Day 1,023: Job 2- Worship and Suffering

​Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” 6 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job's Three Friends11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
 
 
Meditation
The celebration of identity as chosen children of God includes identification with Christ in suffering. The Spirit of God seals the adoption of believers who must anticipate “suffering with Christ in order that we may be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:15-17).
 
Job suffers because he is a worshipper of God, a man fearing God and turning from evil (1:1, 8; 2:3). Satan’s handiwork continues to stack up suffering: “Skin for Skin!” Job sits in soot with sores on his body from head to foot, his spouse encouraging him to “curse God and die.” Job’s response reveals the heart of wisdom and fruit of a secure identity as a worshipper of God: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive disaster?” (1-10)
 
Job’s friends enter the scene (11-13) and are deeply saddened by the unrecognizable state of their suffering friend. We see in Scripture that Jesus’ suffering was also described as shockingly beyond human semblance(Isaiah 52:14).  The suffering of Job the worshipper and more so, the One we worship, Jesus Christ, foretells the identification disciples have with Christ through our sufferings.
 
Jesus teaches disciples to expect suffering (John 15:20). James reminds Christians to rejoice in suffering because we are made to look like Jesus and look towards eternal rewards (James 1:3-12). Peter joins the chorus proclaiming our sufferings refine our faith (1 Peter 1:7) and Paul calls us to rejoice in our sufferings (Colossians 1:24).
 
Identification with Jesus will necessitate suffering like Jesus, worshippers reflecting the One we worship.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Are you surprised to see righteous worshippers of God suffering? If so, what does this reveal about your heart and hope?
 
-Job’s suffering points to Jesus but also to followers of Jesus. How do you see celebrating our identity in Christ leading to identification with Christ in our sufferings?
 
-What struggles or sufferings in your life do you need to re-focus on, seeing them through Christ’s perspective and the refining of your faith? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive disaster?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.