Bible Study

*Just for Your Thoughts* .


Expository Commentary on the Book of Job.*

Bible Study – 2
Scripture for Meditation: Job's 1st chapter.

What Does It Mean to Fear God?
Fearing God does not mean living in terror of Him. Rather, it means honoring Him, obeying His Word, and gratefully recognizing all that He has done for us.
Warren Wiersbe summarizes it this way:
“To respect what He is, what He says, and what He does.”
In other words, we must respect who God is, what He says, and what He does.
Simply put, we must honor God, honor His Word, and value the salvation He has graciously given us. This is the true meaning of the fear of God. It is not a slavish fear, but the loving respect and reverence that a good son has for his father.
Important Truths We Learn from This Chapter
1. Satan Has No Authority Over God's Children Unless God Permits It
All the trials that came upon Job were under God's knowledge and7 permission. Before Satan could touch Job, he had to receive permission from God. Therefore, Satan's power is limited, while God's sovereignty remains supreme.
2. Satan Is Still Active Today
In Job chapter 1, Satan appears before God. Scripture portrays him as one who roams throughout the earth and accuses God's people. Until the day he is finally cast into the lake of fire, he has been granted a limited sphere of activity in this world.
3. Satan Finds Fault Even Where God Finds None
God Himself testified concerning Job, saying that there was no one on earth like him—a blameless and upright man. Yet Satan questioned Job's motives and sought to find fault in him.
Even today, Satan continues to accuse the children of God. Our comfort, however, is that Jesus Christ, our Savior, continually intercedes for us in the presence of the Father.
4. Satan Can Use Natural Forces Only with God's Permission
In Job 1:16, the servant reports that “the fire of God fell from heaven.” This was likely his description of what he witnessed. However, when we consider the broader context of the chapter, we see that it was Satan who was carrying out the testing of Job under God's sovereign permission.
Therefore, we must understand that God allowed the event in His sovereignty, while Satan acted as the instrument through which it occurred.
5. Not Every Question in Life Has an Immediate Answer
Job was not immediately given an explanation for his suffering. Some of the answers to what happened on earth were found in heaven. Likewise, in our own lives, there are situations whose meaning we may not fully understand at the moment.
Yet the Book of Job teaches us a profound truth: God never loses control. Even in circumstances we cannot comprehend, He is working out His sovereign purposes and accomplishing His perfect will.
Key Lesson:
When life does not make sense, we must remember that God remains on the throne. What we cannot understand today may one day reveal His wisdom, His purpose, and His glory.
“God's sovereignty is never absent, even when His purposes are hidden.”