Whom Do You Trust?
Job 1:1–22
Have you not put a hedge around him? Job 1:10

God promises to shield the believer against Satan. A main point in Job’s situation is that God had placed a hedge around him. Satan could do nothing to him until God permitted the hedge to be lowered a little in order to demonstrate Job’s character; and God did this only with the full knowledge that Job would triumph and that all Job had lost would be restored.

Satan had charged that Job worshiped God merely for what he could get out of it. God had prospered Job. If God would allow Satan to take away Job’s possessions, Job would curse God to his face. In presenting this argument, Satan makes an interesting admission. He admits that God is protecting Job: “Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?” Presumably Satan had tried to attack Job before, but the hedge was in the way, and he was not able to do it. He makes his slander against both Job and God, but in doing so he admits both his weakness and God’s faithfulness to those who trust him.

God replies that he is going to put the matter to a test. He is going to lower the hedge so that Satan may attack Job’s possessions, but it is still going to remain high enough to protect Job personally. Satan goes off, lays waste the property, and kills the children. Job gets up, displays evidence of mourning, but says, “‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” (Job 1:21–22).

Satan made another accusation. He said that, although Job valued his possessions, he valued his life even more. It was not love of God that kept Job faithful; it was fear. Job was afraid for his health. God answers by lowering the hedge still further. Satan may touch Job’s body but he may not take his life. Accordingly, Satan proceeded to afflict Job with boils. Job mourned the day he was born. But in all this, “Job did not sin with his lips” (2:10).

We are no different from Job, except that most of us do not have the strength of character he had. We are God’s, as he was, and God is also our protector. God is our shield not only against our enemies but against Satan, the greatest enemy of all. There is nothing that Satan will ever be able to do to you that will not first pass through the will of God, who allows it only in order to bring about a spiritual victory.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.