Job's Defender

I have this horrible habbit of really getting into a particular book of the Bible because of a certain subject, then getting excitedly distracted to another book of the Bible because of another important subject. I get around the bible quite a bit, but I would like to be a bit more of a slow and steady type of bible student.

I began to study Jude, and even purchased a commentary edited by Bill Witherington. I am enjoying Jude, but in the process I started thinking about suffering and had to start reading Job. Job is an amazing book of the Bible, and it is impossible to read without being deeply moved emotionally and provked to thinkning about the cuase of human suffering.

To make sure I actually make it through Job, I have been reading it to my sons before bedtime. I know its a bit strange for a bedtime story, but they seem to be enjoying the story, and asking questions about God and satan. While going over the first chapter of Job, I was struck by something I had never considered before concerning God's testing of Job: I have come to the opinion that God is not merely testing Job, but God is also defending Job against Satan.

Satan, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia is the, "greek word (from diaballein, "to traduce") means a slanderer, or accuser". In the first chapter of Job, satan slanders Job's integrity before God. He accuses Job of a superficial love for the almighty:

Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 'Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. "But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face."

God is not wagering Job's soul with the devil (all souls are the Almighty's), God is defending Job's honor before the accuser. God has already told satan what kind of man Job is:

"There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil."

God and Job are each being slandered by the accuser; Job's integrity before God, and God's judgement concerning Job have been visciously attacked. I am sure this has been obvious to many who have read Job, but before we are even through the first chapter we learn something important about slander, honor, and integrity;through the rest of the book we see what happens when the truth about ourselves and God's word are tested. In the end both God and Job are vindicated, but the cost of being slandered is sure a high one.

TOTT