God and Job...?

Question

Testing faith and all of that. Why did god deal with the devil? Job should have cut his head clean off with a slingblade

Answer 1

satan is on a leash. he can only go as far as we and God allow him to go. God called satan to task to give account of his activities. Job could not cut satans head off because satan is a spirit being not mortal. He couldn't cut his own head off (if that is your meaning) because that would have been suicide which is a form of murder. And he would have missed being doubly blessed at the end of his trial.

Answer 2

There seems to be this issue over the literalness of the bible. This story of Job and God really hits home and causes some confusion with Christians and non-Christians. I also see where many people of different beliefs, other than Christians, find it easy to pick at Christians for their literal understanding.

The idea of Job isn't so much that God made any deal with Satan. The basis for Job comes from the author's question of, would someone believe in God and follow God when times are tough, or when adversity (satan, adversary) hits. Certainly we know God is great and awesome when times are great. We might thank God when we win and award or hit the lottery. But do we thank God when we get a flat tire, or when we get cancer, or an illness?
Satan isn't a real person. There is no red suited guy, with horns, who carries a pitch fork. Satan represents adversity. And certainly adversity in life can seem to test us and if we do well, we come out stronger than before. What is hard to accept sometimes is God doesn't choose anything for us. Everything we experience we choose consciously or unconsciously and because God gives us freedom to choose, He doesn't interfere. Because if he did, then it wouldn't be free will, would it.

So God didn't deal with the Devil. It is a story the author is using to explore an idea. If you focus a lot on the literalness, then we can miss the whole point of the story.
Think about when Jesus told the parable of the Sower, or the Prodigal Son. Do you think the people hearing this, spent a lot of time looking for who the Sower really was. Or they might have went looking for who the Prodigal Son was, or if he were real. I think they knew these were stories, used to illustrate ideas and concepts Jesus was teaching. Stories and parables, allagories are used as tools to help teach large concepts in ways that stretch our minds outside the normal way we learn. All of the stories of the bible, regardless of whether you believe happened or not, have many layers of wisdom beyond the literalness of the story.

Answer 3

The challenge raised by Satan in the case of Job was that Job only loved God because of all the nice things he had. This is the same taunt Satan has used throughout history. He says that we only worship God because we are offered a reward for doing so. Job is the ultimate answer to this challenge. Job did not know of God's intentions to redeem mankind and give them everlasting life. So Job's endurance through all those trials proved that humans can and many do serve God out of unselfish love. God didn't make a deal with the Devil, but allowed his point to be proven and answer Satan's challenge.

Answer 4

Why did God deal with the devil?
Because the devil made a challenge before angels.
"Satan answered: ....everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul. Thrust out your hand, and touch as far as his bone and his flesh and see whether he will not curse you to your very face.” Job 2:4,5
Satan is saying nobody would stay loyal to God if it meant being inconvenienced, especially in a large way ....like sickness and suffering. He is saying selfish interest will triumph.
How does one settle such a challenge?
God could have cut his head clean off.
What would that prove?
It would prove: perhaps the devil was right and God silenced him to hide the truth.
Remember, myriads of angels are watching.
There is only one way to settle the issue .....let it happen and see what occurs.
That would be a once-for-all-time solution.
That's why God "dealt" with the devil

Answer 5

The issue of integrity to God that was raised by Satan was not directed against Job alone. You too are involved. This is clearly shown at Proverbs 27:11, where Jehovah’s Word says: “Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me.” These words, written hundreds of years after Job’s death, show that Satan was still taunting God and accusing His servants. When we live in a way that pleases Jehovah, we actually help to give an answer to Satan’s false charges, and in that way we make God’s heart rejoice. How do you feel about that? Would it not be wonderful to have a part in answering the Devil’s lying claims, even if it means making certain changes in your life?

Notice that Satan said: “Everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul.” (Job 2:4) By saying “a man,” Satan made it clear that his charge applied not just to Job but to all humans. That is a very important point. Satan has called into question your integrity to God. The Devil would like to see you disobey God and abandon a righteous course when difficulties arise.

Satan never doubted who's in command, Jehovah let him test Job but without killing him as verse 12 of Job 1 indicate.

Answer 6

Job was living the good life and evidently never tested, but all will be tested and all will suffer before we die. Job was self-righteous believing he'd done no wrong. He wanted the opportunity to argue with God about why God had done to him what He'd done.
The clay can't argue with the Potter.

Answer 7

Because he knew Job's heart and he wanted to purify this "blameless and upright" man. God was not naive; he knew exactly what Satan would do and he never had to apologize to Job for letting Satan get to him. God actually set up the test to do something with Job's attitude.

Answer 8

The main thrust was to show Satan that whatever God says is true and will be so.
God said Job was righteous. Satan tested Job and Job was righteous. Satan tested him again and what God said still held true, Job was still righteous.
The lesson wasn't for Job, it was for Satan.

Answer 9

interesting story isn't it?

Even christians have a hard time with it.

I like how Satan just wanders into heaven and strikes up this wager. And how god doesn't mind gambling with the life and happiness of a believer.

Answer 10

The devil is a necessary part of the stories in your bible. Where you have "good" you must have "evil".