Tuesday: The Case of Job
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 4th of March 2025
In the book of Job, we are given some fascinating insights into the reality of the great controversy.
Read Job 1:1-12 and Job 2:1-7. What principles of the great controversy do we see unveiled here?
Many significant details can be gleaned from these verses. First, there appears to be some kind of heavenly council scene, not merely a dialogue between God and Satan; other celestial beings are involved.
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Second, there is some existing dispute, signaled by the fact that God asks whether Satan has considered Job. Considered Job for what? The question makes sense in the context of a larger, ongoing dispute.
Third, while God declares Job blameless, upright, and God-fearing, Satan claims that Job appears to fear God only because God protects him. This amounts to slander against both Job’s character and God’s (compare with Revelation 12:10, Zechariah 3:1-10).
Fourth, Satan alleges that God’s protection of Job (the hedge) is unfair and makes it impossible for Satan to prove his allegations. This indicates some existing limits on Satan (rules of engagement), and that Satan has apparently tried to harm Job.
God responds to Satan’s accusation before the heavenly council by allowing Satan to put his theory to the test, but only within limits. He first grants Satan power over “all that he has,” but prohibits personal harm to Job (Job 1:12, NKJV). Later, after Satan claims that Job cares only about himself, God allows Satan to afflict Job personally, but Satan must spare his life (Job 2:3-6).
Satan brings numerous calamities against Job’s household, yet in each case Job continues to bless His name (Job 1:20-22; Job 2:9-10), falsifying Satan’s charges.
We learn many things here, such as that there are rules of engagement in the cosmic conflict. There are parameters in the heavenly court within which the allegations raised against God can be settled, but without God violating the sacred principles inherent in love, the foundation of God’s government and how He rules the universe and the intelligent beings in it.
These heavenly scenes in the book of Job offer us fascinating insights into the reality of the great controversy, and how it is played out here on earth.
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A Thought Eperiment:
Suppose that God and Satan met in council in 2025 and God asks Satan, "Have you seen how good and upright the Seventh-day Adventists are?" And Satan answers. "Yes I have seen them. They are good and well-behaved, but they are only well behaved because they want to have their beliefs vindicated and get to heaven. Take away that hope and they will behave just like everyone else."
And God said, "Test your theory out!"
So Satan sent a charismatic prophet to the Seventh-day Adventist Church who told them that heaven was an ancient myth and did not really exist.
That scenario is a bit scary, isn't it? If it was true, how much difference would it make? Would you go to church on Saturday? Would you pay tithe? Would you be faithful to your spouse? Would you retain the Adventist lifestyle? How much of our Christian behaviour is based on the hope that we are going to be rewarded with heaven and eternal life?
The premise of Satan's argument was that people are good because there is a reward for being good. We are in it to win it! God responded that people who put their trust in him are good and loving, not because of the reward but because it is the right thing to do. The reward is not the issue.
The big cosmic battle is really between the self and unselfish love. It is playing at the cosmic level between God and Satan and at the personal level in our relationships with one another.
This is a profound thought experiment, and it touches on the core of Christian faith, especially within the Adventist worldview. It challenges the motivation behind righteousness—do we follow God because we love Him, or because we seek a reward?
The Bible suggests that true obedience is not about external rewards but about a transformation of the heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Jesus emphasized love as the foundation of the law (Matthew 22:37-40), and Paul spoke of faith working through love (Galatians 5:6).
The true test of faith is whether we would still choose to love, serve, and live by God's principles even if there were no heaven. If our faith is genuine, we will still worship on the Sabbath, still be faithful to our spouses, still live morally, because these are the best ways to live—not just because they come with a reward.
Amen
The heavenly scenes in Job 1 and 2 provide a profound glimpse into the great controversy. They reveal a cosmic conflict where Satan challenges both God's justice and the sincerity of human faithfulness. Job becomes a test case in this dispute, demonstrating that true worship is not based on material blessings but on a deep, unwavering relationship with God. The dialogue between God and Satan also highlights that there are divine rules of engagement, limiting Satan’s actions. Ultimately, Job’s steadfastness proves Satan’s accusations false, reaffirming God's righteousness and the faithfulness of those who trust in Him.