Bible Questions and Answers

Is Satan in Job 1 and 2 an angel or who opposed will of God?

Satan is a transliteration of a Hebrew word which means adversary.

The Hebrew word is translated in the KJV – ‘Satan’ 19 times, ‘adversary’ 7 times, ‘withstand’ 1 time. In one incident recorded in 1 Chronicles and 2 Samuel, Satan, the adversary (to Israel), is God himself.

• 1 Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
• 2 Samuel 24:1 Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."

The Satan in Job is an angel. He is an adversary to Job, but not to God. He does only what God permits him to do, using the power of God to do it. (remember there is no power but of God - Romans 13:1) He questions Job’s motivation, suggesting that he only serves God for what he can get out of it. God knows Job better but allows the angel to put him the test for both Job’s benefit and for ours. What we learn from Job is that suffering in this life is not punishment for sin. A lesson that the disciples needed to learn when Jesus healed the man who was born blind. John 9:2,3

The other thing we learn from Job is to endure suffering with patience: James 5:11

What we don’t learn from Job is the false doctrine that God permits a fallen angel, allegedly in opposition to God, to afflict men and women with illness and tempt them to sin. Further, having succeeded, to torment them in a place called hell for eternity.

I hope you find this helpful,

God bless,
Glenn