The Bible, God, the Devil and Job?

Question

I was wondering if a Christian could explain to me the moral of this story?

Job was a hard working, honest, God loving man who praised Gods name constantly.

Then the Devil says 'He only praises you cos your so good to him'

So God, to prove a point to the Devil destroys Job's business and kills his family and then plagues Job with boils...

yet still job praises God 'The lord giveth and the lord taketh away'

so god proves his point... and then what?...

Did Job spend the rest of his days without his family and with boils praising God because the bible swiftly moves on

and what kind of point is there to that story? God will do a number on you just to make a point to the Devil?

I think that makes God a bit of a b*stard really....

Erm.. no READ YOUR BIBLE, got does the terrible things... not the devil

Answer 1

I love God's answer at the end.

Job says, "Why?" and God says, "Who are you to question me, you worm?"

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Answer 2

No you ARE wrong. God permits the devil to do those things:

"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."

Job 1:8-12

As to your second observation, again you are wrong:

After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.

The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.

Job 42:10-17.

God bless.

Answer 3

God knew that Job would be faithfull to Him and proved this to Satan. As a result, God blessed Job by giving him twice as much as he had the first time and blessed Job with 7 Sons and 3 daughters who were the most beautiful women in the whole world!

Job lived another 140 years being able to see his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He then died a very great age.

Job was better off the 2nd time around because Job was continually faithfull to God!

Answer 4

If you take the story as a literal truth, then you are on to a looser. It is really a discourse on the problem of the good suffering. Remember people in those days once had a view that if you were good then you would be blessed by God and have all sorts of material benefits. So this book is a challenge to that view and a challenge to those who would unfairly say to others - if you are poor, ill, have lost family etc then you must be bad. Remember the important part of Job is not the outcome - but rather the content.

Answer 5

What you overlooked is, it was not God who did these things to Job, it was the devil.
God knew that Job would not fail Him as long as he had breath, so He tells the devil to do anything he wishes to Job, but do not take his life.
God was right, even when Job's wife urged Job to curse God and die, Job still praised God.

In chapter 42, which you apparently have not read, God restores Job's loses.
Verse 12 says, 'Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters.

The moral of the story, besides the fact that the story is true.
For those who choose to walk with the Lord, when things are up and when things are down, God will bless them immensely.

grace2u

Answer 6

OK, I've just read the book of Job. Well, I read the narrative bits - I skipped most of the pretentious wittering that takes up 90% of it. Sorry, but it *was* a bit boring. :)

Anyway, in summary, the story goes like this...

Satan says, "Job only likes you because you've made him rich and happy."

God says, "Nope, you're wrong, and to prove it I give you permission to take away everything he has, but don't lay a finger on Job himself."

So, Satan trots off and takes away all Job's possessions and kills off all his kids.

This doesn't phase Job at all - He just says "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Praise the Lord" (What a guy!)

So, Satan says to God, "Yeah, yeah, but a man will give up anything to save his own skin. If you actually *hurt* him, he'll hate you."

God replies, "Nope, you're wrong, and to prove it I give you permission to do what you like to Job himself, but you can't actually kill him.

So, off Satan trots and covers Job in painful sores.

This doesn't phase Job either, he just says "We have to take the good with the bad. Praise the Lord." (Again, what a guy!)

There then follows the afore mentioned 39 chapters of boring, wittering on, before we reach chapter 42

God then makes it all better by restoring Job's riches, two fold. Not ten fold, as someone said.

Job then lives a long and happy life and dies at the ripe old age of 140. (Woohoo! Pretty good going - didn't the oldest guy on record die the other day at 115?)

The end.

So, in a nutshell, the story is this...

A powerful man (God) wants to prove a point to his rival (Satan) so he decides to do this by using one of his servants (Job) as a pawn, and giving his rival permission to totally destroy this pawn's life.

Now, if any other person in existence had done this, we would call them an utter, utter bastard!

God does this and we're supposed to worship Him as a wonderful person, deserving of our love and respect.

I think not!

This is simply another example of the fact that the God of the OT is an Evil Monster! And frankly, anyone who bows down and worships him out of love, needs their head examined.

Answer 7

Actually you should read the entire story it makes sense when you do. Job was a Holy Man, According to the book God knew Job loved him, and yes all those terrible things did happen to Job but God did not do it to Job he let the devil do it to him according to scripture, the devil was trying to get job to turn away from God. But God knew he wouldn't he let the devil do everything to him except make him die. In the end of the story God gave back his family and land and riches ten fold and lived happily ever after so to say.

Answer 8

It's called FAITH. Job had so much FAITH in God. God proved to the devil how much faith a true believer had in him, and no mater the trails and tribulation Job faced he continued to have FAITH in the Lord. During this time I believe he felt the Lord's presence and that's why he continued to believe. I understand were this questions is coming from. It does make you think. Many people now face these struggles you have to have FAITH. I think God new how strong Job FAITH was that's why he allowed the devil to destroy Jobs life.
Hope This Helps
God Bless You

Answer 9

God only allowed these thing to happen to Job because He knew that Job would not turn away from Him like satan suggested. Satan had said to God, that it is easy for Job to honor Him because he has thighs going so well for him.

Job really went trough very bad time and even in very hard times he did not let his friend's stupid advice to let him to lose trust in God. His wife asked him to curse God. But Job knew that it is not a wise thing to curse God. He wanted to be in heaven ne day.

Job is the perfect example of having faith in God in all circumstances. He asked some questions from God, but did He get ans answer No, God answered to him with His set of questions. Anyway, Job got rewarded for his faith in the end. Plus He is with God in eternity. So, do we love God only when things are going the way we want to. Job loved God. He got quite a lot of space in the Bible and he remained a righteous man.

Satan was proven wrong..but did satan change his ways..no.
Godallowed satan to test Job because He knew that Job was not going to curse Him. But God told satan that satan would not have power over Job's soul, only circumstances.

So what do we learn from this. Even when you are at satan's joke, satan does not have a power over your soul unles you give in. You do not have to be a badperson for satan towin. Just delay your decision about God for a little bit longer andsatan has won you over. So do not fear something that cannot have your soul.

Answer 10

It means that the righteous and the guilty both suffer in this life. In those times if you or your family had very bad luck or had a disease, then it was taken that your parents or forefathers had sinned. this was your punishment. Of course Job was a good man and challenged God by asking why him.

Answer 11

That,s because God does not know where he, she or it came from and why he, she or it, bothered with light and humans and stuff and is a bit p*ssed about it.

Because he can.It's about having faith and hope and not becoming bitter and angry just because something bad happens to you.

So the church could keep control over the poor huddled mass's.

I think Job became quite famous in the end , and is still talked about today.

There you have a choice now it is all up to you.