I heard what I thought at the time was a very good sermon on the book of Job. When you hear what Job went through you have to wonder what this God thing is all about. For years I have read that people who were going through bad times were only going through what Job went through. Now if Job had been evil it would be easy to see how Satan could take advantage of his sins to punish him. But the bible tells us that Job was a perfect and upright man, a man who was well respected by his peers and quite prosperous. For twenty years I felt that God had been cruel in his treatment of Job, until one morning as I read the bible I realized that in those days Jesus had not come yet, and had not yet died for mankind. Had Jesus been in the book of Job, Satan would not have been victories in his accusations and punishment of Job; it would not have been such a lopsided trial.
This is important because in the Old Testament whenever Satan accused someone in front of the Father there was no one to intercede for the accused. So Satan could have his way as he did in the book of Job. Without Jesus to intercede for mankind, the devil could bring up any sin or transgression committed by any person and demand punishment using Gods own law for his evil purpose. But after the death and resurrection of Jesus who now sits at the right hand of the Father, Satan no longer has leverage before the Fathers throne. Now there is a real trial with a judge, a prosecutor who is he devil and a lawyer who is Jesus the Christ. Whenever he brings up an accusation, Jesus is there to tell the Father that he has paid the price for so and so and all who have faith in his finished work. In Jobs case he was just enjoying what God had given him, which made Satan envious because he had once been Gods favorite angel.
Now this is what the Good News is all about, that Jesus paid the price for our shortcomings and took our sins on his own body at the cross. So if Jesus paid for them with is life and his blood, Satan has no right to bring them up before God the Father who sent Jesus in the first place. Throughout the book of Job Satan has his own way in heaven that is where we get Satan's nickname (the devil), which means the accuser of men. It is more like a trial before a judge without a jury or a lawyer, just the accuser or prosecutor pointing out how the law has been broken. But after the death of Jesus we have the best lawyer anyone could have, and it is all free, you just have to believe. In Jesus we have a sure victory because he paid the ultimate price to get us of the hook.
Some may say that Job was twice blessed in the end, but I'd rather not lose my family and friends if that is what it takes to be blessed. Thank God for Jesus who paid the price I could not pay, so I would not have to suffer as Job did. So now when I hear a message on the book of Job I can say to myself "that's not for me because I have a lawyer in heaven who is the mediator between God and men." 1 Timothy 2:5 for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, The Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men, NIV. I also do not have to fear when my heavenly Father blesses me as he blessed Job, and Satan wants to know why. Now I am blessed because Jesus wants to bless me, Satan cannot do anything about this.
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