So satan, "again," moves against Job, and this time satan afflicts him not only in spirit and soul but also in body. Job two, verse seven, says that satan "smote" Job with loathsome and painful sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Now, the Holy Spirit has a definite reason for using the word "smote" when He describes satan's attack upon Job. Some of the most powerful struggles and intense spiritual conflicts recorded in the Word are behind the use of the word "smote" - conflicts and struggles which have far-reaching effects and results in the Divine Plan. Therefore, let us take note of three such instances in other portions of the Bible in order that we may understand the conflict that Job suffered.
1. " ... these made war with Bera king of Sodom ... and in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims ..." (Genesis 14:2, 5). Here we find satan showing just how far he will go in his war between the evil powers under his control over fallen man; the Rephaims, which are the descendants of the giants of Genesis 6, the monsters of iniquity, who were, and are, the seed of the serpent; and Sodom, which speaks of perversion and also pervert the Right Way of the Lord. And behind this war, which satan inspired between those under his control, was satan's attempt to cause Abraham to compromise with Sodom and thereby corrupt "The Seed," which is Christ. But Abraham said to the king of Sodom, "I will not take anything that is thine." And after these things, the Word of the Lord came to Abraham saying: "Fear not, Abram: I Am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15:1).
2. "For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I Am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall nto be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:12, 13). These scriptures point to the Cross, and they speak of the Power of the shed Blood of Christ Jesus our Lord. They speak of the great unseen warfare that took place when God, through the shed Blood of the Lamb, saved and delivered His people out of the bondage of Egypt. Egypt represents the world that is under the rule of satan: it represents a bondage which, if not broken, ultimately means slavery and death and destruction.
Furthermore, God used satan's own power, the destroyer and his evil angels, to "smite" the firstborn of Egypt, "the chief of their strength." In Genesis 49:3, where Jacob is speaking of his firstborn, we find why most nations and families considered the firstborn; my might and the beginning of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power" The destroyer could not touch God's people because of the Blood of the Lamb, but the might and strength and dignity and power of Egypt's firstborn was destroyed. God also executed judgment upon all the gods of Egypt. The destroyer (Exodus 12:23), satan himself, set out to enslave God's people, and to destroy the purpose God had for their lives; but, in the end, satan could only destroy his own evil. Thus, through it all, the Lord saved and delivered His own people unto Himself, in order that they would build and become His holy habitation.
He (God) cast upon them
(upon Egypt and upon all the gods of Egypt)
the fierceness of His anger,
wrath, and indignation, and trouble,
by sending evil angels among them ...
And smote all the firstborn in their land,
the chief of all their strength ...
But made His own people to go forth like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
And He led them on safely so that they feared not:
The enemy said,
"I will pursue, I will overtake ...
my hand shall destroy them."
But the sea overwhelmed their enemies ...
Thy Right Hand, O Lord,
hath dashed in pieces the enemy ...
Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the People
Thou hast redeemed:
Thou hast guided them in Thy strength
unto Thy holy habitation.
Psalm 78:49-53; Exodus 15:9, 10, 6, 13).
3. "Surely He hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:4, 5). More than any other passage of Scripture, Isaiah 52:13-15 and Isaiah 53 reveal the details of the innermost workings of the Cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And it is even more wonderful when we realize that Isaiah was used to record these innermost details over 600 years before Christ was crucified. This portion of Scripture is very remarkable, for it is written in the past, present, and future tense, for example: He was wounded for our transgressions - and with His stripes we are healed - He shall see the travail of His soul. In other words, all the work accomplished through the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is "from everlasting to everlasting" - the Cross is always a present-accomplishment from eternity past throughout eternity future.
Therefore, the greatest and most important Battle in all the battles of the ages was being fought through and upon the Cross of Christ. Through the Cross: "God disarmed the principalities and powers ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Christ and in the Cross" (Col. 2:15). The religious leaders of that day thought they put Jesus on the Cross! Rome thought they ordered the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazarene! And satan and all his evil host thought they were crucifying the Christ of God. But, beloved, the Word of God says: "... it pleased the Lord (the Lord purposed) to bruise (to crush) him ..." The Cross of Christ always was, and is, and ever shall be, the most important factor in the Full Purpose of God in Christ: "... when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53:10, 11).
Isaiah 53:4 says, "Yet we did esteem His stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted ..."; and the context of this scripture indicates that we are mostly ignorant of, and probably never will fully understand, the Fullness of the Atoning Work of the Cross. But, beloved, we an by faith believe it! We can rejoice in it! We can walk and live in the reality of it! And we can spend eternity learning of the Fullness of the Atoning Work of the Cross of Christ.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening of our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall upon Him (Isaiah 53:4-6).
And so, after considering these examples of the word, "smote," we see that when the Holy Spirit states that "satan ... smote Job," He is emphasizing the importance of the warfare that is taking place in the unseen realm between God and His enemy - A warfare that will result in God's End through God's Way: "You have heard of the endurance of Job."
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 9 - "And Much Time Having Elapsed ...")
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