Featured photo: Ben Jacobi www.bdjphoto.com 

⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” ⁸ The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (Job 1)

Reader (listener), indulge me, you are the character of Job.  I, the writer, will entertain the character of Satan [….scary thought].

⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” ¹² Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1)

Take notice how “Satan” and “Jesus” refer to “God”.  What does it mean to fear God?

Satan:

•”Job, I see your potential and how the fruit of your integrity will produce a bountiful return.  Once dead; people will learn of this character you seem to possess, they will discover how God is good; the seed of your fruit will effect the world, but soon will become confused.”

²⁰ Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” ²² Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. (Job 1)

Satan:

•”Interesting, surely you must be experiencing the weight of a heavy depression.  At this point I’ve distorted the view of right and wrong; knowledge of good and evil is my heaven; yet you think, or seem to have thought to own the right of understanding what is impossible for man to understand.  After all, you were sacrificing for your kids, why, thinking what?  That they would have favor with God and not die in their sins?  What of you, Job?  Do you think you’ll find favor with God by maintaining your integrity?  Now to get you vulnerable; vulnerable enough, to set you up, for my success.  I’ll need access to your soul.  It’s time to present myself again, before Jesus.”

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 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” ³ The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” ⁴ Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵ However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” ⁶ So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.” (Job 2)

Satan:

•”Ah Job, you may believe your skin God has rapped you in, preserves your life for salvation, but the sting of death is sin, and the sin of your beginning is mine.  I so look forward to devouring you; to manipulate your emotions, confuse your psyche, and inflict what you fear.  The salvation of preservation is my advantage to use as a means to set the world up at my right hand in the place called, Hell.  Don’t worry, Job. ‘You’re so important to me’.”

[stay tuned…]