Job 2:3

Job 2:1-3 (see also Zechariah 1:15)
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”

​God took responsibility for harming Job: 
“...you incited Me against him, to ruin him 
without cause.” God did it, but only with 
respect to allowing Satan to have his way, 
in which Satan longed to harm Job, and 
complained about the ​“hedge” of protection 
that God surrounded him with. Also, Job 
2:6 makes it very clear that it was the devil 
who was directly acting against Job: “So 
the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in 
your power, only spare his life.’”





Yes, God acts in the course of human events. The difference between Calvinism and Arminianism is that whereas Calvinism attributes everything to a script, Arminianism insists that God acts based upon, with respect to, in conjunction with, human motives. God weights the heart; God acts accordingly.

1st Chronicles 28:9: “The LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts.”

In terms of the crucifixion and Babylonian captivity, Arminians agree that those events were determined by God, but determined by God *in conjunction with* human choices. Hence, Arminians are not surprised to see foreknowledge linked with Calvary at Acts 2:23.

The Babylonians longed to plunder Israel, just like Satan longed to harm Job, and since Hezekiah foolishly showed the Babylonians their vast supply of wealth, and God’s judgment upon Israel, merely required that God cease frustrating the Babylonians, and let them have their way, just like Satan had his way against Job, though within limits. Through Job, God was allowing Satan to make a fool of himself. Job did not sin with his lips. He passed the first test immediately, but the second challenge lingered on. Satan had alleged that Job would curse God after enduring suffering, and yet Job did not. However, it’s also true that Job wavered back and forth, and Job himself even acknowledged that he said too much. (Job 40:5) Not every single word that Job said was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, it would not be Job, but the Holy Spirit, who said too much. The Bible is indeed God’s Word, but in God’s Word, there are places where God is speaking, and where angels are speaking, and where man is speaking, and in some places, man is wrong, just like with Eliphaz, and yes, there are plenty of things that Job mulled over, which were incorrect:

  • See Job 3:1-7, where Job basically cursed the day of his birth. That’s certainly not from the Holy Spirit. It’s somewhat understandable, though, given the extent of Job’s suffering, and for that, God was being very patient with him. Unfortunately, though, Job’s complaints had opened the door for a Satanic attack, which came in the form of his three “friends.” (See Job 4:12-21 for the encounter between Satan and Eliphaz.) 

  • Another false statement by Job was at Job 6:4, because Job was ignorant of just how much God had loved him, and how much that God bragged about him in Heaven. But not knowing this, Job sulked, a lot. 

  • Job was wrong at Job 7:9-10, being ignorant of the resurrection. Job spoke a lot of things out of ignorance and self-pity. Job says: “Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.” (Job 7:11) That’s where the fault-finder aspect comes in. He is not cursing God, but at one point, he did allege that God had-it-out for him, and which was completely wrong. 

  • Job was wrong at Job 9:1-3. He thought that God had a dispute against him. He was wrong. God did NOT have a dispute with him. 

  • Job was wrong at Job 9:20, in which he says: “Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me; though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.” No, God was absolutely NOT declaring him guilty. Those are not the inspired words of the Holy Spirit, but the dialogue of a man engaged in self-pity.

  • Job was also incorrect at Job 9:27-34, in which he alleged a “complaint” against God, and that he wanted a Mediator to stand between he and God. What he was asking for was ridiculous. 

  • Job was wrong at Job 16:6-13, which is just brutal to read, because he was so wrong about God. 

  • Job was wrong at Job 19:21-22. 

However, Job was right at Job 19:25-26, in which he says: “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God.” This is where Job gets it right. Just as soon as he finished sulking, he starts praising God, and becomes encouraged. When Job spoke pessimistically, both about himself and about God, he was the errant fault-finder that God was calling out, but when Job spoke optimistically, both about himself and about God, he was right, and God pointed that out, in comparison with his “friends” who were just shooting him down at every opportunity. God enters the picture at Job 38, and God declares to Job, regarding Job’s accusations: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me!” (Job 38:2-3) Then things get really interesting between God and Job at Job 40:1-8: “Then the Lord said to Job, ‘Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.’ Then Job answered the Lord and said, ‘Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; even twice, and I will add nothing more.’ Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm and said, ‘Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?’” However, if every word that Job had spoken was inspired by the Holy Spirit, then it would logically follow that the Holy Spirit condemns God in order to be justified, and that the Holy Spirit annuls God’s judgment. The reasonable conclusion, then, is that much of Job’s fault-finding was not inspired by the Holy Spirit, and was simply the product of a man sulking, in trying to make sense of his suffering. 

​Job was trying to make sense of the suffering and loss, and instead of trusting God, he erroneously supposed that God was directly acting against Him (Job 2:10), and even eventually concluding that God was unfairly picking on him (Job 6:4; 16:13), and that God had it out for him (Job 9:30-35), which was totally untrue. He had a dark view of God. Later he tried to take it all back, but God made him answer for it. The reality was that it was Satan, not God, who was doing all of those terrible things to him (Job 2:6), and that God was simply permitting the wicked devil to act (Job 2:3) all while cheering Job on, just like how Jesus was praying for Peter. So Job had the wrong perspective, being ignorant of what was actually transpiring in Heaven. But he eventually came around.

One Calvinist says: “Job would be another example where Satan can’t touch him unless God decrees it.”

You mean “unless God permits it,” correct? God didn’t decree Satan’s actions. God permitted Satan to do what he demanded, and God gave him the opportunity to make a fool of himself. Again, it all goes back to Calvinists and the ridiculous assertion that God causes whatsoever comes to pass. It’s not biblical. Moreover, if God decreed Satan’s actions, then there was no need for Satan to ask permission.