God and satan in the book of job analysis

The story recounted in chapters 1 and 2 makes us privy to actual conversations between god and satan. Or from an arabic word meaning repent, thus bearing the name repentant one. The book is often understood as an exploration of the question of theodicy that is, how god can be declared just in the light of innocent suffering. Job, a pious and blameless man, is perfectly happy and contented. Literary analysis on the book of job 3072 words pages.

Trend of the relationship between god and satan in the bible. In job, the satan expresses concern over gods interest in human beings. The book of job challenges the simple equation of suffering with punishment, by telling the story of one righteous mans confrontation with overwhelming misfortune. In a most revealing way, satan, the implacable foe of god and his people, is unmasked in the opening chapters of this book. Blake apparently identified with job, as he spent his lifetime unrecognized and impoverished. Writers and critics of the romantic era advanced the notion that satan was a. 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. So satan went forth from the presence of the lord and smote job etc. The biblical book of job addresses the existence of evil and suffering in a world where a loving, allpowerful god exists. 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. When the bible says that job was blameless, it does not mean that he. The book of job is a book in the ketuvim writings section of the hebrew bible tanakh, and. The book were about to look at is not primarily about a man it is about god.

There is no indication at all that job s children and servants were good followers of god. It has been described as the most profound and literary work of the entire old testament. That is the lesson of the book for anyone who questions god without access to. In job, god insists that the satan is wrong about this analysis, whatever may be. The book of job in the hebrew bible was crafted to address human suffering and why bad things happen to good people. God does not answer their questions about jobs guilt or innocence, but rather speaks about the created order and contrasts what god can do with what humans are able to do. Learn how to properly read the introduction in the book of job. The lesson from the big book of job is 1 that god is sovereign over all our suffering. Even though satan is the god of this world 2 cor 4. 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. He counters that job is only chill because hes in such good shape.

Jan 02, 2020 since god validates elihus points 3841, the adversarial tone in gods answer to job makes even more sense. The satan argues that job is just returning the favor, and asserts that job would turn on god if his blessings were taken away. Thats right, god gives satan permission to mess with job. What does this tell us about the place of evil in the world. Job is a book not so much about gods justice as about the transformation of a. If job was blameless, why did god allow satan to afflict him. In the book of job, how was it possible for god and satan. But to do so,satan ask for more power and more time 75 to 100 years. The heavenly dialogue of god and satan 2499 words bartleby. Nov 10, 2009 the story of job basically amounts to a bet made by satan that god s most faithful and favored follower would turn against him if his favor was taken away. This whole section is very a happens, b happens, c happens.

It should be kept in mind that job is not the author. The book of job, in the old testament, opens with words both majestic and onceuponatimeish. In the book of job, satan is sent by god to torment job. God boasts to satan about jobs goodness, but satan argues that job is only good because god has blessed him abundantly. In job, god and satan discuss the limits of human faith and endurance. Job would, if he knew the plot hatched in heaven against him, consider satan the worst sort of enemy. The strange conversation between god and the satan figure in job 12. Satan contends that no one serves yahweh except for selfish reasons, but yahweh disagrees and presents job, a righteous man who fears god and shuns evil, as an example to counter satans claim. And the lord said unto satan, behold he is in thine hand.

May 18, 20 as evident in the book of job, satan works for god and serves his purpose of providing us an adversary for the purpose of perfecting us, and as an executioner of god s judgement against sin. God talking to satan in the book of job,how did they know. But because god had a very high opinion of one particular man, we will begin by doing what god asked satan to do in verse 8 of the first chapter. Satan causes job to suffer unjustly in an attempt to get job to attack god.

The prologue introduces us to the characters and summarizes the theme of the book. In the book of job, satan is sent by god to torment. A key to understanding the first theme of the book is to notice the debate between god and satan in heaven and how it connects with the 3 cycles of earthly debates between job and his friends. In the absence of answers, job has been held up as a model of quiet faithfulness. Oct 19, 2015 yet, god puts limits on satans power in the world. When we begin reading the book of job we learn that, while god allowed satan to afflict job, he set limits beyond which the devil could not pass. Human beings, he insists, are all unfaithful to god in the end and would curse god if given any excuse to do so. Job prays for god s forgiveness of them and god accepts his prayer. It is common to view the narrative frame as the original core of the book, enlarged later by the poetic dialogues and discourses, and sections of the book such as the elihu speeches and the wisdom poem of chapter 28 as late insertions, but recent trends have tended to concentrate on the. In this book, the satan is a phallus of divine court of god, who searches the world looking for sinning and reports back to god. In order to prove to satan that jobs loyalty is not based on material reward, yahweh permits satan to take from job all of the material benefits job. God boasts to satan about job s goodness, but satan argues that job is only good because god has blessed him abundantly.

The book of job god did not give satan power biblebro. Since god validates elihus points 3841, the adversarial tone in gods answer to job makes even more sense. God rebukes jobs three friends and orders them to make a sacrifice. A major difficulty in understanding the meaning of the book is, what insight leads job to submit so humbly to god at the end. The battle between god and satan in the book of job adventist. In the book of job satan accuses god of putting a hedge job 1.

However, the progression, or, more precisely, regression, of satans character from book i through book x gives a much different and much clearer picture of miltons attitude toward satan. Thomas explores the difficulty of jobs suffering, satans involvement, and gods sovereignty. The book of job is one of the most problematic portions of the bible and has called forth a variety of interpretations. Aug 23, 2011 job would, if he knew the plot hatched in heaven against him, consider satan the worst sort of enemy. We shall then use this model to solve the puzzling mystery of who is satan in the book of job. An examination of all of the stories, fables, proverbs, and histories of the bible, the book of job is one of the most compelling due to its unique literary style and the complex treatment of the issue of suffering. The book of job defends the character of a loving and righteous god in spite of earths obvious evils and injustices. At the end of the book, god gives job twice as much wealth as he had before, along with seven sons and three daughters. This is an obvious reference to the angels, and we know that satan is an angel even though a fallen one. The adversary satan insinuates himself among the angels of gods court and argues that jobs virtue is not genuine. Because the most developed and sustained appearance of the cosmic troublemaker, hassatan satans direct biblical ancestor is found in the book of job. Rambam writes in moreh nevuchim guide to the perplexed, 2.

God takes the bet and allows satan to basically destroy the life job had made for himself, including killing his family. 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. But to do so, satan ask for more power and more time 75 to 100 years. The meaning of the book of job is found in gods and satans conversation in heaven. She asks job a rhetorical question that the doubts the sensibility of the very thing that god find commendable about job, his consistent integrity. By its conclusion, the true subject of the book emerges.

Remember, god doesnt inflict anything nasty on job with his own divine power. In the book of job the great adversary of believers is shown to be who he truly is the evil perpetrator behind the devastating disasters that strike jobs life. From the start we know there are limits to jobs trial, and we know what those limits are. Was it unfair for god to allow job to suffer over what was. Satan challenges god that, if given permission to punish the man, job will turn and curse god. In the book of job, how was it possible for god and satan to. God allows satan to torment job to test this bold claim, but he forbids satan to take jobs life in the process. There was a man in the land of uz, whose name was job. Job was blameless, meaning no sin was found in him.

Satan, the thief, has come to kill, steal, and destroy john 10. All of this is to say that the satan in the book of job cannot be entirely identified with the devil or satan in the new testament. God allows satan to torment job to test this bold claim, but he forbids satan to take job s life in the process. In order to prove to satan that job s loyalty is not based on material reward, yahweh permits satan to take from job all of the material benefits job. Where does the communication between god and satan take place. Job wants to find a way to justify gods actions, but he cannot understand why there are evil people who harm the childless woman, and do no good to the widow, only to be rewarded with long, successful lives 24. When god first unleashes satan on job, he tells him that he must not. Analysis this is a key passage for setting the stage for all that follows. Satan contends that no one serves yahweh except for selfish reasons, but yahweh disagrees and presents job, a righteous man who fears god and shuns evil, as an example to counter satan s claim. Although job was unaware of the interaction between satan and god, job comes to the conclusion that god is just and good. God rebukes job s three friends and orders them to make a sacrifice. The book of job consists of a prose prologue and epilogue narrative framing poetic dialogues and monologues.

The book of job was an important influence upon blakes writings and art. Satan accuses job of not serving god with pure motives. Job 1 kjv there was a man in the land of uz, bible gateway. Satan is labeled an accuser and depicted as an opposing force to god. Of course, job remains faithful and god rewards him with a new family and prosperous life in the end. Aug 02, 2010 in the book of job, satan is sent by god to torment job. The big picture of job is that there was a man who was, in one sense, blameless in god s sight. Aug 04, 20 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 1 niv prologue in the land of uz there bible gateway.

In the esv study bible the commentary suggests that the content of her question is significant for how it relates to the heavenly dialogue of god and satan. The dominant theme of job is the difficulty of understanding why an allpowerful god allows good people to suffer. The story of job basically amounts to a bet made by satan that gods most faithful and favored follower would turn against him if his favor was taken away. Satan cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. When god says prove it not really, satan destroys job s property, possessions, and family. You must understand who god is and who satan is, what they know, and what their motivation is. God gives satan permission to take jobs wealth and kill his children and.

If job was blameless, why did god allow satan to afflict. When the god says that job is a loyal servant, the satan replies that he is only so because god has beatified job with luxuries like children, wealth and health. A person feels as if something came upon him, and as if he had received a new power that encourages him to speak. 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. In the book of job satan accuses god of putting a hedge around job, in effect protecting job from demonic assaults. Right after introducing the hero of the drama, the author of the book of job takes the. The book of job begins by introducing us to its three most significant characters. Harold bloom has interpreted blakes most famous lyric, the tyger, as a revision of gods rhetorical questions in the book of job concerning behemoth and leviathan. God wanted to prove the character of believers to satan and to all demons, angels and people. There is no indication at all that jobs children and servants were good followers of god.