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 Experiment:
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
Nice to think of Maurice. Book of Job gives us encouragement to keep our faith to God. Job shows his faithfulness all through his life, what a good example, even in time of sufferings, trials Job remains with the Lord. As Maurice brings point, as a seventh-day adventist without the reward of getting into heaven, do we keep God as our way of living? Do love for others will remains? A beautiful points to think of. 🙏 ❤️
Does this dialogue or heavenly council still go on, and is Satan allowed to participate? Iʻm thinking Satanʻs participation ended at the cross?
Thank you Maurice. I appreciate your explanation. It was easy to understand. We must keep our love and trust in the Lord.
On one level, I agree with you, Maurice. If we are doing things just to get to heaven we are selfish. At the same time Paul says that "if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men" I Corinthians 15:19 (NIV).
Our standard of ethics comes from the Word of God which emphasizes eternal life and a world made new. They go together. I'm not sure they really can be separated. As much as we do our best to make our corner of the world a Heaven on earth, we are very much aware of the futility of it. We need hope of something better.
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.
Job had not resisted the love of God, giving him the gifts of daily connection with God, a need for his Lord, repentence, forgivness, confession, concecration, devotion discipleship and many more, we can have that too, if we do not resist the drawing of the Love of God. Oh, yes another reason to understand the love of God and His justice, when we understand what we are privlaged to understand, I believe we are drawn even closer.
Parent's would sometimes say to a child if you do such and such I give you some kind of reward .now the reward is conditional on the child performing some task!!
When a person is born again, accept Christ is that person not looking for eternal life? The answer YES , but as he/she began the growth journey in the Christian walk some stark reality set in,Satan as always declare war on you,Satan knows that built into the plan of salvation is eternal life ,eternal life is part and parcel of the plan of salvation. So that when all earthly support is cut of like Job,I can't see beyond this crisis like miss Job ,from my lips "will I curse God and die"?
It will always come down to our LOVE FOR GOD AND NOT OUT SELF ,that's why affliction would not arise a second time. Like Mr Job we are on the verge of a cosmic war in which we will, lose every thing we work or achieve in this life, Question is did MrJob know that he would get back twice as much as he had before! Job love for his God way unconditional, May the love of Jesus awakens that divine love in us and for us!!!
While we live on this fallen planet, this tremendous controversial battle can haunt us. But God is not blind to it. He knows what's happening to us; we must be sure of this. His eyes over us are sharper than the eyes of an eagle or a hawk. And He will rescue us at the right time. Let's keep up the hope!
I have never read the book of Job from start to finish. It is interesting as to how God still allows Satan to attend the Angelic Conferences with God and to also "Harass and Afflict" good people. At least according to these two chapters in Job and also according to Bible History and the Book of Revelation too. And look at what Satan succeeded in doing to God's own Son Jesus too. But there is the "Bright Side" of Job at the end. God blesses Job greater at the end than before Satan was allowed to afflict and Harass him.
The story of Job powerfully illustrates that humans are more than passive participants in the great controversy between God and Satan; we can also actively play a role in it. Job's unwavering faith amidst immense suffering demonstrates that human beings, through their relationship with God, can serve as agents in affirming God's justice, righteousness, and faithfulness. Job’s trials were not merely about his personal suffering; they were a stage where the larger cosmic battle between good and evil unfolded.
Because Job trusted in God despite the loss and pain, he became a testimony to the power of faith and righteousness, disproving Satan’s claim that people only serve God for blessings. Thus, Job’s story shows that our choices and loyalty to God in difficult times contribute to the larger spiritual conflict and can help uphold God's character in the face of accusations from the enemy. This encourages believers to view their own trials not just as personal, but as opportunities to witness to God’s goodness and participate in settling the controversy.
As a corollary to the issues in the book of Job, we now have the testimonies of the apostles and reformers (“loved not their lives unto the death” Rev. 12:11) who were content to lose their lives for the sake of the truth.