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I hear this explanation a lot, but to me that doesn't sound like God. He has no need to prove anything to the devil.
I read their exchange at the beginning of the book as God being somewhat sarcastic, knowing fully well beforehand the objective he had for Job's life. Satan was underestimating Job and God already knew he was being underestimated, but he lets him loose on Job under "false pretenses" (for lack of a better term).
So I understand that many see Job's turmoil as merely a test, but the fact that there was a limit placed on what Satan was allowed to do to him suggests that God had a more specific purpose in mind. If He were only testing this man, He could have easily let the attacks keep coming until irreparable damage had been done.
I feel this is suggested further, beginning in the 38th chapter, where God reminds Job of His authorship of the entire universe and all its infinite details. I believe his suffering wasn't just a spiritual test, but it also had an earthly purpose that would change the course of the rest of Job's life. This is what I wish we got a deeper explanation for.
I like how you say 'had an earthly purpose' because Job is in line for an earthly resurrection - Acts 24:15; Job 14:13-14
The devil challenged that under bad conditions No one ( angelic or earthly ) would serve God.
By letting all in Heaven and on Earth see that the devil is wrong then No one ever again could make such a claim.
- Proverbs 27:11 Be wise.... make God's heart rejoice, so that God can make a reply to the one who taunts God.
Back in Job's day God could Not point to any of us today if we would serve God under adverse conditions.
There is a difference between experiencing fearful thoughts and dwelling in those thoughts.
Okay, but again we don't read that this fear Job allegedly had was completely resolved.
It seems like some here are doing exactly what his friends were doing by blaming him for what happened when God Himself does not even say as much. He never once says these things happened because of something Job did wrong.
As we know, the concluding message in that story is that God knows better than we do. Faith in God requires one to accept this, and yet it continues to bother me that we often are not given the specific purpose behind terrible things that happen for no apparent reason. Is it that we couldn't possibly understand or is it simply because God doesn't have to explain Himself?
If Job was already considered righteous and upright, then why did he have to lose everything? What did this accomplish?
Your right, it doesn't make sense - but that's when looking at it from an 'earthly' perspective:
Zoom way out, and it becomes obvious that Job let NOTHING come between himself and The Lord;
and in the perspective of Eternity (With the Lord) - Job lost nothing!
(Our Lord is the God of the Living, not of the dead!)
Okay, but again we don't read that this fear Job allegedly had was completely resolved.
It seems like some here are doing exactly what his friends were doing by blaming him for what happened when God Himself does not even say as much. He never once says these things happened because of something Job did wrong.
No blame. I don't think Job did anything wrong. I think he was simply a human being doing what humans are prone to do: succumb to fear from time to time in the form of worry. Could be that dwelling in a particular fear/worry opens a door to things manifesting in our lives that we'd prefer not to experience. That's not punishment from an angry God, just a reality of life, an experience that can humble us and break down our barriers to experiencing more of God's love than we previously were.
We don't get a real explanation for Job's suffering
Within the book of Job, we are given the reason for why it all happened. I am happy with the Bible's explanation of the process. I see no reason to ignore that.
Quote:
... Is it that we couldn't possibly understand or is it simply because God doesn't have to explain Himself?
Does that matter?
The important lesson from Job is how to get released from that bondage.
At the end of the book he was told how to fix it, which he did. That is the biggest lesson for all of us.
Within the book of Job, we are given the reason for why it all happened. I am happy with the Bible's explanation of the process. I see no reason to ignore that.
Does that matter?
The important lesson from Job is how to get released from that bondage.
At the end of the book he was told how to fix it, which he did. That is the biggest lesson for all of us.
What verse are you referring to here?
I'm not understanding why some posters are still suggesting error on Job's part, when the narrative makes it perfectly clear that was not the case
I'm not understanding why some posters are still suggesting error on Job's part, when the narrative makes it perfectly clear that was not the case
In Job 1:5, Job was consumed with fear: He was afraid his children were going to curse God. He was afraid he was going to lose everything as a result. As we discover in subsequent verses, Job's fear caused God's hedge of protection around him to be lifted. God did not lift the hedge; Job's fear did.
What is far more important is to understand that the whirlwind told Job how to fix his curse.
In Job 1:5, Job was consumed with fear: He was afraid his children were going to curse God. He was afraid he was going to lose everything as a result. As we discover in subsequent verses, Job's fear caused God's hedge of protection around him to be lifted. God did not lift the hedge; Job's fear did.
What is far more important is to understand that the whirlwind told Job how to fix his curse.
"Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land." (Job 1:9&10 KJV)
God made the hedge and lifted it. There is no verse saying that Job was afraid he was going to lose everything or that he lost it all because of fear. The only fear he was said to have was the fear of God, which is what made him righteous (1:8)
At the end of the story, the only thing God told Job to do was to pray for his friends who had given him false doctrine. They were the only ones acting in error.
There has been an interesting thing on Polish YouTube for a couple of years now, they are YT channels intended for Christians, in which messages are written from spiritual beings who have reached several prophets from all over the world,
Each message goes to more than 10 of these Christian channels..
It is supposed to be messages in which these beings, for several years now, have been speaking to a large prayer group that he is preparing for the great tribulation, they wrote them various messages there, including apocalyptic ones, which they are expected to deliver soon,
But they say there are only days left until the big disaster...
It's interesting.... https://m.youtube.com/@WorldofPrayers
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