Job 1

Job 1
We have been considering in these weekly Bible lessons, first the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses: next the Historical Books, from Joshua to Esther, and we now enter upon the study of the Poetical books, including Job, the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. Job and the four books next following are not prophecies; they express as given to us by God, man's thoughts and feelings under the government of God before the cross of Christ, though some of the Psalms go much further and tell of His sufferings and glory.
All that is known of the history of Job is contained in the book which bears his name. He is named in Ezekiel 14 times, and in James 5 times. He lived in the north of Arabia, or in the East of Edom and Moab, that is, southeast of Palestine toward the Arabian desert. He evidently lived not earlier than Abraham, nor much later than Jacob, so that we are now brought back to the time of the book of Genesis, and the book of Job appears to have been written in the time of Moses, and probably by Moses.
The book of job shows God deeply interested in a man outside of the children of Israel and of Abrahatn, and so may be compared with the Book of Ruth, though Ruth was joined to Israel for her blessing, while in this book Israel is never mentioned. But no Jew would naturally have written either because each shows God interested in and blessing one who did not belong to the chosen race of Israel at all.
The theme of the book of Job is, "Why do the righteous suffer so much; is God just in allowing the people of God to suffer more than other men and women?" Job was a genuine man of God, as the first verse shows, and he was greater than all the children of the east, but riches. had not turned him away from God, as happens with so many. There was however in him a. need which he did not yet know. There was too much of Job in his life and too little of the true, knowledge of God.
He was to be taught in the school of God a most valuable lesson from which we may profit.
In the first two chapters we see for a moment, part of what is no doubt going on continually in God's presence, but is hid from our eyes. Among the mighty angels who came to present themselves before God, came Satan also. The Adversary or enemy, for that is what the name Satan means, came to God from the world, where he had been going around (see I Peter 5:8).
We know too that Satan's power reaches higher than the world, for in Eph. 2:22Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (Ephesians 2:2) he is called the prince (or ruler) of the power (authority) of the air, and in Eph, 11:11, 12, he is referred to again in the same way.
In Job 1 and 2 we are shown that Satan, though powerful, can only do what God permits him to do, and we know from Rev, 12:7-9 that he is going to be put out of God's presence, and in Rev. 20, we are given to see him cast into the place of eternal torment, no more to work for the injury of man or of believers in particular, as he has been since the garden of Eden (Genesis 3).
When God asked Satan, "Hast thou considered My servant Job?" He had Himself been considering him in tender love; there was none like Job on the earth.
Satan, ignorant of God's work Job’s soul, believed that he would, if tested, curse God to His face, and was allowed to test poor Job most severely. Satan caused Job to be robbed of all his possessions both by arousing enemies, and by means of lightning; he was even permitted to bring about the death of Job's children by a great wind, Yet Job acknowledged God in it all, and did not sin against Him.