Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

JOB - CHAPTER 2

JOB AGAIN IN SATAN’S NET

Verses 1-8:

His Future Testing

Verses 1, 2 report that there came a time when the sons of God (servant angels of God) Job 1:6, also called "saints" or holy ones, Job 5:1, a ministering band of unfallen angels, appeared before or in the presence of God, to report their activities, Hebrews 1:14; Psalms 34:7. Satan also "came among them to present himself before the Lord." He had a report to give on his relations with Job. Note that in Job 1:6 Satan "came among the sons of God" as an impostor, of his own accord, but he asserted that he had been going to and fro (hurrying, rushing about) in the earth, walking hastily up and down in it, like a caged lion or tiger, like a fish in a bowl, with fear, yet, seeking whom he might devour, Job 1:7; Matthew 12:43; 1 Peter 5:8; See also Genesis 3:1; Psalms 109:6. He will continue his work of deception and destruction until he is cast into the bottomless pit, prepared for him, his angels, and those who forget God, Revelation 20:10; Matthew 25:41; Psalms 9:17.

Verse 3 relates the Lord’s inquiry of Satan, as a testimony, for the record’s sake, whether or not he had considered or approached His servant Job, a perfect, upright man, who feared God, and who eschewed or avoided an evil pattern of life. Then the Lord certified to Satan that Job was a man of integrity, tho the Lord had been moved (motivated) by Satan to destroy him, ruin him, or swallow him up, without a cause, 1Kg 8:61; Job 9:17; Job 27:5-6; Proverbs 1:12.

Verses 4, 5 recount Satan’s reply that "skin for skin" all that a man had he would give for his life, Job 1:11. Of course he lied, being the father of lies, John 8:44. Many men have forfeited their lives out of love for God, family, and country, not forfeited these to save their own skin. Satan further challenged the Lord to put forth His hand "of destruction" and touch his flesh and bone and Job would "curse thee to thy face," a second lie he here told, v. 9, 10; Job 19:22.

Verse 6 states that the Lord granted Satan permission to do anything further he cared to do to Job’s skin-body, except he could not take his life. He had been given power to destroy al that Job had, his possessions, and his family, and he had done this; yet Job held his fidelity, his integrity, his unwavering trust in God, Job 1:12; Job 2:3; Job 27:5-6; Proverbs 3:5-6.

Verses 7, 8 relate that Satan then went forth of his own will, accord, and purpose from the presence of the Lord. Then, by the permissive power of God, Satan smote Job’s body with sore or malignant, putrefying boils, that became as one scab sore, a black burning sore or boil, referred to also as "the botch of Egypt," Psalms 38:4-8; Isaiah 1:6. This covered him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job, thus afflicted by Satan, took a "potsherd," an instrument made for scratching the sores that were too disgusting to touch, and sat down in ashes, in deepest humiliation, there to suffer and to scratch, as a deep mourner, Genesis 18:27; John 3:6; Ezekiel 27:30.

Job and His Wife

Verses 9, 10:

Contrast of Their Integrity

Verse 9 recounts that Job’s wife sarcastically chided him to "curse God and die," or just keep on blessing God and all he could expect for it was to die, Genesis 3:6. Rhetorically she challenged, "you will not go on holding to your integrity, will you?" Just speak against or renounce God and die, Job 21:15; Job 27:5-6.

Verse 10 states that Job responded, chiding his wife for speaking as a foolish woman, a woman of folly would speak, Job 1:21; James 5:10-11. Sin and folly are aligned in the Scriptures, 1 Samuel 25:25; 2 Samuel 13:13; Psalms 14:1. He further asked her should they always expect to receive good, never receive any evil, ill wind, or chastening, John 18:11; Romans 12:12; Hebrews 12:9; James 5:10; In all this experience Job did not sin with his lips, Psalms 39:1; James 1:12.

Job’s Three Pretended Friends Arrive

Verses 11-13:

Verse 11 relates that when Job’s three special friends heard of his loss in possessions, family, and health they came to visit with him as described, as follows:

1) Ellphaz the Temanite who was a dogmatist, Genesis 36:11; Jeremiah 49:7.

2) Bildad the Shuhite who was a traditionalist, Genesis 25:2.

3) Zophar the Naamathite who was a know-all-dogmatist.

These three had made a joint appointment to come to mourn with and comfort him in his loss and affliction, Romans 12:15; 2 Corinthians 3:3-4.

Verse 12 states that when these three friends saw Job from a distance they could not recognize him because of his horrible covering of sores as he sat in dust and ashes. They were so emotionally moved at his dreadful appearance that they lifted up their voices with loud crying and died away with voices of weeping. They tore their outer garments and threw dust toward the heavens, causing it to fall on their own heads, as a symbol of deep grief and sorrow for Job’s affliction, as described, Joshua 7:6; Acts 22:23; See also Nehemiah 9:1; Lamentations 2:10; Ezekiel 27:30.

Verse 13 adds that the three sat down with Job upon the ground, remaining there for seven days and seven nights, without speaking a word to him, because they saw and were appalled at his grief. They sat empathizing with him in silence, for a period of one full week, Genesis 50:10; 1 Samuel 31:13.

Sores, a Form of Leprosy

It is believed that these sores were a form of leprosy, loathed and considered to be incurable in the East, as described in the Scriptures, Leviticus 13:42-46; Numbers 5:14; Numbers 12:14; Luke 17:11-19, etc.

Low Wallace In Ben Hur, Book VI, chapter 2, "Memorial Edition,"

gives a vivid description of leprosy in the case of Ben Hur’s mother and sister:

Leprosy

Slowly, steadily, with horrible certainty, the disease spread, after a while bleaching their heads white, eating holes in their lips and eyelids, and covering their bodies with scales; then it fell to their throats, shrilling their voices, and to their joints, hardening the tissues and cart ileges-slowly, and, as the mother well knew, past remedy, it was affecting their lungs and arteries and bones, at each advance making the sufferers more and more loathesome; and so it would continue till death, which might be years before them.

He sets forth the awful state of the leper thus:

These four are accounted as dead-the blind, the leper, the poor, and the childless.

Thus the Talmud adds,

That is, to be a leper was to be treated as dead-to be excluded from the city as a corpse; to be spoken to by the best beloved and most loving, only at a distance; to dwell with none but lepers; to be utterly unprivileged; to be denied the rites of the Temple and the synagogue; to go about in rent garments and with covered mouth, except when crying, "Unclean! Unclean!" to find home in the wilderness, or in abandoned tombs; to become a materialized specter of Hinnom and Gehenna; to be at all times less a living offense to others than a breathing torment to self; afraid to die, yet without hope except in death.