6. Touch His Bone and His Flesh

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Hymns: RHC 389 I Need Thee Every Hour, 368 From Every Stormy Wind that Blows, 364 ‘Tis the Blessed Hour of Prayer

Job 2:1-7

 KJV Job 2:1Again 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. 2And 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. 3And 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. 4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. (Job 2:1-7 KJV)

Touch His Bone and His Flesh

OUTLINE

(1) The Adversary’s Adversarial Work Revealed (v1-5)

(2) The Grace of God Does Prevail (v6-7)

 

INTRODUCTION

Is there a price tag to our faith in God? Is there anything that will cause you to give up your faith in God? Satan gave an ultimate challenge to Job’s faith, surmising that when God takes away his health, he will give up his faith.

 4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Peter said to the Lord that he will not deny Him. But Peter denied the Lord three times. Jesus predicted it. It happened. But for Job, it was the Lord who avowed Job’s integrity – 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.

Trials can come in our lives as a test of faith. It can be excruciating but as Peter encourages us to exercise faith during such trials, 1 Peter 1:7-8 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:  

We are to trust God’s unchanging love for us and His promise that no temptation is beyond our enduring during the time of trial – 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

When we will choose to exercise faith in times when we cannot explain our predicament, it is pleasing to the Lord – Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

This is the scene before us from chapter 1:

The afflictions of Job come in 4 consecutive waves of unfavourable external circumstances. The attack on Job was cunningly contrived by Satan. It was designed to overwhelm him, leaving him no time to recover from the rapid succession of calamities. Notice the degree of pain increases with each calamity and there are 5 recorded afflictions which we shall describe in modern terms:

  • His Livelihood Plundered – oxen/asses (1:13-15)
  • His Assets Destroyed – sheep (1:16)
  • His Means of Transport – camels (1:17)
  • His Children – 7 sons and 3 daughters (1:18-19)

And now his health was taken from him.

  • His Health – boils (2:7)

(1)  The Adversary’s Adversarial Work Revealed (v1-5)

KJV Job 2:1Again 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. 2And 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. 3And 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. 4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 

 Peter speaks of this adversarial work of the devil. He has seen it himself and he writes to warn us of this spiritual warfare in the heavenlies:

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

This is the imagery Criswell observed, “of a shepherd keeping watch over his flock by night. And in the night-time, comes a lion who prowls and stalks and circles the flock, seeking which one of them he will devour.”

We are to be alert and be watchful. The walking about of the devil is described here in verse 2 when the Lord asked what he was up to? He answered, “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

The Apostle Paul described this warfare in Ephesians 6:12-13 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The Apostle Paul candidly reveals to Christians that they are living in Satan’s world. They are to expect the devil to seek to create havoc to thwart their good work and walk with God. There will be spiritual attacks that the believer is expected to fend off. The Apostle shows us the wherewithal to wage a good spiritual warfare. He himself is in the thick of the battle, he was a prisoner in the dungeons of Roman bondage as he writes his letter. It is ironic, a man in bonds encouraging the freedmen. But this is what the grace of God will enable a man totally yielded to his God to do, to fight the good fight of faith.

The Bible tells us that the devil is none other than Satan, Lucifer the fallen angel (Isaiah 14:12-15), the perfect, beautiful and anointed cherub (Ezekiel 28:12-18). He is called the dragon, the serpent, Satan and the Devil (Revelation 12:9). He is the chief adversary of God’s people.

 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers (authorities), against the rulers of the darkness of this world(world-rulers), against spiritual wickedness in high places.(heavenlies)

It is not flesh and blood, the battle is not just physical but against Satan and his demons, it is against these demonic powers that we wrestle.

The word “principalities” means “beginning or chief” of rulers.

The word “powers” means “authorities”, chief princes and men in society.

It is further explained as the rulers of the powers of darkness of this world. It means a world-ruler. It described one holding power over the world; for devilish forces, spirit-beings who control parts of the world system world rulers.

 …against spiritual wickedness in high places. Of the lower heavens, the sky or air as the seat of evil spirits.

As one late pastor Criswell puts it well, Satan is “the one king-sovereign ruler over all of the demons of disease, and darkness, and despair, and ruin, and destruction. There are many demons, many unclean spirits, but there is one great prince and ruler over them all…He is king over all the fallen host of the dark and evil world, in heaven and in earth called Abaddon in Hebrew and in Greek Apollyon, it means ruin and destruction and death. (Revelation 9:11). He is also the sovereign ruler over fallen men who reject God.”

Indeed, Peter also tells us the remedy agaist the wiles of the devil in 1 Peter 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

We are to trust God during the times when we cannot explain our predicament. It was as if God was against Job. It was not. It was the devil to sought to prove or thwart Job’s faith through affliction.

Notice, in verse 3, Job is called God’s servant. Job served God. Satan did not. Satan rebelled against God. That’s the difference. We have strength with God when we serve God, following Him wholly. This was Job’s testimony. God knew who are His servants. God identifies His servants – 3And 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…

Dear friends, when we are given over wholly to walk with God, we live a life that is pleasing in His sight. Men like Job are a rare breed. But they are precious in God’s sight. God defends them against the attack of the evil one. In the Lord’s prayer, we are taught to pray in Matthew 6:13, 13And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

“Evil” in Greek has a definite article attached to it. It refers to the evil one, Satan himself. Only God can deliver us from Satan. Satan is the tempter. Remember how he tempted Jesus after He had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights? Jesus overcame Satan by God’s Word. Hence, this prayer is for God to equip us with the knowledge of His Word that we may use it at the right instant to ward off every temptation. This is an entreaty to the Father to help us to have power over Satan and sin.

In this 7thpetition, Martin Luther succinctly wrote, “We pray in this petition, as the sum of all, that our Father in heaven would deliver us from every evil body and soul, property and honour, and finally, when our last hour has come, grant us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this vale of tears to Himself in heaven.”

While He tarries, while we live in Satan’s territory, we are indeed vulnerable. Satan hates God and Christians created in the image of God. He knows how to provide a custom-made temptation for each one of us.

We are up against the organised demonized forces of hell. We are not wrestling with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers. And yet we realize that Satan is a defeated enemy. Only with God’s permission has he the power to tempt us.

(2) The Grace of God Does Prevail (v6-7)

6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

How God allowed Job to be tried!

The period of Job’s trial was prolonged. It spanned 42 chapters. 3 “friends” came to accuse him of sinning against God, and therefore God’s wrath had fallen upon him. Job had to look to God for comfort. Faith in God was the thread that kept Job during his entire ordeal. He did not give up knowing that God would certainly do him good although he could not see how at the time of his trial (Job 13:15; 19:25-26). This was the record of Job’s triumphant faith.

When the trial of life intensifies, our faith must proportionally increase. Will you trust God during the time of your testing? The decision is made now and not when trial comes. This 7thpetition tells us that the battle is won by prayer – “deliver us from evil”.

God intervened to set a limit to what damage Satan can do upon His servant Job.

In Zechariah’s 4thvision, POWER OVER THE DEMONIC WORLD, it is shown to us the picture of Satan resisting Joshua, the high priest – “And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” (Zech 3:1- 2)

The visions are all connected by the conjunction “and” to paint a beautiful motion picture of a most loving God who looks not only at the big picture but also the details. From a big picture, the vision now zooms in on the details.

As high priest, Joshua represented Israel before God. What distinguished him from all other men was his unique privilege to enter the Holy of Holies once a year to offer sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. The Temple was under construction. The day is coming that the Temple rites will be performed. Even the high priest himself needed to be cleansed. Israel as a nation needed to be cleansed from their unrighteousness. Zechariah saw Satan opposing Joshua the high priest accusing him before the angel of the Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ. Did he succeed? No! Our Lord defending Joshua rebuked Satan. Jerusalem is God’s chosen city for the habitation of His chosen people, Israel. Satan resists the will of God to rebuild Jerusalem in an effort to thwart God’s plan. Will he succeed? Certainly not!

The returning remnant to Jerusalem, after 70 years in Babylon, has suffered much and is still suffering. They are like a piece of half-burnt wood snatched out of a fire. A little longer, it would be too late to salvage any part of it. Our Lord Jesus with righteous anger defended Israel against the onslaught of Satan to bring Israel down. Jesus has power over the demonic world, Satan being the chief. What tremendous comfort to know that we can call on Jesus who is able to defend us against the all evil spiritual forces of this world. “And Jesus rebuked the devil; he departed out of him.” May I always come to You, Lord Jesus, for You are God.

The Apostle Paul too in his missionary journey faced much opposition in the advancement of God’s kingdom. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 1.

2 Corinthians 1:3-10 Blessed beGod, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.6And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Paul and his companions trusted in God’s deliverance and pleaded for God’s mercy and grace in those critical moments. Later, he encouraged his disciple Timothy to look to the Lord for strength and deliverance in the days ahead.

2 Timothy 3:10-14 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 

2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

As God had given to him victory, this same God will give Timothy victory as he waits upon Him. God wants us to be assured of His presence as we walked in this evil world.

This is the plea of one who understood his strength is insufficient for his task unless God intervenes and help. This is a prayer and posture of humility and humble submission of God’s power.

We realize that we are unequal to the task to living victoriously in Satan’s world if God is not with us. This is a prayer for God to take-action! An active petition for help!

CONCLUSION

May God’s people remain steadfast in faith in times of trial. Amen.