God's Bet With the Devil- The Story of Job

[Minor Axis]

What do you guys think of the story of Job? An amazing test of faith or God's bet with the Devil? Here is the Wiki link. These two links: History of St. Job and Story of Job are easier to read.

In essence, God and the Devil have a discussion about Job, a most pious man. The Devil tells God, "sure, he's pious because he has it so good."
"Oh yeah?" retorts God, "I'll take away every earthly thing that is important to him including his family and you'll see, he's devoted!" In the end Job stands up to the challenge and God rewards him with a huge heard of livestock and more kids to replace the ones that got killed.

I wonder what would have happened to Job if he had lost faith? The question might be what is the symbolism of this kind of devotion? Should you love God because:

1) He's a good guy who knows what's best for you even though he might torment the hell out of you?
2) He controls your destiny so comply or else?
3) It's just a story designed to emphasis that faith will be rewarded?

I vote for No.3. An even better question, is it truly possible to love someone who holds dominion over your life and demands compliance or else? A worthy God would demand nothing, but allow his children to better themselves and possibly help them along the way, no strings attached.

Side note: 1) God and the Devil have little chats? 2) If God controls everything in existence, then the Devil exists because God created the Devil and must have a use for the Devil. What use would that be, tempting us?

 

[progame64]

I believe it was a true story. He put it in The Word because he wants us to learn how we need to be devoted to him. Even if your friends are not. Good lesson

 

[itsmeJonB]

what is this?

i dont even..

 

[Minor Axis]

I believe it was a true story. He put it in The Word because he wants us to learn how we need to be devoted to him. Even if your friends are not. Good lesson

Hey someone actually answered this! This is a serious reply? I need to know to formulate an answer.

 

[mhtal3at]

Away of personal interpretation, The Story of Job was sent down to teach five lessons:

1-Attempting to test nerves is God's way of testing his good creatures(even animals are tested).

2-The graciousness of "sabr=waiting and being patient" and accepting the fate God has chosen for us.

3-The graciousness of (praying=asking) God.

4-The sanction of any deed, should be of the same kind as the deed is.

5-Reasons enthusing people to "sabr=to wait and be patient"

 

[Minor Axis]

Away of personal interpretation, The Story of Job was sent down to teach five lessons:

1-Attempting to test nerves is God's way of testing his good creatures(even animals are tested).

2-The graciousness of "sabr=waiting and being patient" and accepting the fate God has chosen for us.

3-The graciousness of (praying=asking) God.

4-The sanction of any deed, should be of the same kind as the deed is.

5-Reasons enthusing people to "sabr=to wait and be patient"

The problem is that tormenting your children to test their devotion does not sound like a display of wisdom from a divine being who claims to care about us. It sounds like a primitive story, emphasizing the primitive nature of man's relationship with God. Staying true to an abusive father teaches what exactly? To be submissive? Exactly...

 

[Dana]

that's a great fairytale.

 

[ATKU2]

The story of Job?

I thought it was "The Story of Jobe"?

^_^ Either way... being religious is a beautiful thing....

It's a shame that some people these days have no respect for the religious.

 

[Minor Axis]

The story of Job?

I thought it was "The Story of Jobe"?

^_^ Either way... being religious is a beautiful thing....

It's a shame that some people these days have no respect for the religious.

Hmm. I found Book of Job online.

Not said to inflame, but respect is earned based on ...?

 

[itsmeJonB]

its the Book of Job, pronounced 'Jobe'

 

[itsmeJonB]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSjQTPoEfQg

 

[Minor Axis]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSjQTPoEfQg

This is most excellent. As I said the lesson to be learned from Job is submit to your abusive father. A great moral story. If there is a God, I believe the humans got it all wrong and God is not worried about it enough to correct the error.

 

[Zorak]

This is why the Old Testament is amazing.

It's never quite as clear and cut and dry as the loving and merciful God we see in the New testament or the Koran.

And that is no accident.

 

[Minor Axis]

This is why the Old Testament is amazing.

It's never quite as clear and cut and dry as the loving and merciful God we see in the New testament or the Koran.

And that is no accident.

Every thousand years or so, they have a conference to update the Bible... The next one may be overdue. Hopefully they will fix it then.

 

[Minor Axis]

Bumped!! Since it was mentioned in another thread.

 

[JanieDough]

I took this class in college called "The bible as literature"

In the class you read the Bible and didn't studied meanings or anything like that - you just read it as it was plain facts and studied the historical and cultural context of the events of the book, etc. - just like you would Beowulf or something else.

What I remember from the book of Job is that Job was an alright guy, and This book is the first where you see God as being our modern day version of God - kinder and without evil. Before the book of Job, God was both God and Devil.

Am I right?

 

[Minor Axis]

Before the book of Job, God was both God and Devil.

Am I right?

Really? I don't know. When I was a kid I went through the confirmation at my Church (Presbyterian) and I don't recall that ever being mentioned. There is a lot of read the book and interpret as you will. So the Bible was based on ancient scripts, and apparently the Quran was written as a book if I can believe one of our posters, but where does the proof show up that these books are any different than Beowulf? Something you feel does not quite qualify as proof.

 

[Tim]

Here is my problem with the story of Job. God is omnipotent so he knows everything right? Then why would he need to test Job in the first place? He would know the outcome before the question was even raised. Why would he need to test him to find the answer? And if he already knew the answer before putting him through the awful things he did, then it was only to prove a point to Satan? Really? It doesn't add up anyway you slice it.

 

[Minor Axis]

Here is my problem with the story of Job. God is omnipotent so he knows everything right? Then why would he need to test Job in the first place? He would know the outcome before the question was even raised. Why would he need to test him to find the answer? And if he already knew the answer before putting him through the awful things he did, then it was only to prove a point to Satan? Really? It doesn't add up anyway you slice it.

It depends. Maybe God is only partially omnipotent and he does not know what you are going to do. Just because they say God can do everything and know everything before it happens, maybe some wishful humans made that up and it's not completely true. He/it could still be a powerful guy who controls out destiny, but I won't swear to it as I don't know what God really is, if he is, as they say he is. Ya see?

 

[skyblue]

Every thousand years or so, they have a conference to update the Bible... The next one may be overdue. Hopefully they will fix it then.

i can just see it.....'and god took away jobs 6 pack of bud'