Job 1:8
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
God Himself testifies as the Searcher of hearts that Job of Uz, very early in the world's history, is His servant with none like him on earth, perfect and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. This commendation is given in the heavenly court where Job's life record is the ground of controversy, as Satan watches for missteps to accuse him before the angels and God permits the test, a working of deception and accusation repeated on earth. His suffering was not the result of a perverted life nor proof that he was a great sinner, but was inflicted by Satan when he stripped Job of possessions, family ties and children and covered his body with loathsome sores, while God permitted and overruled it for purposes of mercy. His friends wrongly charged that his own sinful course made him responsible and deserving of punishment, placing God in a false light, yet Job stayed conscious of his integrity, did not swerve from loyalty, and held fast his faith even when he seemed forsaken by heaven and earth. His later humility when he saw God's majesty and repented in consciousness of sinfulness does not cancel God's judgment that his life was upright. God rewarded His faithful servant, showing that He tests and proves His servants as He did Job and Moses, using the furnace of trial to bring His children near to Him, teach them to lean on Him, and bear witness to His abiding presence and sustaining grace.
God's Testimony About Job
The verse is the testimony of God as the Searcher of hearts concerning Job, the patriarch of Uz, spoken very early in the history of the world. In it God calls Job His servant and declares that there is none like him in the earth. He describes him as perfect and upright, as one who fears God and turns away from evil.
That life record of perfection and uprightness, of fearing God and shunning evil, is the ground over which Satan's controversy is waged. The verse belongs to the heavenly-court exchange in which God permits Satan to test Job and to reveal his indignation against God's servant. In that connection Satan watches for missteps to use as grounds for accusation before the angels, working through deception and accusation to lead others into evil. That heavenly scene is repeated on earth when he links himself with people who profess to believe the truth.
God's judgment that Job's life was upright is not canceled by Job's later humility when he saw God's majesty, recognized his sinfulness, and repented. The divine commendation of unique uprightness and devotion stands alongside that repentance.
Suffering, Loyalty, and Reward
Not all suffering is the result of a perverted life, and Job's affliction was no proof that he was a great sinner deserving punishment. His suffering was inflicted by Satan while being permitted and overruled by God for purposes of mercy. The Lord allowed Satan to afflict His uniquely upright and faithful servant to test a life already approved as loyal.
Satan stripped Job of all he possessed, deprived him of worldly possessions, broke his family ties, and took his children from him. For a time he covered his body with loathsome, painful sores that caused great suffering. So afflicted in body and so deprived, Job was abhorred by relatives and friends.
His friends wrongly tried to make him see that his own sinful course made him responsible for his afflictions. They sought to prove him guilty before God and deserving of punishment, thereby bringing a grievous test upon him. In doing so they represented God falsely and placed Him in a false light.
Job stayed conscious of his integrity, denied the charge, and did not swerve from loyalty. He held fast his faith in God even when he seemed forsaken by heaven and earth, crying out in anguish and perplexity under the affliction that followed. He maintained integrity and loyalty in trial and conflict, in contrast to a spirit of murmuring and unbelief under trial. God rewarded His faithful servant who remained loyal through that testing.
His experience shows that violence from Satan, permitted to reveal his indignation against God's servant, is no reason to be surprised when God's work advances. God tests and proves His servants as He did Job, as He also tested Moses, and such trials can reveal a person's faithfulness to God. Job is held up as one of God's appointed witnesses exposed to reproach and persecution for truth's sake. God does not prevent the plottings of wicked men but causes their devices to work for good to those who maintain faith and loyalty. He uses the furnace of trial and affliction to bring His children near to Him, to show them their weakness and His strength, to teach them to lean on Him, and to prepare them to meet emergencies, fill positions of trust, and accomplish the purpose for which their powers were given, bearing witness to the faithfulness of His promises, His abiding presence and sustaining grace, and the power of faith to rest in God in the darkest hour and to withstand the powers of the world.