THE TESTING OF JOB


1. Job is a very mature believer (1:1, 8; 2:3a). This is not a test of a baby or carnal believer. 

2. Job is a very rich man (1:2–3). This is not a test of a poor or middle class Uzite. 

3. There are two tests in the Book of Job: a financial test (1:13–22) and a health test (2:7–10). 

4. Both tests originate from accusations by Satan—the accuser of the brethren (1:9–11; 2:4–5). 

5. The accusations are: 'People love you God only because you protect their families, finances, and 
health" (1:11; 2:5). 

6. Satan cannot touch (remove) our families, finances, or health without God's permission (1:11–12; 
2:5–6). 

Satan asked God to remove Job's wealth and health: 

1:11 "put forth Thy hand now and touch" 

2:5 "put forth Thy hand, now, and touch"
And God gave permission to Satan to remove Job's wealth and health:

1:12 "…is in your power" 

2:6 "…is in your power" 

7. The nature and extent of the test (its severity) are clearly defined by God. Restraints are put on Satan: 
he can only do what God allows. 

God limited the first test to Job's possessions—excluding his health: 

1:12 permission: "all that he has is in your power" 
denial: "only do not put forth your hand on him"

God limited the second test to his health—excluding his death. It was impossible for Job to die
in this test unless Satan disobeyed God—something he will not do for fear of incarceration
in the abyss.

2:6 permission: "he is in your power" 
denial: "only spare his life" 

8. Satan was given freedom of choice to do anything he wanted to Job—within predefined limits. 
The means of loss (bandits, storm) and the type of disease were left entirely up to Satan. 

9. Satan can strip you of your wealth in seconds: note the thrice repeated "while he was still speaking" 
(1:16, 17, 18). 

10. God took the blame for what happened to Job: "you incited me against him, to swallow him up 
without a cause" (2:3). 

11. Job passed both tests (1:20–22; 2:10). 1:20–22 shows his attitude toward material possessions 
and 2:10 shows his attitude toward his health (not his possessions). In effect he said, "I love God 
more than my possessions or my health!" 

12. Expect temptations to sin—even from people close to you (2:9). A test of Job was also a test of 
his wife. She, not Job, had the bad attitude in testing that Satan predicted: "Curse God and die!" 
She was not a mature believer like Job. She loved possessions and social status more than 
she loved God. 

13. Great believers pass the hardest tests. Job was the greatest believer of his day ("there is no one 
like him on the earth" 1:8; 2:3) and he passed two brutal back-to-back tests. The greater you are 
the harder the tests you can pass. 

14. God blessed Job twofold when the tests were over (42:10, 12). God ruined him without cause (2:3) 
and then made it up to him twofold.