A SEVEN STAR CHAPTER

Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Home Page: Quantum Study Bible

Job 1

The man Job is the object of Satan’s attack. But the story is more, so much more. In reality it is Satan’s attack on the character of God.

The book of Job was written before there was a nation of Jews, or a temple in a place called Jerusalem. The book of Job was written before the law. Without the law, why would God call Job righteous? Like Abraham, he was a man of faith.

Two very large questions are answered in the book of Job:

1) Why does God allow the righteous to suffer?
2) Does God have the right to do as He pleases?

By the end of the book of Job, both questions are answered, at least putting to rest the soul of this author.

The Greek Septuagint includes the following not found in the Masoretic text.

This man is described in the Syriac book as living in the land of Ausis, on the borders of Idumea and Arabia: and his name before was Jobab; and having taken an Arabian wife, he begot a son whose name was Ennon. And he himself was the son of his father Zare, one of the sons of Esau, and of his mother Bosorrha, so that he was the fifth from Abraam. And these were the kings who reigned in Edom, which country he also ruled over: first, Balac, the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dennaba: but after Balac, Jobab, who is called Job: and after him Asom, who was governor out of the country of Thæman: and after him Adad, the son of Barad, who destroyed Madiam in the plain of Moab; and the name of his city was Gethaim. And his friends who came to him were Eliphaz, of the children of Esau, king of the Thæmanites, Baldad sovereign of the Sauchæans, Sophar king of the Minæans^*

Being the fifth from Abraham puts Job in the time of the Patriarchs; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Esau was Jacob’s twin brother.

Job and His Family in Uz

Job 1:¹ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God (‘ĕlōhîm) and shunned (Lit. turned away from) evil.

Job 1:² And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

• Seven is the number of perfection
• Three is the number of the Trinity
• Ten is the number for wholeness

• See Topic: Numbers and their Symbolism for more information.

Job 1:³ Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people (Lit. sons) of the East.

• Like seven sons, seven thousand sheep.
• Like three sisters, three thousand camels
• Like five hundred oxen plus five hundred female donkeys, ten is the number of wholeness.

Job 1:⁴ And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

• Job even had the greatest blessing of all, a family that loved each other.
• The three sisters represent the spiritual atmosphere of the seven sons.

Job 1:⁵ So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify (consecrate) them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed (Lit. blessed, but in an evil sense; cf. Job 1:11; 2:5, 9) God (‘ĕlōhîm) in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

• To have sinned unintentionally.
• Later: The sin offerings in the temple were for unintentional sins only:
  • Leviticus 4:1 – The Sin Offering: Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.

Satan Attacks Job’s Character

Job 1:⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God (‘ĕlōhîm) came to present themselves before the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), and Satan (Lit. the Adversary) also came among them.

• The sons of God are presumably the angels.
• Satan is one among the sons of God.

Job 1:⁷ And the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said to Satan (Lit. the Adversary), “From where do you come?”

• The history of Satan:
  • He was created as the most powerful and beautiful archangel in heaven.
  • He was perfect in all his ways until iniquity was found in him.
  • He was in the Garden of Eden.
  • Satan appears to be fascinated with “Laws”.
  • He is the Accuser. In court cases He would be the prosecutor.
  • He walked among the “stones of fire”: Perhaps the stones are God’s laws before God wrote His laws on the tablets of the ten commandments. Ezekiel 28:14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God (Mount Zion); You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
  • Satan confuses laws with wisdom.
  • His heart is as hard as stone (the law). Even as hard as the lower millstone, the laws which crush everything in its path.
    • Job 41²⁴ His heart is as hard as stone, even as hard as the lower millstone.

So Satan answered the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

• Out of curiosity of is it like the “beat” of a policeman who oversees?

Job 1:⁸ Then the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said to Satan, “Have you considered (Lit. set your heart on) My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God (‘ĕlōhîm) and shuns (Lit. turns away from) evil?”

Job 1:⁹ So Satan answered the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) and said, “Does Job fear God (‘ĕlōhîm) for nothing?

Job 1:¹⁰ Have You not made a hedge around (Protected him) him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

• What is God protecting Job from if not from Satan?
  
• This may be THE most powerful verse in scripture outside of Jesus’ words. Satan has accused God! He isn’t just the accuser of man… he just accused God! A court case is being opened in the heavens and a precedence is about to be set.

• Is God unjust because He is protecting the righteous? Is God breaking His own laws? Does Satan want to “dethrone” the Almighty? Does God have the authority to anything He wishes?
  I’ll bet all the angels in heaven are listening and want to know.

• Satan’s choice of timing is perfect. He chooses to confront God at a time when all the angels are there.

• The hedge is a hedge of thorns H7753 śûḵ.
  
  Wherever there is thorns, we seem to find the presence of Satan. God cursed the ground with thorns because Satan the serpent caused Adam and Eve to sin. Jesus’ crown was woven (intertwined) into a crown of thorns. However; these same thorns God is using to keep Satan from damaging man. Scripture is rich in how God turns the table on Satan (ie Haman was hung on his own gallows, the Pharaoh dammed up the Hebrews to keep them as slaves and God drowned the Pharaoh in his own flood.)
  Satan is always a coiled reptile in scripture: He is the serpent in the Garden of Eden, the sea monster in the sea of people, the dragon in revelation, the crocodile in Ezekiel who grabs his prey in the waters of people and turns and twists causing his prey to drown before he eats him. Why does scripture compare Satan to be coiled, intertwined or twisting? Because he twists the ways of God. He twists the truth. In Genesis Satan indwelt the serpent because he was “craftier” than any animal in the garden. What does it mean to be “crafty”? It means to take a product and manipulate it, like basket weaving. Satan tries to manipulate men for his own purposes and when men are given to sin they try to manipulate their lives in order to get what they want.

• See Topic: Hebrew meanings: Curse of the Thorns for more information.
• See Topic: The Crown of the Thorns

Job 1:¹¹ But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse (Lit. bless, but in an evil sense; cf. Job 1:5) You to Your face!”

• Satan is “throwing down” a challenge to God. Perhaps Satan was on earth agitated because he couldn’t get to Job.
• Why would God just bring up Job’s name from nowhere? Unless maybe he knew Satan was interested in Job.

Job 1:¹² And the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power (Lit. hand); only do not lay a hand on his person.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ).

• Why would God allow this? Doesn’t God care about Job?
• We are about to find out. Soon Job will find out how important his role will be in how God deals with His saints from the time of Job until this time forward. Should we be grateful to Job?

Job Loses His Property and Children

• Below we get a glimpse into Satan’s character of destruction: He is heartless.

Job 1:¹³ Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house;

Job 1:¹⁴ and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,

Job 1:¹⁵ when the Sabeans (Lit. Sheba; cf. Job 6:19) raided (Lit. fell upon) them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Job 1:¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God (‘ĕlōhîm) fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed (destroyed) them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

• The fire of God is the fire of Satan.

Job 1:¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans (modern Iraq) formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Job 1:¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

• The oldest brother would have the most inheritance at the father’s death.

Job 1:¹⁹ and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Job 1:²⁰ Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.

• An outward proclamation of grief and humility.

Job 1:²¹ And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) gave, and the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ).”

• Job is left with nothing, akin to being naked, akin to Jesus on the cross.

Job 1:²² In all this Job did not sin nor charge God (‘ĕlōhîm) with wrong (foolishly.).

• Is Satan satisfied? Not in your life.

• There are Angels called “watchers” in heaven.
  • Are they watching all that is happening? Will they be making a decision? Is this a court case? In the time of Daniel they made the decision concerning Nebuchadnezzar being “chopped down” like a tree.
    • Daniel 4:17 ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.’
  • Are the angels agreeing with Satan? After all, He will be taking one third of all the hosts of heaven with him in his rebellion against God before the story of God and man is over.
  • Satan believes he can throw the reigns of God’s authority off and supplant Him with his own authority. Satan has his own plan:
    • Isaiah 14:12-14 The Fall of Lucifer – ¹² “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (lit: Day Star, Satan), son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! ¹³ For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation; On the farthest sides of the north; ¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

• Personal application: How would I measure up to suffering righteously the way Job did?