle instrument, to bring about
God's purposes of grace. His accusations result really in
nothing as against Job, save to disprove their truth by
what he is allowed to do; but, for Job's good, he is left
to his will up to a certain point, for the purpose of
bringing Job to a knowledge of his own heart, and thus to
a deeper ground of practical relationship with God. How
blessed and perfect are God's ways! How vain in result
the efforts of Satan against those that are His!
God as Job's
justifier
Satan attributes the piety
of Job to God's manifest favour and to his prosperity, to
the hedge He had put around him. God gives all this into
the hands of Satan, who speedily excites the cupidity of
Job's enemies; and they attack him and carry off all his
possessions. His children perish through the effects of a
storm which Satan is allowed to raise. But Job, dwelling
neither on the instruments employed nor on Satan,
receives this bitter cup from the hand of God without
murmuring. Satan suggests again that man will, in fact,
give up everything if he can preserve himself. God leaves
everything to Satan except the life of His servant. Satan
smites Job with a dreadful disease; but Job bows under
the hand of God, fully recognising His sovereignty. Satan
had exhausted his means of injuring Job, and we hear
nothing more of him; but it is beautiful to see that God
has hereby completely justified Job from the accusation
of Satan. Job was no hypocrite. He had lost all to which
Satan traced his piety, and it shone forth brighter than
ever. Satan can trace the motives which work in flesh,
the evil in man's heart which he excites; but grace in
God, His uncaused love, and grace in man which trusts in
and leans on it, he cannot measure, nor know the power
of.
Job 2 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
Man put to the test and the dealings of God
In Job we have man put to the test; we might say, with our present knowledge, man renewed by grace, an upright man and righteous in his ways, in order to shew whether he can stand before God in presence of the power of evil, whether he can be righteous in his own person before God. On the other hand we find the dealings of God, by which He searches the heart and gives it the consciousness of its true state before Him.
Job and his accuser before God
All this is so much the more instructive, from its being set before us independent of all dispensations, of all especial revelation on God's part. It is the godly man, such as one of Noah's descendants would be, who had not lost the knowledge of the true God, when sin was again spreading in the world and idolatry was setting in; but the Judge was there to punish it. Job was encompassed with blessings and possessed real piety. Satan, the accuser of the servants of God, goes to and fro in the earth seeking occasion for evil, and presents himself before Jehovah among His mighty angels, the "Bene-Elohim": and God states the case of Job, the subject of His government in blessing, faithful in his walk.
Satan as God's instrument
It is carefully to be remarked here, that the spring and source of all these dealings is not Satan's accusations, but God Himself. God knew what His servant Job needed, and Himself brings forward his case and sets all in movement. If He demands of Satan if he had considered His servant Job, it is because He Himself had. Satan is but an instrument, and an ignorant though subtle instrument, to bring about God's purposes of grace. His accusations result really in nothing as against Job, save to disprove their truth by what he is allowed to do; but, for Job's good, he is left to his will up to a certain point, for the purpose of bringing Job to a knowledge of his own heart, and thus to a deeper ground of practical relationship with God. How blessed and perfect are God's ways! How vain in result the efforts of Satan against those that are His!
God as Job's justifier
Satan attributes the piety of Job to God's manifest favour and to his prosperity, to the hedge He had put around him. God gives all this into the hands of Satan, who speedily excites the cupidity of Job's enemies; and they attack him and carry off all his possessions. His children perish through the effects of a storm which Satan is allowed to raise. But Job, dwelling neither on the instruments employed nor on Satan, receives this bitter cup from the hand of God without murmuring. Satan suggests again that man will, in fact, give up everything if he can preserve himself. God leaves everything to Satan except the life of His servant. Satan smites Job with a dreadful disease; but Job bows under the hand of God, fully recognising His sovereignty. Satan had exhausted his means of injuring Job, and we hear nothing more of him; but it is beautiful to see that God has hereby completely justified Job from the accusation of Satan. Job was no hypocrite. He had lost all to which Satan traced his piety, and it shone forth brighter than ever. Satan can trace the motives which work in flesh, the evil in man's heart which he excites; but grace in God, His uncaused love, and grace in man which trusts in and leans on it, he cannot measure, nor know the power of.