Christians, why do you defend God's actions in his chastising of Job?

Question

Christians generally defend God's actions when he chastised Job rather than take a loving, empathetic position at that point of the book,. Does this mean that Job deserved what came upon him?

Two burden-of-proof responses so far as I come back to these, thanks for your time.

Answer 1

One thing the Bible says (can't remember where, but it's comforted me many times) is that God "chastens those whom He loves." So it's all right by me.

Plus Job is an OT guy, IOW pre-Jesus, so he had to deal with OT God. I wouldn't have lasted a day.

To answer your question in human terms, it doesn't sound "fair" what Job got, especially when he was such a righteous guy, BUT I think the point of the story is to teach us that, in the heavenly realm, we are not capable of understanding God's "fairness."

Answer 2

No. It means that whatever befalls you, you are the created, not the Creator. You know nothing of what you speak. Because God doesn't owe you squat. God simply told Job to get up, stop whining, and answer a few questions.

God did chastise Job's friends, who like you, got it all wrong, speaking things about God that were not true.

I'm sure Job would be touched by your concern for him, but it seems to be turning into an obsession now.

Answer 3

God can defend himself, he doesn't need me.

The book of Job made it clear that Job didn't "deserve" what happened to him, since that would imply that he was being punished for something. Rather it was apparently done to make Job a stronger person, not as a punishment.

===edit==

Since God was doing everything for Job's own good (good in the long run), then why do God's actions need to be defended anyway? Sounds like God had a good reason for what he did.

Answer 4

It means that Christians are stupid. Think about it. They claim everything was ok because in the end Job got more than he had before. Using that logic I could kill your wife and children, rob you, and burn down your house. But everything would be ok if I gave you a new hotter wife, more kids, more money, and a bigger house. It is probably the best I could do to compensate, but nothing will erase the pain you feel from the loss of everything. Only stupidity would cause a person to think this type of thing is not only acceptable but also a good thing.

Answer 5

Hi,
You might be talking about where God asked Job "where were you when I laid the foundations fo the world", and where were you when I did this and that..... right!? He was trying to make a point, but he didn't cause Job to suffer. It was satan that rolled the dice in hopes that Job would cave in and curse God. The fact is Job stood his ground, and satan came up the looser he truly is. God rewarded Job very handsomely for all the trouble satan put him through. Beside Job will see all his family members again, so satan is a double looser.

Answer 6

God did not chastise Job. Show me where in Job it says that and I'll dance around in my underwear on the White House lawn.

Answer 7

God did not chastize Job. The devil is the one that did all of the stealing, killing, and destroying.
(Job 3:25 KJV) For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
Job was in fear and fear opens the hedge of protection and makes a way for satan to do his evil deeds.
God showed mercy to Job by restoring double what he had lost. The thief (Satan) goes about the world seking whom he may devour. God will protect His children if we walk in faith and love, because perfect love casts out all fear.

Answer 8

Here's the key to understanding Job:

1) Job us a story based on a real live person, but it's not the real life story of anybody.

2) Job illustrates the fact that Satan gained dominion over all the earth by Adam's sin, and can do pretty much whatever he wishes to do, to anyone on earth who has ever committed a sin.

3) Job also illustrates that God is more than capable of repairing and restoring anything that Satan, or man, can do.

4) Job is the story of God allowing evil to do it's worst to a good man. Evil wears itself out in the process, but in the end, the man who remains faithful to God is totally restored and richly rewarded.

5) Job is an Old Testament ante-type of Jesus Christ.

6) God also permitted evil to do it's worst to his divine son Jesus, in order to redeem mankind from sin. In that extraordinary series of events, evil was induced to self-destruct, mankind was freed from Satan, sin, and death, while Jesus was fully restored to life, and given all power in heaven and on earth.

7) Job is the earliest known preview of the story of our redemption in Christ.

Answer 9

God chastens all whom He loves. YOU don't understand chastisement. It is NOT sickness, killing your kids, etc. Satan did those things to Job. God's chastizement for us is to pull away from us all that is NOT His will for us WHEN we are walking with Him, loving Him and listening to Him. It is truly like a loving, guiding Father toward His obedient children. Sometimes you have to take that extra dessert away even amidst the crying. You miss the entire point of the book: Job told you himself that what "he feared" came upon him... FEAR IS A SIN and opens the door to the devil! And it DID. God had a hedge, like He does with His children now, unless we CHOOSE or fall prey to SIN and WE break down the protective wall! Then the devil comes in and does exactly what is our worry point. If your 'concern' is about money, you WILL lose it! See?
Then God came to Job's rescue and told him to make sacrifice for and to pray for his so-called friends and then GOD RESTORED back what the DEVIL-SATAN HAD STOLEN. Repentance brings restoration.
No need to defend God.., That is rediculous. Just get a clue.
What God said to Job is all "truth", what Job said back to God and to his friends is recorded accurately, but some of his statements are NOT the truth..: like "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away". That was not the case. At the time, he was unaware that HE had sinned in not trusting God, he sacrificed for his children "in fear". Got it?
Now you can apologize.

Answer 10

God had been testing Job and letting the devil destroy his ways of life. Although Job didn't curse God, he did say that God wasn't there. He stated he looked left and right and that God was not there. Then God simply answered by saying: well where were you when i created the earth and all.