Safe

The Book of Job is generally considered to be the oldest book in the Bible. And its main theme is the sovereignty of God. It's almost like God was saying to us right from the start, "Before we begin all this, I want you to know — I'm in charge!" The Book of Job also gives us a vivid illustration of God's protection over His own people in respect to the attacks of Satan.

In this book, Job is represented, not as one who needs to be punished for evil — as Job's three friends thought, and whose error God severely condemns at the end of Job's trial — but as one who God declares to be "blameless" and "upright" (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3). (As Christians, we are also blameless and upright in God's eyes — because we are in Christ. — Rom 8:1; 10:10; 1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9)

However, Satan has two complaints regarding Job: (a) Job is so completely protected that Satan cannot reach him, and (b) Job does not really love God. Satan declares that God is paying Job a salary to pretend that he loves Him. So putting this challenge to an experimental test, God releases Job to the power of Satan. But until that time, as pointed out by Satan, Job is safe in God's hand. And even before God transfers Job to Satan's hand, He limits what Satan can and cannot do, which Satan can in no way over-step.

So, Job was given the privilege and honor of proving that God is worthy of all adoration, apart from His benefits, and the lie of Satan was completely exposed, to the glory of God.

Satan was not, however, given this kind of physical power over Job indefinitely, because we see at the end of the book that God restores all things and more to Job. And it cannot be assumed that because this happened to Job, God may allow it to happen to us as well. God allowed it to Job because He used Job to make a particular point at a particular time in His revelation to us.

Indeed, God's will was accomplished in every respect — He revealed that He is sovereign and that we are safe in the palm of his hand.