Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Job Chapter 2
Metaphysically Interpreting Job 2:1-6
2:1Again it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah. 2:2And Jehovah said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 2:3And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 2:4And Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 2:5But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face. 2:6And Jehovah said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.
November 7, 1948: Job 2:1-6
Is suffering a universal experience? Yes, as far as sentient life on earth is concerned. "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."
Does suffering embrace a wide realm or is it confined within certain limits? It embraces a wide realm, including every degree of feeling from physical pain to agonizing pain of mind and soul. Wherever feeling and perception are present suffering is possible.
Is sin the cause of suffering? Yes, since sin is a violation of the law of life in both the physical and mental or spiritual realms.
How then can relief from suffering be found? Through seeking knowledge of the divine law and becoming obedient to it.
What is the value to be found in suffering, either mental or physical? Suffering is a warning to us that we have work to do to remove the cause that affects our well-being adversely and that we had better do it without further delay. This applies to both physical and mental suffering. We should examine ourselves with a view to finding wherein we fall short of the victorious consciousness of spiritual stability.
Does a person improve his lot by losing faith in God when he has undergone what seems to him unjust and undeserved suffering of mind or body? No, he makes it worse, for by losing faith he cuts himself off from his chief means of overcoming. Faith holds him steadfast through negative experiences so that he is able to remain fully himself (retain his integrity).
How are we to interpret in the text of this lesson the compact between Jehovah and Satan and the statement "Thou [Satan} movest me [Jehovah] against him [Job], to destroy him without cause"? This compact symbolizes the interplay of good and evil in the life of all who are in personal consciousness. No one who lives in personal consciousness, without turning his faith toward Truth and holding himself poised in it, can understand why he should suffer or be overrtaken by misfortune when he is doing his best to live an upright, wholesome, rewarding life. As through faith he enters a higher realm of perception his understanding is quickened. As he learns self-forgetfulness and loses himself in solicitude for others he knows the joy of overcoming.
Transcribed by Tom Schulte on 9-11-2013.
