David Anguish
It's a remarkable scene, played out in heavenly halls. Satan, literally, "the Adversary," joins the "sons of God [who] came to present themselves before the Lord." Hearing that he has been "roaming about on the earth, . . . the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him . . . a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.'"
Satan doesn't buy it. Of course Job's faithful. Who wouldn't be? "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" (Job 1:6-10, NASB).
In these words, we discover that the book of Job is not primarily about suffering. That's merely the catalyst for the book's real question: Is Job's faith real or not? Is he true to God only because of the hedge he enjoys? Is he really a man of integrity, "blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil" (v 1)? Or will he, like so many others, crumble when his life caves in. Satan dares God to find out: "But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face" (v 11). And God accepts the challenge: "Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.'" (v 12).
Job's story is really the story of Every Man, and Every Woman. At least every Christian man and woman. In a recently released book on suffering, John Mark Hicks notes that
Satan's implied accusation is an accusation against all believers.... Satan asserts that the basis of faith is profit or personal gain. As long as believers are prosperous, healthy, and happy, they will serve God. But let God permit some evil, permit the loss of a family member or the loss of a job, then believers will lose hope in him and reject him.... Job himself acknowledges that this is the attitude of the wicked. They ask, 'Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?' (21:15 [NIV]). Will anyone love God even when there is nothing to be gained other than God's fellowship? Will Job worship God despite the fact that he has lost everything? This is the trial of Job, and the test of all genuine faith.... (Yet Will I Trust Him: Understanding God in a Suffering World, 87- 88).
No followers stand in greater danger of failing this test than suburban American Christians in growing, prosperous churches. Life is good. We worship in comfortable buildings with no fear of reprisal. Our biggest temptation is not to "curse God and die" (Job 2:9) because of unbearable loss and pain, but to expect lives of ease as our God-given right. We rightly condemn television preachers who misuse God's name to promise material prosperity to those who will follow him. But, if we are honest, we know that our faith has not often been freed from the hedges. Is our faith in God or the things he provides? Do we delight in his fellowship or only in his tangible blessings?
Troubles, and the doubts and questions which accompany them, can and will come. Looking at our world with anything other than rose-tinted lenses plainly shows that. We have no reason to expect that life's troubles will be either mild or pleasant. But when trials comes, they show us something about ourselves and our true commitment to God (cf. Romans 5:1-4; James 1:2-4). Let us, then, learn to glory more in our relationship with the Father than in the tangible blessings he gives us. Let us seek to know him above all else. Let us develop the ability to see his sovereignty no matter how much life's troubles hinder our view.
Let us strive for a faith that can stand to be freed from the hedges.