I have just finished reading the Book of Job and I have some questions?

Question

Job obviously was the patsy of mind games between God and Satan. Here is a good man, who worships God, and yet he is tried, severely. I understand this is an object lesson, but if accepted on its face as true, this is not a nice thing that God did to Job. I would be interested in comments to the contrary. I must say, though, that it seems to me that Satan played God (manipulated Him). So my question is, why did God allow Satan to play him? I know you don't know (how could you?) but I am interested in your thoughts on the matter. Thank you.

Answer 1

Seriously, this Job guy was totally innocent of any wrongdoing, then, "BAM!" suddenly his god sets satan loose on him to do whatever he pleases. I'm getting this picture of god and satan in recliners, each with a beer in hand, and sharing a good sadistic laugh at the whole thing. I mean seriously, betting on how much hell a nice guy will go through? And what of his wife and children? They all Die in this deal. They lose their life so god can have his bragging rights. Sure Job gets a new wife, but she's still not the same woman he loved. Nice way to treat your followers, a** hole.

Answer 2

God allowed Satan to test his theory on Job in order to discover whether Job’s integrity was as shallow as Satan claimed it was. But despite his suffering and pain, Job maintained his integrity; he continued to serve God and did not sin by turning away from God. This is not to say that Job's faith was not challenged for it was. But, Satan was wrong about Job!

Are all people like Job? Apparently not. When Job’s wife encouraged Job to curse God and die since misery had now come to him, she demonstrated that Satan was right about some of humanity.

Answer 3

First off, God did not do this to Job, Satan did. There is a reason for everything, even when it seems else wise. The main thing that Job taught us by his trials was this. How to recognize Satan, his schemes, and how much he hates God's people by killing, stealing, and destroying them. At the end, God blessed Job with double! Paul says it best when he says that the present trials and afflictions don't compare to what is in store for those who are in Christ Jesus. The moment Christians make it into Heaven, all our troubles will vanish and will seem all worth it.

Answer 4

I find your thoughts about the book interesting. I never thought of it in that way, that God 'allowed' Satan to play Him. God doesn't 'allow' anyone to 'play' Him. God created angels with free-will like He did with humans. God lets Satan and the demons use their free-will. Obviously they will always do evil. But God lets Satan roam among us because 1) God sent him to earth after kicking him out of Heaven; and 2) God lets Satan do his crap so we can use our free-will to either ignore the temptations or indulge in the temptations.

God tested many men in the Bible. Moses, David, Isaac, Judas, etc. He even tested the pharoahs, the pagans, the Pontius Pilate. He tests our faith to see if it's as strong as we think it is, to see if it's as strong as we tell others it is, to see if we are searching for it.

Answer 5

It does seem all kind of harsh but at the same time God was kinda smacken Satan in the face proving him wrong. Stopped the arrogant self righteous **** in his place. I don't know if the story was real or not but it's a good example of faith prevailing over circumstances

Answer 6

It reflects our own lives thank about it

Answer 7

--PLEASE KEEP IN MIND that the challenge Satan made to God was not of power, but would man worship God out of love, not of what God would do for humans:
--(Job 1:6-12) “6 Now it came to be the day when the sons of the [true] God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and even Satan proceeded to enter right among them. 7 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where do you come from?” At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “From roving about in the earth and from walking about in it.” 8 And Jehovah went on to say to Satan: “Have you set your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad?” 9 At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “Is it for nothing that Job has feared God? 10 Have not you yourself put up a hedge about him and about his house and about everything that he has all around? The work of his hands you have blessed, and his livestock itself has spread abroad in the earth. 11 But, for a change, thrust out your hand, please, and touch everything he has [and see] whether he will not curse you to your very face.” 12 Accordingly Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! Everything that he has is in your hand. Only against him himself do not thrust out your hand!” So Satan went out away from the person of Jehovah.”

--THIS IS A COMMENTARY on the matter of God tolerating wickedness:

*** ce chap. 16 pp. 193-198 pars. 11-23 Why Would God Permit Suffering? ***
--11 But why did God not destroy these lawbreakers, both human and spirit, at the start? The answer lies in the fact that profound issues had been raised before all intelligent creation. One of the issues involved questions such as: Would independence from God’s sovereignty ever bring lasting benefits? Would God’s direction of people be better for them, or would man’s own direction be better? Could humans successfully govern this world independent of their Creator? In short, did humans really need God’s guidance? These questions required answers that only the passing of time could supply.
***Why So Long?
--12 However, why has God permitted so much time to go by before settling these matters—about 6,000 years now? Could they not have been settled satisfactorily long ago? Well, if God had intervened long ago, the charge could have been made that humans were not given enough time to develop a workable government and the necessary technology to bring peace and prosperity to all. So, in his wisdom, God knew that it would take time to settle the issues that had been raised. He allowed that time.
--13 Throughout the centuries, all types of governments, all types of social systems and all types of economic systems have been tried. In addition, humans have had enough time to make many technological advances, including harnessing the atom and traveling to the moon. With what results? Has all of this brought about the kind of world that is a real blessing to the entire human family?
--14 Far from it. Nothing that men have tried has brought true peace and happiness for all. Instead, after all this time, conditions are more unstable than ever. Crime, war, family breakdown, poverty and hunger ravage country after country. Mankind’s very existence has been jeopardized. Nuclear missiles of awesome destructive power could annihilate most of, if not all, the human race. So, in spite of thousands of years of effort, in spite of many centuries of human experience to build upon and in spite of reaching new peaks of technological progress, mankind still grapples unsuccessfully with its most basic problems.
--15 Even the earth itself has been adversely affected. Human greed and neglect have turned certain areas into deserts by stripping protective forests. Chemicals and other waste products have polluted land, sea and air. The Bible’s description, 2,000 years ago, of the condition of life on the earth is even more accurate today: “All creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now.”—Romans 8:22.
***What Has Been Proved?
--16 What have events during all this time proved beyond a doubt? That human rule independent of man’s Creator is unsatisfactory. Clearly it has been demonstrated that successful management of earth’s affairs is impossible apart from man’s Maker. History continues to confirm the Bible’s candid appraisal of human attempts to govern when it says: “Man has dominated man to his injury.”—Ecclesiastes 8:9.
--17 How disastrously human endeavors have worked out, compared with the order and precision found in the universe as it is guided by the laws of its Creator! Clearly, humans also need this kind of guidance in governing their affairs, because ignoring God’s supervision has been disastrous. It truly has been demonstrated, for all time, that we have a need for God’s direction just as surely as we need air, water and food.—Matthew 4:4.
--18 Also, by allowing enough time to settle the issues relative to human rule, God has established a permanent precedent for the future. It could be likened to a fundamental supreme court case. For all time the issue has been settled: Human rule apart from God cannot bring about desirable conditions on the earth. Thus, in the future, if any free agent should challenge God’s way of doing things, it would not be necessary to allow thousands of additional years to try to prove his contention. Everything that needs to be proved has been proved in this period of about 6,000 years that God has allowed. So, throughout the eternity of time ahead, no rebel will ever again be allowed to mar the peace and happiness of life on the earth, or to interfere with God’s sovereignty anywhere else in the universe. As the Bible emphatically states: “Distress will not rise up a second time.”—Nahum 1:9.