A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

high, and a man who had a vital relationship with God whom he knew best as El Shaddai, the
Almighty.
Perhaps it should not be surprising that the name of God, El Shaddai, Almighty, occurs
most often in the context of his experience of suffering. This name of God is based on the
Hebrew word shad meaning “breast” and though translated “Almighty,” it really conveys the
idea of all sufficiency. A Bible teacher once noted, “Sometimes you really can’t say all I want is
Jesus until all you have is Jesus.” Perhaps that was the experience of Job. Though he worshiped
God during the times of abundance in his life, it was during his time of great loss that God
became “more than enough.” It is only as one has need that one recognizes how sufficient God is
to meet those needs.
Job was indeed a blessed man. His seven sons and three daughters remained a close
family unit even after they had left the home of their. parents. His flocks and herds were enormous.
Seven thousand sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, 500 she-asses, and a massive staff to
manage the affairs of the household were the physical evidence that Job was the undisputed
greatest man in the area.
But Job’s immense wealth did not alter his personal piety. He regularly prayed for his
children and had committed them completely to God. He was not only concerned about their sin,
but he was concerned with the possibility that his good children might have sinned in their
hearts. His was not a religion that was restricted to externals only. He offered the burnt offering
on behalf of his children, but his desire was that the symbol of complete consecration might be
realized in the heart of each child.
There have never been many men of the caliber of Job. Normally, it does not take much
for Satan, the accuser of the brethren, to find some glaring inconsistency in the life of one who
claims to be committed to God. Satan had access to God’s presence where he brought
accusations against God’s people. But with Job, Satan could not find anything worth mentioning
in his periodic tirades of critical accusation before God. On one such occasion, God chose to put
Satan on the spot. “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth,
a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” God asked (1:8).
But the accuser is by nature an accuser, so Satan responded by accusing God of giving
“special treatment” to Job. “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (v. 9) It was obvious as far as Satan
was concerned, that God had blessed Job so Job worshiped God. The accuser charged that if God
should ever allow the slightest negative thing to happen to Job, Job would boldly curse God to
His face.
Satan had to be silenced. His accusations against Job were completely unfounded. God
would prove just how unfounded they were. When Satan left the presence of God that day, he
had permission to do anything short of physically harming Job. Satan was going to take
advantage of that license. But in the midst of a most unusual arrangement between God and
Satan, no one thought of warning Job.
The first assault of Satan (1:13-22)
The day was special for Job; it was the birthday of his oldest son (v. 4, “his appointed
day”). It was a day for celebrating and remembering. He and his wife had not joined their
children in the festivities. Perhaps together they remembered the day they became parents and all
of the days since then that made them such proud parents. Though Job and his wife weren’t at
the party, they probably celebrated just the same.