Why was god inclinded to prove anything to satan, in testing job?

Question

He kills job's family and gave him all kinds of diseases, to prove something to satan? Most of us aren't that stupid to be tricked into doing horrendous things on a bet, why was god?

Hottie, don't you see you just contradicted yourself?

Got details, how did satan get there? wasn't he kicked out of heaven before the creation? Also, wasn't he struck down during the whole garden of eden thing?

Connie, maybe you don't put much value on your family, but I'd be pretty pissed off if god so calously destroyed my family on a whim. Remember, it was the angels and satan that came to god which precipitated this whole event, it wasn't god's idea in the first place.

Preacher's wife, that doesn't answer my question in the least, why was GOD inclined to prove anything to satan? God is the one that performed or allowed performed the atrocities.

So Carl, you admit that god has a callous approach to human beings?

None of your answers explain why he was dealing with satan, the father of all lies. Why couldn't he make his point on his own? This is like your preacher holding service in a strip club to demonstrate the evils of greed and lust. Kind of going overboard.

Answer 1

God is very easily swayed by peer pressure and gambling.

God actually created Satan in the first place, knows the past, the present, and the future, and still chose to kill Job's family, who weren't even involved in the bet to begin with.

nice one.

Answer 2

When you read the entire book, you will see that there is a lot more going on that just "a bet". between God and satan. Just as there are physical laws which govern the physical universe (such as gravity), there are spiritual laws which govern the spiritual world.

One of those laws is that a person faith/fear determines their fate in the spiritual realm. While Job was going through the motions of serving God, he was actually acting out of fear rather than faith. He was afraid that his children were secretly sinning (1:5). When he became ill, he said that that which he greatly feared had finally happened to him (3:25). There were conditions in his life that had opened the door for satan to have the ability to cause those things to happen to him.

It is not that God is giving satan permission, but rather that he is showing satan were the opening already is for him to attack. Kind of like the cartoon where the character steps off a cliff, but does not fall until he looks down. Job had already steps off a spiritual cliff, and it was just now being noticed so that his "fall" begins. Apparently God had been holding Job up for a time, giving him a chance to get back on the cliff. But it was not working.

The story is no different that what most people experience everyday. People make moral decisions, and then have to deal with the consequences. Sometimes the consequences are immediate, and sometimes God holds them off for a season. But eventually they come.

In Job's case God allows us to see - explained in human terms - the actions going on behind the scenes. The spiritual laws at work. If you take the time to read the Bible, you will find that there are several incidences of satan having access to speak with God in heaven (Zechariah 3 is one of my favorite such incidents). That was nothing unusual.

God also preserved for us the thoughts, debate, and philosophies of the men involved in the story. It shows both the divine and the human viewpoint of suffering. Note that every single one of the human viewpoints given was wrong.

In the end, Job was restored. His health returned, his fortune doubled, and his family was replaced. God know that would be the "end" before the whole thing began. He knew exactly when it was time to allow satan access to Job so that it would turn Job back to faith in God.

It was not a bet between God and satan in which God let satan destroy Job. Rather it was the proper usage of spiritual laws used by God to turn Job from fear back to faith in him.

Answer 3

In Christianity, Job is a true and literal story. God did this for our sakes. God thinks bigger than just the now. We learned a lot from Job, and we learned that God can refine us with Fire, making us more like him. Job always came out on top, Satan was merely saying that Job wasn't given a fair chance to not Choose God. So God, gave him a trial, that he might come through in the end.


Rom 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose

It also gives us insight to the fact that Satan can't harm the believer directly. He must go through God for that. God controls all, so whatever you are going through, though God may not have caused it, he allowed it, so we know that he knows what is best for us.

Answer 4

When Adam sinned, he gave dominion over the whole earth to Satan. As suitable punishment for sin, God subsequently permitted this, as well as giving Satan the power of death over mankind.

While the Book of Job is not the real life account of an actual event, it accepts and illustrates these fundamental rules that govern man's existence.

Satan did indeed enjoy virtually unlimited power on earth, before Jesus came and destroyed his evil dominion.

Furthermore, Job tells the story of a righteous man who was given up by God to all the evil that Satan could do to him.

But due solely to the power of God, it was Satan, and not the man, who was worn out in the end, and utterly defeated.

The man was vindicated and fully restored, and Satan was left frustrated and destitute.

The Book of Job was the first book of the old testament which literally revealed the plan that God had for his own son Jesus, who was totally given up to evil, even to death on the cross, yet never failed to perfectly do his Father's will in all things.

Jesus' physical body was destroyed completely, yet by the power of God he was fully restored, and given all power over heaven and earth. His restored family is the Christian Church.

And right up until the moment of his own destruction, Satan continued to walk to and fro on the earth, gloating over what he though he had accomplished.

Answer 5

The lesson was not just for Satan but for Job and all who knew him. God did it because He knew no one would truly suffer. Jobs family would be with Him in Heaven and God gave Job more than He took from him in the end. So suffering is really only momentary. He received far more than he lost.

Answer 6

It was a challenge of God's authority, His right to rule His Creations. Secondly, it challenged why creations worshipped God. Satan said they only worship for what they could get out of it, not out of love.

As a God of perfect justice and having faith in humans, especially Job, He allowed the matter to be tested and settled. Satan took away everything, even Job's health, even though he was forbidden to kill Job. Satan failed. God rewarded Job by giving him three times what he had before the test and extended his life to enjoy it.

Historical Job is a lesson to all people. We can and should worship from love for our Creator and He will not forget our sufferings for Him. Satan was proved wrong yet again.

Answer 7

From the Jewish POV:

Job is not to be taken literally. First off, Satan in Judaism is merely the heavenly prosecutor when you die, he has no power, is nothing but a servant of God and does EXACTLY as told.

The reality is that the book of Job is seen by many as the basis for a lot of Kaballistic and esoteric ideas- it is showing, allegorically, the travails of a pure soul, in a physical world, and the temptations on the pure soul to chase after physicallity, submit to its animal body and turn its back on holiness.

Answer 8

Satan made his accusation in front of other angels and God did this to prove to them that Satan was wrong in his accusation.

Job 1:6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.

edit: According to this scripture he was still allowed at this time to present himself before God.

Answer 9

God's one of those guys who, if you say over beers, "eh, I bet I could beat you in a game of darts," he'll drag you over to the dartboard.

I think Satan just wanted Job to suffer, so, he was like, "Hey, ehhh, hey God! Betcha don't have the guts to kill off this guy's family!"

Answer 10

You have that backward, satan was trying to prove something to God, just like he tryed to prove he could over take Heaven and we know what happen there. Just like he tryed to prove he could get rid of Jesus and we know what happen there. Satan is still trying to prove God wrong, guess that just proves he may be crafty, but he is not very smart.