Job suffered grievously at the hands of Satan (as allowed by God). The Lord Jesus Christ suffered far more at the hands of the same enemy (again, as allowed by God).
""The LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD" - "Jesus... was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin" (Job 1:12; Hebrews 4:14; 15).
We do not know how long Job experienced the devil's challenges. "Long enough" he would tell us if he could speak to us today. We do know that the Lord Jesus faced his enemy from holy conception onward as the devil incessantly tempted and attacked Him. Only a lifetime of such challenge could provide such temptation "in all points." More than three decades of difficulty day by day by day confronted our Savior. He overcame every devilish assault, an absolute necessity if He could qualify as our Sinbearer and the Lamb "without spot or blemish" (I Peter 1:19). Few truths more elicit appreciation and love for the Lord Jesus more than this contemplation of a lifetime wherein He knew our pains and felt the discomfort that always accompanies the facing and overcoming of temptation. "He is... a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3).
Job's trial, terrible as it was, must serve to direct our attention to an even greater Sufferer. "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). In no way does this lessen our awareness of what Job endured, nor our respect for his overcoming Satan's temptation to cause him to curse God (Job 1:11; 2:5). In fact, we honor Job all the more by affirming that he serves as the foreshadowing of our Lord's life of suffering. Moreover, we serve a similar honored role as "the sufferings of Christ abound in us" (II Corinthians 1:5). On the other side of the incarnation, the cross, and the resurrection, born again believers face challenges purposed and/or allowed by God in order to glorify and reveal the Lord Jesus. Just as Job's sufferings were not primarily about him, our difficulties serve the holy purpose of declaring the person and work of the Savior to our particular sphere of influence. Lacking the Scriptures we so blessedly possess, Job didn't know the truth that the Bible so patently declares: "It's not about me!" We do know, however, or we should as we "search the Scriptures" to discover that God purposes the Lord Jesus to "in all things have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18).
Our Heavenly Father graciously offers us a life and a lifetime of honoring His Son. Blessing and buffeting will be required. Long ago, the man Job discovered such truth as he served to presage the coming of the Man of sorrows and the risen Christ. In this day, our Lord grants to us the same privilege that will not seem like privilege. But it is, and the more we recognize our honored role of glorifying and revealing the Lord Jesus through the trials we face, the more we will join our brethren of the first century in their awareness of the blessedness as known in buffeting…
"They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name."
(Acts 5:41)
Weekly Memory Verse
By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.
(Hebrews 13:15)
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