Recently, after having strayed, I'm coming back to God and His Word, so I'm a little rusty when it comes to the Bible. See, I was trying to explain to this friend of mine the book of Job, and I think it's a wonderful book.
However, she was disturbed because she thought that the Lord and the devil were just making a "bet" or playing games with Job. I tried my best to assure her that God isn't some sick being who plays games with us but she is still bothered by it.
I know God and I know He loves us, but what's the best way to explain this?
There is, I must admit, a certain offensive element in the contest of opinion between the Lord and Satan, (all behind Job's back,) and with him "set up" as the target, but...This book explains much that happens in our life which cannot be accounted for in any other way. Life, as we know it:
1-Cannot be an existence of mortals alone.
2-Cannot be an existence of mortals and God alone.
3-Cannot be an existence of mortals and Satan alone.
4-Must be an existence of mortals, God and Satan, grouping angels together with either head.
The last statement does seem confusing, but it explains everything both good and evil, natural and supernatural that has ever transfired in human history. We would prefer the simplicity of statement #2 of an existence of mortals and God only, but we cannot change the pre-existence of the vile serpent no more than Adam could. Satan's objective in the book of Job was to destroy both God's reputation and Job's blessed life, but God's objective in allowing Satan to so beseige Job was to exalt and confirm His own reputation and also to destroy Satan, ultimately. In coming judgment, there will be little point to Satan expostulating how impossible it is to serve and honor God when Job continued to serve and honor God under the very worst of circumstances. The Lord, in allowing the king of hell to harrass us here and now is, in reality, sealing that serpent's doom in the coming terrible day of judgment. We are Satan's target now, but God is really setting up Satan as the final target, not us.
Job was walking after the flesh, by denying God as all powerful!
Therfor God gave him over to Satan to purify him
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids
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Fear is the opposite of faith. Job was in fear and worried about his kids that was an open door for him to be attacked.
Nope, this is called "isogesis" or reading into the scriptures, commonly perpetuated by word of faith teachers who believe all with faith are entitled to full health, a few Mercedes, and bay front homes. Book of Job is a huge problem for them so they must invent a novel interpretation. Poor "righteous" Job, has a new set of abundantly hair sprayed friends on TBN....
There is, I must admit, a certain offensive element in the contest of opinion between the Lord and Satan, (all behind Job's back,) and with him "set up" as the target, but...This book explains much that happens in our life which cannot be accounted for in any other way. Life, as we know it:
1-Cannot be an existence of mortals alone.
2-Cannot be an existence of mortals and God alone.
3-Cannot be an existence of mortals and Satan alone.
4-Must be an existence of mortals, God and Satan, grouping angels together with either head.
The last statement does seem confusing, but it explains everything both good and evil, natural and supernatural that has ever transfired in human history. We would prefer the simplicity of statement #2 of an existence of mortals and God only, but we cannot change the pre-existence of the vile serpent no more than Adam could. Satan's objective in the book of Job was to destroy both God's reputation and Job's blessed life, but God's objective in allowing Satan to so beseige Job was to exalt and confirm His own reputation and also to destroy Satan, ultimately. In coming judgment, there will be little point to Satan expostulating how impossible it is to serve and honor God when Job continued to serve and honor God under the very worst of circumstances. The Lord, in allowing the king of hell to harrass us here and now is, in reality, sealing that serpent's doom in the coming terrible day of judgment. We are Satan's target now, but God is really setting up Satan as the final target, not us.
Isaiah 45:7
7I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids
Job 42:6
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
A righteous man is always humble before his God
sometimes 'life' (not REAL life, but this imaginary one WE think we're living) gets in the way of the Lord..
And He must then humble us..
For His Glory!
For He will not let His Name be profaned!
It also works in our favor when He takes it upon Himself to humble us!
For many are our rewards in Heaven!
One thing that I take out of Job, and from which I take great comfort, is this:-
Job was absolutely honest, as far as we can tell. God seems to have a fondness for people who utter what some of us would refer to as disrespectful prayers. God seems to appreciate honesty.
It was Job's friends who came up with the nice, neat "spiritual cliches", the "nice" sounding theologies to explain Job's suffering, and yet they were rebuked.
Therefore I am very, very careful before I assert dogmatically that I know exactly why Job suffered as he did. If God declares Job to be righteous, I am wary of asserting that his sins - whether of pride or any other - brought his suffering upon him. I reflect that God never did explain himself to Job, so there is an element here in which I believe that we must agree that God is God. That He is sovereign, not answerable to us and having no need to explain himself to us.
Oh....
God who knows the end from the beginning, knew what Job's response would be. Therefore it was no "wager" on God's part.
Wow, so many replies! Thanks everyone, all of this is VERY enlightening and you're helping me a lot. I am now eager to tell my friend Thanks again and if anyone has more to add, please feel free
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