The Christian, having the redemption of his sins and the earnest and comfort of the Spirit, goes on to learn that God is for him. We do not know what to pray for as we ought. We have spiritual desires of good and the sense of evil around us, though our intelligence is not clear enough, but He (the Spirit) makes intercession in us according to God. We do not know what is the best thing to ask for—some things cannot be remedied till the Lord comes—but, while we do not know what to ask for, we do know that “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:2828And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)). On this we can reckon with unfailing assurance.
Job is a wonderful book in this way. There we are given to see how these divine dealings are carried on. The throne of God is set up, the sons of God come in before Him, and Satan goes in too. Then come God’s thoughts about His servant, “for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him” (2 Chron. 16:99For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. (2 Chronicles 16:9)). But we must wait God’s time, and then we see “the end of the Lord,” for God was looking on all the while. Notice that the whole discussion about Job began with God. He says to Satan, “Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in all the earth, a perfect and an upright man?” (Job 1:88And 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? (Job 1:8)). God had considered him. Satan says, Well, You have made a hedge about him, so why should he not fear You? Then God lets Satan loose at him. He lets him take all that he has: His servants are killed, his children too afterwards, his fortune gone. Then Job says, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:2121And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job 1:21)). Then Satan says, Skin for skin, a man will give anything he has for his life! Then God says, You can have his body, but not his life. So Satan smites him with sore boils, so that he becomes both wretched and the derision of his neighbors. His wife wants him to curse God and die, but in all this Job sins not; he has received good at the hands of the Lord and shall not he receive evil? So I get this fact: All that Satan did against Job entirely failed, save that it entirely cleared him from Satan’s accusation and the charge of hypocrisy. All that Satan could do he did, but could do no more than he was allowed to do.
But now we see how God was watching over Job. Job was full of himself. He was doing blessedly, but he was thinking of it too. Supposing God had stopped short here, what would have been the effect of it? Why Job would have said: Well, I was gracious in prosperity, and now I have been patient in adversity, and he would have been worse than ever. God had justified him from Satan’s accusations, and his suffering had only prepared the way for closer dealings of God.
J. N. Darby