At the urging of a Christian friend I just read the book of Job (and some related commentaries and analysis). Either I am missing something or this book is horrible. Let me summarize:
1. God and the Devil make a bet that a certain man "Loves God" no matter what.
2. God lets the Devil torture the poor guy and the guy holds fast.
3. God lets the Devil kill 10 innocent children to torture the guy even more.
4. After much thought the guy decides to ask God a reasonable and rational question - "What's going on? Please explain?"
5. God gets mad and tells the guy to not question him because "I Am Bigger and Stronger Than You Are".
6. God decides that the bet is over, he won, and he gives Job replacements for everything he had INCLUDING REPLACEMENT CHILDREN.
This is horrible! As near as I can tell it teaches that you had better be afraid of god and you had better not ask questions.
What am I missing?
2007-05-03 04:47:58 · 22 answers · asked by Alan 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You're missing nothing. The myth speaks for itself.
2007-05-03 04:54:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 8⤋
some dinosaurs (and pterosaurs) would have been created interior the 5th era indexed in Genesis, while the Bible says that God made “flying creatures” and “super sea creatures.” maybe different styles of dinosaurs have been created interior the 6th epoch. The huge array of dinosaurs with their extensive appetites could have been suited pondering the sufficient plant existence that for sure existed of their time.—Genesis a million:21 ( So God created super sea creatures and each residing element that strikes, with which the waters abounded, in accordance to their style, and each winged poultry in accordance to its style. And God observed that it replaced into good." ) New KJV while the dinosaurs had fulfilled their purpose, God ended their existence. however the Bible is silent on how he did that or while. we could make certain that dinosaurs have been created via Jehovah God for a purpose, whether we don't totally understand that purpose immediately. They have been no mistake, no made from evolution. That they suddenly seem interior the fossil checklist unconnected to any fossil ancestors, and likewise disappear with out leaving connecting fossil hyperlinks, is information against the view that such animals progressively progressed over thousands and thousands of years of time. for this reason, the fossil checklist does not help the evolution theory. instead, it harmonizes with the Bible’s view of imaginitive acts of God. the a number of older translations of the Bible at situations use the word “dragons” to translate the Hebrew tan·ni·nim? (“sea creatures, ). (playstation . seventy 4:13--" Thou didst divide the sea via thy power: thou brakest the heads of the dragons interior the waters. 148:7-- " compliment the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps" Isa. 27:a million-- "In that day Jehovah along with his difficult and massive and powerful sword will punish leviathan the rapid serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent; and he will slay the monster it fairly is interior the sea." Am. familiar version The term “dragon” (Greek, dra?kon) is found interior the Christian Greek Scriptures. Dinosaurs have been the giants of the animal kingdom, a remarkable testimony to God’s power of introduction. in basic terms our author is conscious why the dinosaurs disappeared from the earth.
2017-01-09 09:34:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Job is not considered to be a historical, factual book. Rather, it is allegorical. While it may be true that Job was a real person, it is highly doubtful that God made a bet with the Devil. The point of Job is to remain faithful to God, in spite of everything that might occur in life.
2007-05-03 05:01:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Even as a kid, this story gave me the creeps. I am 55 now and have had a 37 year career as a liturgical musician and educator. It still gives me the creeps.
I think the point is supposed to be that Job is a model of patience and faithfulness, which is later rewarded. I used to wonder if my life or the life of my family was at stake, would I denounce my faith. And although fantasies of Joan of Arc (I even have what I call my Joan of Archetype) were wonderful, I would not be a martyr.
I will be eager to see if anyone else has a better what's missing answer!
2007-05-03 04:55:52 · answer #4 · answered by Linda R 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
A a lot of these answers are forgetting something. Job's faith is NOT the central feature of the book of Job. In fact the prose prologue and conclusion show Job as exhibiting the stereotypical "patience of Job" the bulk of the book, the poetic section between the prologue and conclusion, Job DOES take God to task and ask why he is suffering. He is quite obviously NOT patient.
2007-05-03 05:31:12 · answer #5 · answered by sassback8 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You seemed to miss the fact that God is God in the good times and in the bad times. Just because we are doing what we are supposed to do does not insulated us from trouble. He doesn't promise us that we will never have trouble in our life or that we will never suffer loss.
You also seem to miss the whole purpose of trials because your are reading an isolated story and not talking the whole council of God.
You seem to be missing the fact that Job's faith was never shaken even though he asked why he never cursed God or denied Him.
Job's sin wasn't that he asked a question his sin was in modern terms He thought "he was all that". He lacked nothing in his walk but humility.
2007-05-03 05:00:19 · answer #6 · answered by Tzadiq 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Several points:
God didn't get angry because Job asked for a simple explanation. He got angry because Job listened to his "friends" and implied that God was punishing him for some sort of sin; so in a round-about way, Job accused God of sin, since these things were being done against an innocent person, undeserving of punishment. Re-read Job 32 and you'll see that a young man who was passing by reprimanded Job and his friends; then God steps in with 8,042 questions for Job to put him back into his place.
Also, remember that, to a believer, death is not the end of life. Job acknowledged that his redeemer lives and that he trusts in His promises. Job is with ALL his children in Heaven now. What's wrong with that?
2007-05-03 05:01:53 · answer #7 · answered by Suzanne: YPA 7 · 2⤊ 3⤋
I think you pretty much have it.
Some other thoughts:
Why does an omnipotent omnicognicent god want to bet with the devil that he created? Doesn't he know the answer already?
What creature in its right mind is going to take a bet with an omnipotent omnicognicent being?
God is willing to make man suffer massively just so he can win a bet where there are no stakes, just the knowledge of being right, which being omnicognicent he knew already. Is this not a massively egotistical and prideful?
2007-05-03 04:59:38 · answer #8 · answered by Simon T 6 · 2⤊ 4⤋
You are missing the part about his 3 "friends". They assume that the cause of Job's suffering is some horrible unconfessed sin. They assumed this even though the Lord, Himself, called Job righteous.
People have a tendency to blame people for the problems they have. Some Christians tend to think the way Job's so called friends thought. We need to realize that trials are not necessarily caused by sin. Sometimes we have trials because God has a greater purpose for our lives, and sometimes it is spiritual warfare.
Also remember that God restored everything to Job, plus more than he originally had.
2007-05-03 04:56:14 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 3⤋
You got it pretty well right. Keep in mind that the "satan" in the Hebrew Bible (OT) is not the "Devil" that the Christians talk about--"satan" comes from the Hebrew word for "accuser." He functioned as a sort of prosecuting attorney for YHWH, and therefore everything he did in the story of Job (and elsewhere) was done with the sanction of YHWH. Research a bit on it, it's interesting stuff.
2007-05-03 04:54:39 · answer #10 · answered by N 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Well you've peeked my curiousity. Now I have to go and read Job for myself now to see if that is true. If it is, well....... I don't know what MORE I can say.
I was already trying to square with my Christian friends their belief in a God that allows everlasting torture that is seemingly indiscriminate to people's attempts at living a good life and living in peace with their neighbor.
2007-05-03 04:56:03 · answer #11 · answered by pixie_pagan 4 · 3⤊ 3⤋