Did Job Sin?

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. Job 1:6-12

When Satan said that he had been “going to and fro” he meant that he was about his usual demonic business. It is no secret that Satan has opposed men and acted against their best interest since the Garden of Eden. This is the reason he is called “Satan” which means “adversary.” The Apostle Peter describes him as one who “prowls around (i.e. gong to and fro) like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). God knew exactly what he was doing in asking Satan about Job. It is as if God asked, “Satan, in all of your ‘going to and fro’ in seeking someone to devour, have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Satan’s answer is affirmative. He had indeed considered Job as prey to devour, but Satan knew that Job was untouchable because God had placed a hedge of protection around Job’s person, his house and everything else he owned. According to Satan, God’s protection was on Job’s “every side” (verse 10) so that he could not touch him. Nevertheless, Satan “entices” God against Job accusing Job of worshipping God only because God had made it easy for him to do so. Satan accused God of buying Job’s worship by protecting him and prospering him materially. The question was whether God, and God alone, was worthy of worship. Notice how the devil words the challenge. He challenges God in saying, “But stretch out your hand [against Job] and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face” (Job 1:11). We know what happens after this. God grants the devil permission to touch all that Job had except to afflict him physically. God’s exact words to Satan were, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." The devil does so, but Job, to the devil’s surprise, does not curse God to his face, but does the exact opposite. The calamity only causes Job to worship by prostrating himself and saying, "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21). “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22). After this episode God rubs Job’s integrity in Satan’s face saying, “[Job] still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason." It is absolutely clear that Job was not at fault for what had befallen him. Neither Job nor his actions were responsible for all that befell him. He was the battleground for the glory of God and Job, in the end, was humbled, but God vindicated himself through Job’s faith. Job proved the devil to be a liar and upheld the worth of God in uttering, “Though he [God] slay me, I will hope in him” (Job 13:15a).