We see that satan can manipulate the weather job 1. God rebukes jobs three friends and orders them to make a sacrifice. People learn more about themselves when they go through difficult times. Aug 24, 2011 god is omnipotent, omnicient and benevolent, which is usually understood to imply that any action of god would not be evil. The book of job begins with a prologue job 12, which describes a wager between satan and god, in which satan the adversary bets god that joba particularly pious man. Addressing the problem of theodicy the vindication of the justice of god in the light of humanitys suffering it is a rich theological work setting out a variety of perspectives. At the end of the book, god gives job twice as much wealth as he had before, along with seven sons and three daughters. The whole unredeemed world is under the control of the evil one 1 joh 5. Furthermore, there are many creative attributes about god in the book of job especially in chapters 38 and 39 for us to learn about. The bible pulls back the veil to glimpse heavenly affairs. Now there was a day when the sons of god came to present themselves before the lord. Given how christians are yet inclined to look for a divine reason behind catastrophes and. Job gives us insights into his character, his purposes, his tactics, and his goals. A surface reading of the book of job usually evokes a reaction such as why is god making a bet with the devil.
The result was that satans power was limited verse 12 and god was glorified. Learn how to properly read the introduction in the book of job. It teaches humility as god reminds job who is really in control, steadfastness as job refuses to curse god despite his circumstances, and joy and reward when the latter part of. Jan 02, 2020 in job 1, satan stood before god to give an account of himself. Satan, the thief, has come to kill, steal, and destroy john 10. He presumes a relationship of sorts between god and satan.
The satan argues that job is just returning the favor, and asserts that job would turn on god if his blessings were taken away. Having satan do the dirty work is a very greekmythology thing to doyou know, let a demigod do the dirty work, then assert your dominance anyway. Job 2 gw satan challenges the lord again one bible. Remember, god doesnt inflict anything nasty on job with his own divine power. Was it unfair for god to allow job to suffer over what was basically an argument between god and satan. Was it unfair for god to allow job to suffer over what was. The book of job is a beautiful literary masterpiece that deals with this very question. Job chapters 1 and 2, part of the bibles oldest book, say that satan has access to heaven. By the sons of god it is generally admitted that, in this place, the angels are meant so again in job 38. Job was the wealthiest, most blessed man, maybe in the whole world. The book of job, book of hebrew scripture that is often counted among the masterpieces of world literature. This is the jealousies of men that contradict the truth of god that job was an upright man, job 1. The story of job makes a lot more sense to the conscience when one begins to better understand the oneness of all.
Although most of the book consists of the words of job and his friends, job himself was not the author. The human author of book of job i believe received a vision and overheard a conversation and through gods grace gave him the wisdom to write the inspiration for purpose of stating that all the action of satan are subject to divine providence. Job keeps on saying that he is good but he starts to wonder if god really is good. Youre up or youre down, in gods hands or the devils. The visions were not for job but for us to pay more attention to the need to have a godly life. The story of job gods bet with the devil religious forums. Jan 02, 2020 since god validates elihus points 3841, the adversarial tone in gods answer to job makes even more sense. Question about the book of job how was satan in heaven. Satan was there and a conversation ensued about jobs goodness.
There is one particular challenge that modern readers face when reading the book of job, and thats the narrative introduction that gets the story moving. It is thousands of years ago that the book of job, a story of a decent man who suffers horrendous misfortunes, is written into the hebrew bible. All things that exist, exist within the mind of and outside of the eternal one, great entity. Satan challenges god by stating that job will denounce god if afflicted. In the book of job, satan appears as the partner of god, who on behalf of god puts the righteous one to the test. The word blameless doesnt mean sinless, but rather, that he had a good standing in the eyes of god and was repentant. Dec 17, 2019 the book of job is often upheld as an example of godly patience while suffering. The author of the book of job opens with a literary device. In the book of job, how was it possible for god and satan to. Understanding the book of job by tom tompkins escape.
He is the serpent, the tempter of christ matthew 4. We find out that god uses satan to accomplish things in our lives that we could not otherwise experience on our own. The meaning of the phrase is probably different in genesis 6. If job was blameless, why did god allow satan to afflict. This is kiddylevel theology, yet many grownups dont get it. God withdraws his protection from jobs possessions. As a southern baptist i believe that the bible is the true and inerrant word of god and should be taken literally. This question neither he nor the devil could answer initially.
Satan in job is those who oppose god s opinion of righteous job. Job prays for gods forgiveness of them and god accepts his prayer. God tells a character called satan literally, the accuser that job is a blameless and upright man, but the satan points out that god has already blessed job abundantly. Job is described as an upright man who follows god s commands, and is blameless in god s eyes. When god said, all that he has is in thy power job 1. Discussion in biblical debates started by neoseeker. The doctrine of satan in job chronological bible teaching. Job certainly did suffer, but there is more to his story than just his suffering.
Above all, though, what happened to job lets us know that god, our creator and sustainer, is in charge of everything and has a right to do whatever he wishes to do. The book of job challenges the simple equation of suffering with punishment, by telling the story of one righteous mans confrontation with overwhelming misfortune. Years later, in the book of the revelation, the apostle john wrote about a future day when satan will be kicked out. Analysis this is a key passage for setting the stage for all that follows. At least in the case of job, god rewardedblessed job for his loss with more sons, the hottest daughters in all the land and more wealth than he had before this grand experiment. Job was blameless, meaning no sin was found in him. It is thousands of years ago that the book of job, a story of a decent man who suffers horrendous misfortunes, is written. The book of job god did not give satan power biblebro. The strange conversation between god and the satan figure in job 12. The big picture of job is that there was a man who was, in one sense, blameless in god s sight. The books theme is the eternal problem of unmerited suffering, and it is named after its central.
For further study on the book of job hartley, john e. Job 2 gods word translation gw satan challenges the lord again. Why do the righteous, those who love and serve god, suffer. He was the greatest man among all the people of the east. Another way of putting it is that job walked with god. How gods justice will be completely realized with regard to satan and other evil beings. As the story goes, the sons of god, angels, presented themselves before god. Thomas explores the difficulty of jobs suffering, satans involvement, and gods sovereignty. Addressing the problem of theodicy the vindication of the justice of god in the light of humanitys suffering it is a. Job is described as an upright man who follows gods commands, and is blameless in gods eyes. Satan s first attack 6 one day the sons of god came to present themselves before the lord, and satan also came with them. Job reveals that satan still has access, but he no longer lives there. The book of job is an important book for all of us to study and appreciate.
Presented in a very easy to read, almost seminar type presentation. We know this because the next verse says, satan afflicted job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head job 2. At the same time, it also asks the question we rarely. Satan in job is those who oppose gods opinion of righteous job. Satan answered the lord, from wandering all over the earth. The battle between god and satan in the book of job adventist. There is no indication at all that job s children and servants were good followers of god. How gods justice can be satisfied yet sinners shown mercy. The book of job discusses why god allows pain and suffering. The book that gives us the most information about the devil in the old testament, however, is the book of job. Every creature, every man, every existing entity e. In job 1, satan stood before god to give an account of himself.
Right after introducing the hero of the drama, the author of the book of job. It would be hard to believe god dedicated so much of the. Satan is labeled an accuser and depicted as an opposing force to god. The sacrifices mentioned offer a hint, but that is all. Some theologians claim god gives no answers within this book. For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is. Aug 02, 2010 in the book of job, satan is sent by god to torment job. God does this by revealing two special heavenly scenes. In the book of job, how was it possible for god and satan. I think that it is partly because it points out that god actually does not cause us to suffer. Towards the end of the book, jobs friends start to think that job is not good because a lot of bad things are happening to him.
Book of job simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. You must understand who god is and who satan is, what they know, and what their motivation is. This to me is the overriding teaching of the book of job. Consequently, god threw him and the angels that followed him out of heaven rev. This summary of the book of job provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of job. God accepts the challenge and gives satan permission to destroy job s life.
How could satan access heaven in the books of job and the. Aug 04, 20 until the book of job, weve only seen satan influence david for israels harm 1 chr 21. Really got a lot out of this deepdive into the book of job. The idea that the devil governs hell may have come from the poem by dante alighieri, the divine comedy, published in the early fourteenth century. The book of job begins by introducing us to its three most significant characters. Then the lord said to the devil, behold, i give into thine hand all that he has, but. There are fourteen known byzantine manuscripts of the book of job dating from the 9th to 14th. And there is a reality called satan who challenges god that his man is not as good as he thinks he is. The lesson from the big book of job is 1 that god is sovereign over all our suffering. The entire saga of job and his family and friends was planned beforehand by god, and he just used satan as an active participant and the chief antagonist. Clarke, 1921, 403, quoted in edwin and margaret thiele, job and the devil, boise. The meaning of the book of job is found in god s and satan s conversation in heaven. God is omnipotent, omnicient and benevolent, which is usually understood to imply that any action of god would not be evil.
Feb 14, 2016 the book of job is one of the longest books in the bible, at 42 chapters. In the book of job, satan is sent by god to torment job. Book of job in byzantine illuminated manuscripts wikipedia. Satan answered the lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it. The book starts with god and satan discussing job, a perfect and upright man who feared god and eschewed evil 1. Also, there are several other biblical names for godincluding in the book of jobnone of them are as ubiquitous as godso for every argument you want to put forward about changing the ubiquitous god with the lessfrequently used yahweh, i can make a similar argument for any of the other names of god in judaism. Only in postbiblical judaism does the devil become the adversary of god, the prince of angels, who, created by god and placed. Jobs wife is the most controversial character in the book. After god speaks to job and his three friends, god asks job. Satan targets job because of his righteousness and favour with god and wishes to turn job against god. The meaning of the book of job is found in gods and satans conversation in heaven. The book of job is one of the longest books in the bible, at 42 chapters. It is found in the third section of the biblical canon known as the ketuvim writings.
Job 1 niv prologue in the land of uz there bible gateway. Satan was there and a conversation ensued about job s goodness. The book of job is a very interesting book in the bible. Satan tells god that job is only virtuous because he is well off. Job 2 gw satan challenges the lord again one bible gateway. Set in uz, an obscure land far from israel, during an unknown time period, the book of job focuses on questions about god s justice and why good people suffer. He loves god very much and was faithful to follow his commands. Angels and men are alike sons of god, as created by him, in his image, to obey and serve him. The accuser hebrew, hasatan is not satan, the devil, but an angel whose job it is to identify people disloyal to god. The names of his friends are eliphaz, bildad, and zophar. If job was blameless, why did god allow satan to afflict him.
At some point, satan actually approaches god himself and basically asks god to put job to the test. Now there was a day when the sons of god came to present themselves before the lord, and satan also came among them. In a new translation of the book of job, the famously repentant hero gives. God initiated the meeting, led the proceedings, and remained in absolute control verse 7. The point of the book of job is to teach us that the mystery of evil is a mystery of a wartorn and unfathomably complex creation, not the mystery of gods allcontrolling will. They stop reading at verse six and conclude that god robbed job and. Satan who seems not to be the same as the devil, merely an opponent tells god that job would not obey if he were afflicted. Given how christians are yet inclined to look for a divine reason behind catastrophes and personal tragedies, i think its a point we have yet to learn. What does this tell us about the place of evil in the world. The book of job is often upheld as an example of godly patience while suffering. Job explores the difficult question of god s relationship to human suffering, and invites us to trust god s wisdom and character. It reveals that satan as a rival god appeared before the true god jehovah in heaven, challenging jehovah in the assembly of all the angels before god.
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