The Role of Satan in the Book of Job: Sermon 2

Knowing that no purpose of God can be thwarted doesn't quite say why evil is there. It just says that in the end God will triumph, and by implication that God has good reasons to be running the universe as he does. But I don't think that section portrays this as the Job's real answer. I think that comes at the end where he says that he has now seen God face to face (with his own eyes).

The problem with any proposed "answer" to the problem of evil is that the book looks at all of them, and God rejects them. The answer is meeting God face to face and trusting him.

abacabb3 said:

I must disagree. The Bible nowhere tells us why there is evil other than that God is good, He works His purposes with the existence of evil, and so by implication it is not bad that God permitted there to be evil. This is essentially the answer Job gets and acknowledges. No other answer is given by the Scriptures.

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I think we may agree. I thought you were proposing that Job gave an answer to the problem of evil. I don't think it does. I think in the end Job realizes that God has plans he can't understand, but that he can trust God. But that's not an answer to the problem of evil in the sense people normally want one.

"The Bible nowhere tells us why there is evil other than that God is good, He works His purposes with the existence of evil, and so by implication it is not bad that God permitted there to be evil."

"But that's not an answer to the problem of evil in the sense people normally want one."


Darkness (aka Evil) was…and is…and will always remain…a logical necessity for Light (God) to be perceived and comprehended.

"Maybe, but why does God care whether or not we comprehend it? Hence I don't think we have a better answer than it is good to have evil for some reason."

God cares that we comprehend Him and glorify Him (He being our glory)…He is a logical and coherent being (regards the architecture of His mind)…therefore He is constrained by the logical necessity that Light requires Darkness (to be seen to be what it is)…to be differentiated…and so Light can be comprehended in all its fullness and glory.

Its not that God needs it to be so (in and of Himself)…He knows who and what He is.

It is required (rather He has chosen it to be so)…so that His created creatures can comprehend Him…and come to know (in proportion) that which He knows of Himself.

And so…in the creature glorifying Him (the creator)…God is glorified in Himself.

And by Himself…seeing as "in Him we live and move and have our being"

Hello abacabb3,
Just to say thank you for that. Most helpful. I'm looking forward to going through Job again with a bit better grip than I've had before.
I'm a bit puzzled by why large sections of the study are lined through?
Go well
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