What is the meaning of Job 2:7? So Satan went out Satan does not act on his own timetable; he moves only after divine permission is granted (Job 1:12). His “going out” shows intent and urgency, echoing 1 Peter 5:8 where he “prowls around like a roaring lion.” The adversary’s departure reminds us that spiritual warfare is real, but also that God remains firmly in control (Luke 22:31–32). from the presence of the LORD Satan was compelled to leave the heavenly court (Zechariah 3:1–2). He cannot linger where God reigns in holiness, and he cannot harm God’s people without explicit allowance (Lamentations 3:37). Even in suffering, the believer rests in the truth that nothing slips past the Lord’s sovereign oversight (Romans 8:28). and infected Job The attack is personal and physical. Scripture is clear that the devil can afflict the body (Acts 10:38; 2 Corinthians 12:7). Job’s illness is neither random nor a result of secret sin (Job 1:1). It is a calculated assault meant to break his faith, yet it ultimately serves God’s greater purposes (James 5:11). with terrible boils “Boils” draw a picture of excruciating pain and constant irritation, much like the plague on Egypt (Exodus 9:9–11) or the curse warned about in Deuteronomy 28:35. The term signals an incurable, disfiguring condition. Job’s misery is so severe that later he sits among ashes, scraping himself with broken pottery (Job 2:8). from the soles of his feet Suffering starts at the very place he would stand or walk, leaving him immobilized. Isaiah 1:6 laments a similar condition: “From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness.” Job cannot flee his pain; it greets him with every step—or inability to take one. to the crown of his head The boils cover him entirely, sparing no inch of skin. Psalm 38:3–8 describes how such total agony crushes the spirit and drains the life. Job’s whole identity—public, private, physical, and emotional—is engulfed in affliction, underscoring the comprehensive nature of the test (Job 2:9–10). summary • Satan acts only by God’s permission, highlighting divine sovereignty even in hardship. • Job’s suffering is literal, physical, and comprehensive, yet never outside God’s righteous boundaries. • Scripture consistently presents Satan as a real adversary who can afflict the body, but whose power is limited (1 John 4:4). • Job’s boils illustrate how trials can touch every area of life, inviting trust in God’s purposes beyond immediate understanding. |
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