Often Christians will say, “God sometimes allows sickness, look at Job.” Many fail to remember that we have a Mediator that Job never had. Apostle Paul, comparing Jesus to Melchisedek as our high priest, wrote in Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (In this scripture, the Greek word for “save” is “sozo”, which includes healing, as explained at the bottom of this page).
The Devil Accuses Job: In chapter 1, God claims Job is righteous, but the devil disagrees, saying that Job would curse God if he lost all his riches/substance. Verse 12 confirms that the devil is the “god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4) and the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), because verse 12 says, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.” Verse 12 leads me to believe that the devil has power on earth, but his power is limited by God. Verse 10 had implied that the devil wanted to attack Job, but God’s hedge of protection had to be lifted. It seems as if the devil had to get permission to attack Job.
Job then loses everything, but did not curse God like the devil had said. The devil lost his little contest with God, for lack of better words. However, in chapter 2 the same thing happens again, the devil accuses Job a second time saying that if he touched his bone and flesh, Job would curse God. Again, the Lord says, “Behold, he is in thine hand, . .” Satan leaves God’s presence and “smote Job with sore boils” all over his body.
Job’s Friends Align themselves with Satan in Accusing Job: Job has three friends, (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar), that also accused Job by saying if Job were righteous, the sickness would not have come, and that Job’s sin was the reason why God, being just, had brought the sickness upon him, as shown by their long discourses in chapters 4, 5, 8, 11, 15, 18, 20, 22, & 25. They aligned themselves with Satan in accusing Job. Satan is called the “accuser of our brethren” in Rev 12:10.
Job says he Has No Mediator: However, Job maintains his innocence in chapters 6, 13, 16, 21, 23, 24, 29, 30 & 31, and also complains that he has no Mediator or no way to communicate with God in some of the same or other chapters, (chapters 9, 13, 16, 19, 23, 30 & 31). Job actually goes just a little too far with his discourse, and says (basically) that if he could talk to God, that surely God would straighten this thing out and he would be healed. (That is my basic overview in a nutshell with my own simple wording/explanation.)
Elihu Confirms there’s No Mediator: Elihu speaks for the first time in chapter 32. He is speaking by the Spirit per Job 32:8, 32:18-20, 33:3-4, & 36:3-4. He rebukes Job in chapter 33, not for sin, but for self-righteousness. Elihu speaks of the redemption through a righteous mediator in 33:23-28, confirming the mediator issue that Job spoke of. Elihu goes on to say basically that it is God that justifies us, and that Job was wrong for saying that the righteous and the evil perish alike, and that Job spoke without knowledge and his words were without wisdom, and he multiplied his words against God as if he were more righteous than God. In a nutshell, Elihu says that God’s ways are above our ways, and that God does reward the righteous, and those that repent. Please notice that God rewards those that repented in Job’s day, how much more now that we have a Mediator?
God Speaks to Job: The Lord has the final word starting at chapter 38. God’s discourse agrees with and sounds slightly similar to that of Elihu, and God rebukes Job for saying that the Lord wasn’t just in allowing his inflictions. The Lord asks Job in chapter 40:2, “Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.” Job gives a short, repentive answer in verses 3-5, and then the Lord continues to speak thru chapters 40 and 41, saying basically that Job can’t do the things the Lord can, including contending with and otherwise taming “Leviathon.”, (whom many theologians say is the devil, or symbolic of the devil).
The Important Punchline to Job that Most Christians miss: Although most Christians have heard about how God restored double to Job in the last 7 verses, most Christians miss the context of the whole book which is summed up just before that in 42:7-9.
Job 42:7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
Job 42:8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
Job 42:9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.
The Most Important Thing about the Book of Job: Look again and verses 7 and 8. God said it twice, so it must be important. God said His wrath was kindled against Job’s friends. Why? Because they had not spoken of Him right like His servant Job did. Wait, I thought God rebuked Job? Yeah, He did, but only for self righteousness and multiplying words against God in saying that God wasn’t just; . . but that ain’t nothing compared to what Job’s friends said. What was so wrong about what they said? It was so bad that God did not even speak to them at all until He told them how ticked he was, and how they better give him an offering.
Job’s friends aligned themselves with Satan in accusing Job. Remember? They said Job had sin, and that was why God allowed the sickness. Their words did not align with the Lord. The Lord said that Job was righteous. Why is this so bad? Could this be related to blasphemy?
Blasphemy per Mark 3:22-30: Jesus was righteous. Jesus cast out devils, but the Pharisees said that Jesus cast out devils by Beezlebub, the prince of the devils, and Jesus said that the Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit when they said that, as shown in Mark 3:22-30.
No Condemnation: Before you read further, please understand that our sin of unbelief and modern-day blasphemy in the church is forgiven, especially in that it is the fault of the pastors for teaching the sheep wrong on this issue.
Modern-day blaspheming: If it is blasphemy to say the devil brought the healing in Mark 3, then why wouldn’t it also be a similar blasphemy to say that the Lord brought the sickness? Do you see that? If God does a GOOD work by healing somebody, and the pharisees said the devil did that good work, then that is blasphemy per Mark 3. OK, now flip that over: If the devil does a BAD work by bringing sickness, and we say that the Lord did the bad work by allowing it, isn’t that the flip side of blaspheming? If we say the Lord brought the sickness when actually the devil did it, isn’t that similar to the blaspheming in Mark 3:22-30?
Blasphemy and Unbelief: How much more is it blasphemy, now that we have a Mediator that Job never had? How much worse is it now that Jesus has taken our sins on the cross AND took the stripes for our healing, per Isaiah 53:4-5 and 1 Peter 2:24? If God’s wrath was kindled against Job’s friends at that time, how much more is it kindled today?
Why is it Unbelief? Because many Christians are saying that ‘by His stripes’ we maybe are not really healed. That is in direct contradiction to what the Bible says in Isaiah 53:4-5 and 1 Peter 2:24. The reason that many Christians use as to why God might have allowed the sickness makes the unbelief even worse. Many say, “Well, God allowed it because of sin, or to perfect something in their life that wasn’t right.” Really? Now they don’t believe Jesus finished the work on the cross for our sins either. Was Jesus lying when He said “It is finished”?
Greasy Grace? I’m not condoning “greasy grace”. Willful sinning is not condoned, but God still honors repentance, as long as it is not a “sin unto death” per 1 John 5:16.
Can we repent from modern-day blasphemy? God is the same. He still honors repentance, just as in the book of Job. God forgave Job’s friends, how much more would God forgive our sins of unbelief and blasphemy now that we have a Mediator that Job never had, now that the blood of Jesus covers our transgressions. How much more are we forgiven for our sins that are made in ignorance? How much more of a better sacrifice did Jesus make compared to the bulls and rams that Job’s friends offered?
God will hold pastors accountable for modern-day blasphemy. I believe the pastors will be held accountable according to James 3:1-2 “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. (2) For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” The context is about offending others, but teachings that God allows sickness when God is actually the healer is offensive to the Holy Ghost. If sickness or judgement comes from God, it must first be spoken through a man on the earth, and/or written in scripture, for it is written in Amo 3:7 “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” The reason for this is that dominion of the earth has been given to man, per Gen 1:26-31, and 9:1-7. Furthermore, Psalms says in 115:16 “The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath He given to the children of men.” Whenever God brought some sort of judgement, He spoke it first to somebody, such as a prophet or patriarch. There were other instances in the Bible when an anointed man of God or Patriarch spoke it first before it happened, and it may not have been the will of the Lord.
Isaiah 53:4 Most English speaking Christians don’t realize that Isaiah 53:4 speaks of healing, which reads in English: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: . .”, however the words “griefs” and “sorrows” are usually interpreted as “sicknesses” and “pains”, respectively, elsewhere in the Bible. My Spanish Bible interprets these words correctly, both here and in the parallel scripture of Matt 8:16-17.
Forgiveness for Sin and Healing go Together: Jesus paid the price for our healing as well as our sins, for it was foretold in Isaiah 53:5 “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.” This salvation which includes healing by the stripes is confirmed in the New Testament, in 1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
Other scriptures that confirm we have forgiveness AND healing include: Psa 103:3; Psa 107:20; Pro 4:20-22; Joh 3:14; Num 21:9; Matthew 8:16-17, and these healing scriptures show that Jesus also has power to forgive sins: Mar 2:9-10; and Luk 5:24.
Healing is included with the word for “salvation”. The word for “salvation” is “sozo” in the Greek, which is the word commonly used for “salvation”, such as in Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” This is the same word used in context for a healing or miracle in these scriptures, (too many to write them all out here): James 5:14,15; Matthew 9:21,22; Mark 5:23,28,34; 6:56; 10:52; Luke 7:50; 8:36,48,50; 17:19; 18:42; John 11:12; Acts 4:9; 14:9.
Is this why the church lacks power? Heb 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” God calls the Church of Sardis “dead” in Rev. 3:1, and says the Church of Philadelphia “has a little strength,” and calls the Church of Laodicea “neither cold nor hot.” Is part of the reason because we just don’t believe the scriptures? The scriptures say that apostles are supposed to walk in miracles/healing, as well as elders, and even just believers, for it is written “these signs shall follow them that believe” in Mark 16:17. John 14:12 also has these letters in red, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” Let us all have the kind of faith that pleases God. Amen?
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