Job is one of the most ancient books of the Bible. The book accurately should be placed between Genesis and Exodus (Reference Jasher 68:24, 42-43).  It is a powerful testimony to the faith of a man named Job. God removes the hedge of protection and prosperity surrounding Job and Satan is allowed in. Satan can only do to a Believer what God will allow him to do. God can put us to the test to demonstrate to Satan who is in control. God in His foreknowledge knew what Job would do. Satan didn’t. Satan had many, many years to observe mankind, their actions, and reactions.  So, if Job were to respond the way most people would and did, Satan must have been certain that he would win the battle over Job. Yet through all the trials and sufferings and loss, Job questions but does not lose faith in God. Pay careful attention to the advice of Job’s “friends”.  They are often wrong.

The book of Job explains why bad things happen in this world. It teaches that there is a plan and a reason for it. If you think about God’s purpose for us while we are on this earth is to make us more like Jesus, then everything that happens to us (the good and the bad) potentially makes us more and more like Him. 

Romans 8:29
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Satan is allowed access to God, as are other angels. (1 Kings 22:19-22, Zechariah 3:1-10, Job 1:6-12). When God asks Satan where he has been, Satan replies with "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." That's his job - to be the "yeast" in the mix in the making of "wine". Satan is the one who causes agitation in the world just as yeast creates agitation in the process of making wine. 

Job regularly sacrificed a burnt offering for each of his children. “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their heart.”By the same token we should remember and pray for our children.

After hearing that he has basically lost everything Job does the traditional symbol of mourning. He tears his robe, shaves his head and then….worships and praises God! Wow!  Great lesson for us as well! 

After Satan is allowed to inflict Job with painful sores, Job sits among the ashes (the city dump). This well respected and wealthy man spends his days at the city dump. How humiliating that must have been. Job’s wife is obviously used by Satan as his mouthpiece. She uses the same words that Satan uses, “curse God.”

Enter Job’s “friends”. Eliphaz is a descendant of Esau. Bildad is a descendant of Abraham and Abraham’s second wife Keturah. Zophar is a descendant of Naamah. Elihu is a descendant of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.  The immediate genealogy of these people, as well as other significant historical markers, puts the story of Job between Genesis and Exodus. Job lived between the times of Joseph and Moses. More of Job's story can be found in the Book of Jasher chapter 66 and 68.  While the Book of Jasher is not part of our canonized Bible today, it is referred to in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18.

The Sabeans mentioned in Job 1:13-19 were possibly descendants of Abraham and Keturah. 

What in the world did Job and his "friends" do the entire seven days they spent with Job before they spoke a word??? In that culture, the "friends" were displaying the customary sign of mourning - sitting on the ground (Lamentations 2:10).  The silence was part of the mourning process but not a necessary part.  Perhaps because Job had suffered so greatly, they felt that silence was a sign of respect.  They waited on Job before they spoke.  

When Job first speaks, he curses his birth, the day of his birth and even the night of his birth, but he does not curse God.  
ROUND 1 - Satan loses!

There is a very interesting verse in Job 3:1-26 while Job curses his birth.  He says, if only I had perished at birth, "For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest."

What confirmation that babies are heaven-bound until they reach the age of accountability - and that age is determined by Jesus, not anyone here on earth. We once heard of a pastor who refused to baptize an 8 year-old girl because he thought she was not old enough to make a decision to believe in Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior at that early an age. 

During the seven days of silence, were Job and his friends waiting on some divine word from the Lord? How would it be with us as Believers in Jesus - if we spent seven days in silence waiting on a word from the Lord?  Might be interesting to try that sometime.