Job 2:6

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life."

On this second encounter with God, satan is intent on bringing the man that God endorsed down to the lowest level. After the first meeting between God and satan, recorded in Job 1, the enemy took Job's wealth and his children, and the support of his wife. All in one day! Now he wanted his health. A man will do anything to retain health, he told God. So the LORD relents. And as noted in the verse above, gives Job into the hand of the enemy unto, but not beyond, the taking of his life.

Consider the severe mercy of God. Having lost all, as Job had, would cause most of us to despair of life. We would desire death. Death seems like a relief. If we read further in the book of Job we find that he curses the day that he was born, and even laments that he was born alive. But God's command to satan is that he can take everything but Job's life. The only way that Job had out of the trial that was his was through it. No other options were before him. What a severe thing! God took away that which might seem as a final relief, and thereby forced Job to experience the depth of the trial. But see God's mercy. For the final end of Job was double that of His beginning. All of the wealth that he had lost was restored to him double. And the LORD gave him a family, equal in number to that which he had before. Job would never had known these blessings had satan taken his life. And we would not be able to read the account of this man who was brought to nothing but who refused to "curse God and die.."

In the book of Revelation the awful final judgment of this earth is recorded. During this horrible time, scorpions will be given an awful, hurtful sting. And, it is recorded that many will desire death, but will not find it. Here we see God's wrath against sin poured out. Those upon whom this wrath will fall will be unable to find death. They will be required to face the full fury of God's wrath. Through his trial, Job learned of the mercy of God, and learned that trusting Him is never folly. Through their trial, those upon whom God's wrath will fall will learn of the folly of ignoring Him. And their end will be the lake of fire, where their torment will be eternal.

God is great and righteous and true. May we learn to trust Him more!

HJK