The book of job

jillibean1964 said:

Can any one me figure out why God would ever take Satan's bet that Job would blaspheme God if all was taken away from him? Why would God care what Satan thinks? He had already proven human's faith with abraham and Moses along with many others!

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God is eternal and infinite in His wisdom..He knew satan would ask this even before he came..God knew Job would not blaspheme...God has nothing to prove..satan thinks he can prove God wrong and upset His plan..the fault is satan's thinking that there is something that he can do to take glory from God...time and time again satan is finding out the hard way that no matter how hard he tries he just is not going to win...he says let me tempt, and then we'll see how much they really love ya..satan sure went away empty handed on that one, and he still does to this day...satan is not omniscent, and the deceptions he uses will never change the plan of God.

Also, look at how much wisdom we've gathered from the book of Job. Perhaps this was part of God's thoughts.

It's like when kids say that they can do something and you know they cant , but you tell them to try it for themselves.God was probably letting Satan see that he couldnt do what he was trying to.

Hezmasaveyour said:

It's like when kids say that they can do something and you know they cant , but you tell them to try it for themselves.God was probably letting Satan see that he couldnt do what he was trying to.

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Rather mature response for one so young in age

jillibean1964 said:

Can any one me figure out why God would ever take Satan's bet that Job would blaspheme God if all was taken away from him? Why would God care what Satan thinks? He had already proven human's faith with abraham and Moses along with many others!

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Job is more allegory, I think, than a historical account. Man, in the form of Job asks: If God is who God says he is, why is there pain and suffering in the world? Why doesn't God just do away with it?

The answer is: Who are you to ask? Even if I answered you, little man, you wouldn't be able to comprehend the answer!

Any help?

The book of Job is great for this very reason, It show the great power a Creator have.

Plus it opens the mind and the heart of men that nothing is out of His control but that all was made by Him and keept.

Praise God..

Job 38:4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell if you have understanding!

Job 38:5 Who has set its measurements, for you know? Or who has stretched the line on it?

Job 38:6 On what are its bases sunk, or who cast its cornerstone,

Job 38:7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 38:8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth as it came from the womb?

Job 38:9 When I made the clouds its robe, and darkness its navel-band,

Job 38:10 and set My limit on it, and set bars and doors,

Job 38:11 and I said, You shall come to here, but no further; and here your proud waves shall stop.

Job is a great book. It is the antidote to the certainty and pat answers that some give to life's big questions.

When someone gives you an easy answer, or a certain one, about the really big questions, ask yourself whether they sound more than a little like Job's comforters. Job's comforters were orthodox. They were certain. They knew their theology and were well versed in "the truth". And yet, the book asserts, they were fundamentally wrong.

Karl - Liberal Backslider said:

Job is a great book. It is the antidote to the certainty and pat answers that some give to life's big questions.

When someone gives you an easy answer, or a certain one, about the really big questions, ask yourself whether they sound more than a little like Job's comforters. Job's comforters were orthodox. They were certain. They knew their theology and were well versed in "the truth". And yet, the book asserts, they were fundamentally wrong.

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Yes, I agree. The book also shows the presence of evil in a world created by an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God is an enigma that is beyond man's capacity to understand. Having faith that such a God exists, in spite of our suffering, and in spite of our inability to comprehend, is still our best choice.

Also, I don't think that too much should be read into God taking Satan's bet. Job seems to be more a work of literature than an actual historical document.

Here is another way to look at the situaltion:

Is it possible that God did not give satan permission to do anything that satan could not have already done?

Consider this dear hearts:

Satan suggested to God that the only reason Job was such a fine fellow was because of a "hedge" that was around him. It appears satan is not even sure about it because he puts it to God in the form of a question:

Job 1:10
10 Hast not Thou made a hedge for him, and for his house, and for all that he hath--round about?

Look at the answer God gave satan to this question about an alledged hedge:

(YLT) And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Lo, all that he hath is in thy hand, only unto him put not forth thy hand.' And the Adversary goeth out from the presence of Jehovah.

God answered this questoin about a hedge with this:

"Lo, all that he hath is in thy hand..."

That is not really the same as giving someone permission to do something is it? "Lo", or "Behold" just means "Look". Nothing more. Is it possible that God was just pointing out to satan that there was in fact no hedge?

If so, then the second part of the verse is actually a stipulation. Since the hedge did not exist, and since satan could actually go down and kill Job... God was actually preventing him from doing so. Legally satan could because there was no hedge... but God prevented it.

If these ideas are true, and if in fact the hedge was already down and satan was simply not aware of it, then a question remains:
What happened to the hedge?

I might suggest that Job pushed the hedge down himself by his lack of faith and outright fear and doubt. Peter sank into the sea because of fear.

We see in Job this verse:
Job 3
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

Job was actually already fearing these things all the while the hedge was up. It may have been his fear that pushed it down... and God had nothing to do with it... other than to point out the fact to satan.

So that is just some thoughts I have had about Job down through the years.

Comments?

didaskalos said:

Here is another way to look at the situaltion:

Is it possible that God did not give satan permission to do anything that satan could not have already done?

Consider this dear hearts:

Satan suggested to God that the only reason Job was such a fine fellow was because of a "hedge" that was around him. It appears satan is not even sure about it because he puts it to God in the form of a question:

Job 1:10
10 Hast not Thou made a hedge for him, and for his house, and for all that he hath--round about?

Look at the answer God gave satan to this question about an alledged hedge:

(YLT) And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Lo, all that he hath is in thy hand, only unto him put not forth thy hand.' And the Adversary goeth out from the presence of Jehovah.

God answered this questoin about a hedge with this:

"Lo, all that he hath is in thy hand..."

That is not really the same as giving someone permission to do something is it? "Lo", or "Behold" just means "Look". Nothing more. Is it possible that God was just pointing out to satan that there was in fact no hedge?

If so, then the second part of the verse is actually a stipulation. Since the hedge did not exist, and since satan could actually go down and kill Job... God was actually preventing him from doing so. Legally satan could because there was no hedge... but God prevented it.

If these ideas are true, and if in fact the hedge was already down and satan was simply not aware of it, then a question remains:
What happened to the hedge?

I might suggest that Job pushed the hedge down himself by his lack of faith and outright fear and doubt. Peter sank into the sea because of fear.

We see in Job this verse:
Job 3
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

Job was actually already fearing these things all the while the hedge was up. It may have been his fear that pushed it down... and God had nothing to do with it... other than to point out the fact to satan.

So that is just some thoughts I have had about Job down through the years.

Comments?

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My comments will likely be cut short when my daughter wakes up, but I think it would be worth examining who Satan was in the context of when Job was written. Before the Babylonian exile, the idea that Satan was an evil spirit was not well formulated in the Bible. While Rev 12.9 in particular connects Satan to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, at the time of the writing of Job, perhaps the 6th century BC, the word Satan only meant adversary. It should be pointed out that in the story of Job, Satan was a member of the Heavenly court. In the two parellel stories recorded in 2 Samuel 24:1 and Chronicles 21:1 God provokes David into ordering a census in the former while it is Satan that does the provoking in the latter. Far from being evil, then the roles of Satan and God are at times interchangeable. It is not until after the Babylonian captivity, likely under the influence of Persian dualism, that Satan becomes portrayed as the leader of wicked forces.
In this context perhaps Satan is being pitted as an adversary in much the same way that Angel of the Lord was an adversary to Jacob as related in Gen 32:24, and elucidated in Hosea 12:3-4.
Even if Job's Satan is cynical, he is not yet a force for evil.

While Job took great pains to behave in accordance with God's Law, Satan's tests probe the depths of his inner soul. As didaskalos points out, while in terms of performing ritual Job was perfect, his inner-most thoughts were plagued by doubt and lack of faith. It is only through his struggle against Satan and God's will that he is able to regain his faith. And finally, the fact that God rebuked Job's friends for the lack of support and love for their friend in his time of need demonstrates what God deems to be most important.