What's the deal with Job?

Question

Let me preface this question with; I do believe in God, but some of the bible just does'nt "click" with me. Could some of the stories/books just be parables like those Jesus Christ told?

An example being-

In the book of Job, I see God acting like he HAS to prove something to satan. God is basically saying, "Go ahead, mess with Job. Do whatever you want to with him(just don't kill him), and see if he does'nt still believe in Me." God does'nt have to prove anything to you, me OR satan. So why destroy a devout man's life just to make a point?

Answer 1

Life's not fair. Get on with it!
.

Answer 2

Job is an old testament type of Christ.

Job was the first book to even hint at the fact that, for a purpose known only to him, God would allow evil to do it's worst to one of his very own (Job & Christ) yet still win out over evil in the end, and restore all things (again, Job & Jesus).

Our best information tells us that the Book of Job was based on a real person of the time, but it is more likely a historical drama, rather than an actual series of real life events in the life of a man.

So God didn't allow this to be done to some poor soul, just to make a point.

He simply used the biblical story as a prophetic glimpse into the distant future, to a time when he would permit his very own son to be betrayed, unjustly tried, spit upon, abused, tortured, and brutally killed, in order to save mankind.

And of course, through it all, just like faithful Job, Jesus never lost hope, or even thought of quitting.

And like Job, Jesus was fully restored (the Resurrection) given a rich reward (all power in heaven, on earth, and under the earth) and given a whole new family (his Church).

I hope this has been useful.

Answer 3

The Bible says we are created by God and we are unlike the angels who do not have a choice to worship Him. He gave us the ability to love Him and accept Him or deny Him. The Bible says we are created in God's image so He has feelings and just like us wants the feelings to be reciprocated. I don't think for one second that God used Job to prove anything to Satan. I think he wanted Job to prove his love and trust in God and I also belive He used Job to be a modern day example of what we can endure and still survive. You know on those days when you feel like you just can't take it anymore and the whole world is against you? It gives you the reassurance that even IF the whole world is against you GOD is still on your side and He will prevail in the end - He always does.

Answer 4

5 Unknown to Job, a great issue was about to be raised in heaven. One day “the sons of the true God entered to take their station before Jehovah.” (Job 1:6.) God’s only-begotten Son, the Word, was present. (John 1:1-3.) So were the righteous angels and the disobedient angelic ‘sons of God.’ (Genesis 6:1-3.) In Job’s day, the Devil would raise a burning issue. He was about to call into question the rightfulness of Jehovah’s sovereignty over all His creatures.

The Devil thus slandered Jehovah by implying that nobody loves and worships Him for what He is but that He bribes creatures to serve Him. No human physician could bring him relief from this terribly painful, loathsome, and humiliating affliction, for it was caused by satanic power. Only Jehovah could heal Job. If you are an ailing servant of God, never forget that God can help you to endure and can give you life in a disease-free new world.—Psalm 41:1-3; Isaiah 33:24.

Our prime concern should be maintaining integrity to Jehovah and honoring his name. However, the Devil implied that humans would be better off without God’s rulership.

5 By man’s becoming independent of God, another question was implied: Could humans do better if not ruled by God? The Creator certainly knew the answer, but a sure way for humans to find out was to allow them the total freedom they wanted. They chose that course of their own free will, so God permitted it.

6 By allowing humans enough time to experiment with total freedom, God would establish for all time whether humans are better off under God’s rule or on their own. And the time permitted would have to be long enough to allow humans to come to what they considered the peak of their political, industrial, scientific, and medical achievements.

7 Therefore, God has allowed man a free rein clear down to our day to show beyond any doubt whether human rule independent of him can succeed. Thus man has been able to choose between kindness and cruelty, between love and hate, between righteousness and unrighteousness. But he has also been confronted with the consequences of his choice: goodness and peace or wickedness and suffering.

If you would like further information or a free home Bible study, please contact Jehovah's Witnesses at the local Kingdom Hall. Or visit http://www.watchtower.org

Answer 5

Satan roams upon this earth seeking whom he may devour and satan wanted to mess with job. Satan allowed if he took everything away he would not believe in God. God knew better, so God let him. The trials that come in our life is God testing us. Its by our trials that God makes us stronger. Thats why Ephesians 6 is important to a saved person. We always say our past made us stronger and who we are today well the same thing applies with the testings God sends our way.

Answer 6

I have often wondered about that myself. Also about Lot and how he offered his daughters to be raped by the mob just to protect two men he didnt know(but turned out to be angels). Women in the Bible times were usually considered not worth anything much.But with Job,
God already knew the outcome. He improved Job's life and prosperity because God knew Job was faithful. "The Lord giveth and taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Said Job.

Answer 7

When I was a teen my mother made me join Job's Daughters and being there and learning that story is one the the large final influences that drove me away from Christianity. If you modernized it and turned it in to a movie it would be a horror flick.

Answer 8

Read to the end where Jobs three friends criticize him, and see what Job says to them. That is more the point of the story than why Job got crapped on.

Answer 9

The story of Job is a play. It is unlikely that it really happened. It tells us that no matter how much we are tempted we can still persevere and overcome temptation. It also shows us that life is not what is important, but rather the afterlife.

Answer 10

Deep question,

And a good one.

I have not studied Jobe at great length yet, I'll put that higher on my list.

I think it is to show us what it means to have a deep faith in God and that there will be benefits in heaven for having strength in life.

Peace!

Answer 11

Yes, god and satan have you and others running like ants in a box seeing whose ant is going to win!