The Second Dare..

Time elapses. One day , another angelic briefing takes place in heaven.
God reaffirms to Satan his contention that Job truely loves God and his ways ( Job 2: 1-7 )

Satan again scoffs at Job's faith in God. "A man will give all he has for his own life, " jibes Satan. "
But stretch out your hand and strike is flesh and bones, and surely he will curse you to your face. "

God again expresses confidence in Job " Very well, then , he is in your hands, " but you must spare his life, " God instructs Satan.

The devil immediately strikes poor Job with putrid sores over his entire body.
The Fall of the house of Job is complete.
It appears he has become --- without his knowledge or permission -- the colateral in one of history's greatest tests..

Job is now on trail. He must answer a vital question. How will he, who has faithfully trusted God for help and protection ,
react to suffering that seems senseless and unjust ?

Will righteous Job reject God or maintain his Faith ?
So far, Satan has lost every round.

He has proven wrong about Job's faithfull relationship with God.
But does Job have lasting power ?

Will he continue to trust in God as the seemingless endless suffering rolls on,
with only pain and death in site ?

Will Job persevere though God seems to have forsaken him ? That is the real issue at stake.
Job can be seen , then, as a metaphor of the suffering Christian or a person of faith.

How Job reacts to God's test says something about how we should react to trails.
The book asks us to consider our faith. Would we continue to trust God , to love God
with all our hearts , soul and mind ( Matthew 22:37-38 ) ---

Even while suffering for reasons we don't understand ?