David Bahn – Reflections

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These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Job 1-2; Psalm 13.

Job 1:1-12

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. ² There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. ³ He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. ⁴ His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵ And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

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 have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ⁸ And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” ⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? ¹⁰ Have you not put a hedge around 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 stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

I’ve quoted Martin Luther many times in regard to this section of Job, “The devil is always God’s devil.” Some people don’t like to think of such an apparent close relationship between God and the devil. And according to ChatGTP, Luther didn’t say those exact words. But it appears that in his Table Talks, Luther did say, “For, where God built a church, there the devil would also build a chapel… In such sort is the devil always God’s ape.” I like that, “God’s ape!”

Jesus said, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I have come that they may have life to the full.” (John 10:10) We see how Satan seeks to do just that right here in the opening words of Job. It’s good to remember that Satan is real and dangerous, but he is not autonomous. Satan operates only within limits God allows – see verse 12. God ultimately uses even the devil’s work to serve his purposes.

But that “ultimately” is an important and far-reaching word. In the case of Job it took some time for the ultimately to become clear. God had set a boundary for Satan’s influence in Job’s life. Although Satan’s influence in Job’s life was brutal, it lasted only for a time. And in the end we (who have already read the book) know that he will be fully restored – and more.

It’s hard to imagine God actually inciting Satan against Job. But that’s exactly what he did. Perhaps Job needed the lesson; and we’ll see how that is dealt with later in the book. He will learn his lesson (so too will his friends).

For us today, we need to remember the lesson of Job and James: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) As we face temptation from the world, our flesh, or the devil, we can rely on God’s word, the Holy Spirit, and God’s protection to help us resist. And when we fall, we can thank God that when we repent he will receive us graciously, forgive our sins, and point us back toward the cross and the abundant life Jesus came to bring.