Interesting. I have not heard that take before on Job being fearful about his children, or lacking faith. I think Job shows great faith in the adversity he faces. But I believe he had great doubts about his children's faith. This brings to mind the concept of being able to pray for another person's salvation, whether it holds any sway with God. It is an individual's choice of acceptance, but what about the external factors which influence the potential savee, to coin a term.
You never know what experiences can cause the unsaved sinner to feel the conviction then be open to the need for Christ.
Well, I have been asked to chime in. Job is such an amazing book.
Let's get some facts straight about Job and you can compare notes. I have been studying this book for years and have read through the whole thing several times.
I'll get scriptures if anyone need them.................
Job is a REAL EVENT.......................
cough....cough.... Glomung.......... (Yes I read everyone post carefully before responding)
Job is not about the WHY...............................
It's about a right standing man going through some horrible adversity. When bad things happen to Good people type of thing. Job through the whole ordeal complains constantly that he is righteous and did nothing wrong to deserve what happened to him. In fact Job said that there is no point in even serving God. (Same thing the folks said in Malachi and God was not to happy with them either)
For Job hath said,
I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment. Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression. What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
(Job 34:5-9)
We have a man basing his blessings on his own right standing. He did serve God, and through that God made Job rich. Unlike David though, Job did not have a relationship with God. Job believed that to make God happy, you continue to jump through the hoops and don't dare speak a bad thing about God, or else God will smite you. Job did not understand the Love of God, but Job knew how to be a servant.
So, when bad things started to happen, Job was upset because he felt that He did nothing wrong naturally for God to do these things to him. Job did not have a revelation about Satan, and hence Job believed God was the one that harmed him and murdered his children.
So, Job is about what not to do, when things Go bad. It's not time to get help from God based on our good works, and it's not time to ask why bad things are happening. It's time to ask the Lord for help, and trust in God. Job never asked God for help (you have not because you ask not- James)
As in lots of situations, We don't know everything. Job certainly did not know the why and should not have been focused on the why.
Some Brief Facts, I'll go into detail if asked, with Scriptures.
1) God never changes. God is consistent from Genises to Revelation. God not one time ever allowed the devil in to destroy someone that served him. When things went wrong for someone, we see clearly in scripture what happened. David lost his child (God make the child sick) Moses missed the promise land (Beating rocks and not speaking to rocks) King Saul lost his Kingship and life. (God said King Saul just won't obey me) Job is no different, we just don't clearly see what Job did.
2) No deal made, God not proving anything to the devil: God did not use the devil because the devil challenged God. In fact, Satan has Zero truth in him and I can promise God could care less what Satan was talking about. (John 8:44) In fact, Satan is a created angel, and a disobedient one at that. God has ZERO to prove anything to something he created. It's like trying to prove to our car how we are right and the car is wrong. Makes ZERO Sense.
3) Job actually did what the devil said he would do. We can thank our translators for this mess up...... Correctly translated in Hebrew the scripture should read........
YLT:
The work of his hands Thou hast blessed, and his substance hath spread in the land, and yet, put forth, I pray Thee, Thy hand, and strike against anything that he hath--if not: to Thy face he
doth bless Thee!'
(
Job 1:11)
Satan did not use the Hebrew Word for Curse and he had a choice of 3 great ones but used the Word to Bless instead. BARAK.
Barak means to bless back, also translated to Salute back, to acknowledge back. In other words Satan told God that Job would Charge God for the evil done to him.
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither:
the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed (BARAK) be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not,
nor charged God foolishly.
(Job 1:21-22)
We see Job blamed God for taking away, but another narrative by the Holy Spirit steps in right after Job's statement and lets us know that Job did not charge God in a foolish way but a respectful way of not understanding.
4) God never made any deal with the devil, God said it was without cause to harm Job:
We have to understand what is going on through two spiritual beings. God is watching Satan messing with Job. Satan presents himself and God is not clueless as to why the devil is there saying, Have you considered my servant Job, there is none upright like Job. Satan goes into a thing about a hedge and Job only servers God because God made Job rich.
Job served God before getting rich, it was Job's obedience that caused Job's wealth. So Satan's argument is just a lie, smoke and mirrors. Satan wants to get his paws on Jobs things because with wealth, Satan can influence others. Satan minds the Things of men.......... (Jesus said)
Satan tells God that if you hurt him God then Job will curse thee.... (BARAK)
Now, the deal was for God to harm Job. God never did that, never acknowledged Satans deal, never amended the deal, never agreed to the deal. God's response to Satan wanting him to harm Job was.......... pay attention stupid, all that Job has is in your hands anyway.
Here is the part believers have issues with. Job gave Satan a place, God knows it, and the Devil knows it trying to twist things around to get God to break his Word and harm Job. All God said is pay attention......... The Hebrew word for Behold means to look and see. There is no permissive Hebrew Verb in there at all. The hedge is already down, and we should not pay attention to anything the devil had to say. The devil lied in Genesis and the devil lied to Jesus, and guess what? The devil is lying to God with some song and dance.
In other words, just for the book of Job, the devil did not put on his Sunday's best and was being honest with God.
God said..............
Job 2:3 And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil? and he still keeps his righteousness, though you have been moving me to send destruction on him
without cause.
You read that? Everything that the devil did to Job, God considered it to be without a cause or purpose. So much for the theory of God testing Job or proving anything to the devil. God's own words.
If folks would read to chapter 2, they would see that verse...........
5) Why did God not stop the devil? If there was no purpose in harming Job?
I am going to make a very serious statement and something we need to learn from Job............. God could not stop the devil, because doing so would mean God would have to break his own Word. That will never happen.
Elihu tells us why though, the guy that spoke right about God. Elihu also tells us God is not in the business of murdering someone's children that serve God.
Elihu:
For he gives to every man the reward of his work,
and sees that he gets the fruit of his ways.
(Job 34:11)
.
Job 34:12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
Having someone's Children Murdered is EVIL, it's Wicked!!! folks for those confused about good and evil........ NOT GOD, He don't do that.
God also does not pervert judgement of what His Word said....... he won't stop it.
Elihu said Job was to get the Fruit of his ways, the ways Job had been acting. Keep in mind that fruit, we will get back to that....... FRUIT OF YOUR WAY.
Job 34:10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men
of understanding:
far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
Elihu is telling us right here that if people have understanding, then they know God had ZERO to do with harming Job's Children, making him sick and taking his stuff.
6) What exactly did Job do?
If Job had sinned like David, we would know exactly what Job did............... David had someones husband killed to hid a pregnancy. That is murder. Not doing Murder or killing is mentioned about 27 times in scriptures.
HOWEVER....................
58 times it's mentioned to Fear NOT
48 Times to be no afraid
many times to be of good courage, take no thought, Worry about nothing, cast care on God.................
Job did not have faith or trust in God. Job acted his whole life out of fear of loosing things and Job's biggest fear was getting God upset so that bad things might come on him. Job did not have a love relationship with God like David. Job obeyed God out of obedient fear of him.
Satan used this against Job, and it started with Job's kids for they may be cursing God Job, and you know what happens if you curse God Job........... Bad things happen Job if someone curses God........ Your kids Job, they are in danger, they might be cursing God.
So Job out of fear of loss (Not faith in God) sacrificed for his kids an animal each time they came together for they might have cursed God............ Thus JOB DID CONTINUALLY.
Job also had the Sabeans and the Chaldeans he was constantly worried about. Two bad groups in the area. He did everything he knew to stay protected from them.........
Satan used that theme............. Curse God and die............ We see it in Job's head for his own kids, we see Satan bring it up to God we see Job's wife saying............. (Why hold onto your integrity, CURSE GOD AND DIE)
Same thing Satan does to people today to get a place, use the same thoughts, same theme, and if a person acts on those things, Satan gets a place that is rightfully his to destroy, kill, and steal.
For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
(Job 3:25)
Fear not, fear not, fear not God warned 58 times. More than he warned about breaking any other commandment.
no scriptural bases to believe the "Sons of God" is actually speaking of angels................. it was only used a few times in the OT and the Word for spirit or angel is not there. More the case those God heard presented themselves and Satan just followed their sacrifice and prayer.
blessings.