We are approaching Atonement, and it appears Satan is working overtime to create hindrances to observing this important festival. Everyone in the church can understand why he hates this day, but as we draw closer to its fulfillment his wrath is gaining in force. Remember the admonition that, as the time grows short, his wrath will increase.
Today we learned America has its first case of ebola showing up in Texas–the victim carried it to America on an American bound flight from Liberia. If you recall the damage Satan did to Job, you realize such plagues are in his arsenal of mass destruction along with other weapons such as weather disturbances, evil uprisings, conflicts and offenses.
One lesson overlooked in the book of Job discloses the evil Satan wishes to bring on God-fearing people. Those things he brought on Job demonstrate the hatred that he harbors toward those who worship God. He even used the weakness of Job’s wife, who along with Job had suffered great loss, to cause family conflict. And not stopping there, he exploited individual weaknesses to turn friend against friend.
However, as always, Satan’s ploy worked against himself. We know that Satan was the accuser of God, having turned 1/3 of the angels against their creator as he spun his web of false accusings and rebellion amongst the angels. In order to demonstrate the depth of the corruptness that abides in Satan, God allowed “the father of lies” to vent his vicious attacks upon Job, a man in whom Satan could find nothing wrong. Thus Satan’s character of perfect hatred and destructiveness became a dominant theme in the book of Job, and should be a warning to us all–because we know Satan still prowls about looking for those he can destroy. He has not changed.
The day of Atonement is a day of fasting, which is a day to reflect deeply on the fact this world is subject to Satan. However, the High Day also assures us this destructive and hate-filled individual (along with his minions) will be banished from ever ruling on this earth again as he rules in the affairs of this entire world today. Let’s make this Fast Day a day of strong appeal to God, beseeching Him with all our hearts to remove this evil empire, casting it into the black hole of banishment. We know God will allow it to erupt again for a short time at the end of the Millennium to try those living in the Kingdom. Then the world will be rid of it forever.
From the example in the book of Job, we can be certain that when God steps back, great upheaval is going to erupt in this world. That arsenal of Satan’s will be turned loose against all mankind. Let’s make sure we are, every day, living with God’s protective hand covering our lives.
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