Job 1:6-12
Have you ever wondered what heaven is really like? I mean, the common picture of people with angel’s wings strumming harps has little basis in reality, but what does the Bible tell us about how it really is? The main problem is that the Bible is trying to describe something to us that that humanity has never experienced. If you met a man in the jungle who'd never seen modern technology, you could try to explain, say, an airplane to him. You could say that it’s somewhat like a bird flying through the air, but you’d have to quickly add that it’s not exactly the same. He might demand, “Is it a bird or not?” Any answer to his questions would be partly true but very inadequate and inaccurate to some degree. Do you see the problem God has in communicating truth about the spiritual realm to us?
But even if it’s inadequate and inaccurate to some degree, there are some things we can definitely say about heaven. First, God's in charge. That’s made perfectly clear every time the veil is parted for us to peek a little bit. His authority is unquestioned, even by the Adversary himself in this passage.
Second, he's the center of attention. While it’s true that there are rewards in heaven and things are finally set right up there, there's only one Superstar up there, and guess what: It’s not you.
The picture presented here is very similar to a king’s court, where servants of the king come before him on his throne and give an accounting to him. Keep in mind the illustration of the man with the airplane, but there are obvious similarities.
So what are some other points to make from this passage? Literally the angels who appear are “the sons of God,” (see the NIV text notes) but the first chapter of Hebrews makes it very clear that they're not God’s sons in the sense that Jesus is. He created them, and he has a very special relationship with them, but they're his servants who give an accounting to him.
Apparently in this story Satan also has to give an accounting, and notice that he’s intentionally vague about what he’s doing, basically the equivalent of “What have I been doing? Um. . .stuff.”
Notice some other things that are just mentioned but should be very important to us. When he accused Job before God, he complained about a “hedge” around the man. How would Satan know about this? Obviously because he had attempted to attack this man, but had been rebuffed by the Lord’s protection. He wanted to destroy Job, but couldn’t approach him much less touch him or his property. Please notice that the Accuser (which literally is what “Satan” means) had to get permission to assail Job, and God gave him very specific parameters.
Friend, this is one of the most comforting passages in the Bible to me. I belong to my Father through Jesus Christ. If Satan wants to attack me, he has to get specific permission from my Father, otherwise he can’t even approach me, much less touch me. Everything that happens in my life has to be filtered through God’s loving plan for me. Nothing happens by accident in my life. He’s in the process of molding me into the likeness of his Son, and he's using everything in my life, both good and bad, to do so. I might not know the reasons behind everything, but I know enough to trust him.
Lord Jesus, I do trust you. You’re my Shepherd, so I can let the wolves howl as much as they please. In your arms I can find peace and comfort, because you DO know what you’re doing. Please help me to trust you better.
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