The Book of Job...explain????

[Fenris]

I think the book of Job is all about how a finite man cannot comprehend an infinite God.

[rejoice44]

Then i would bring you over to what Jesus told Peter, it is the exact same.

The devil asked to sift you as wheat, but i have prayed for thee, that thou shall come back to me and when you do, strentghen thy brethren.

What did happen to Peter? Peter denied Jesus 3 times as was said, he was indeed sifted as wheat by satan, and was struck in his heart and went out weeping. Peter repented and went forth to the Lord as we witness through God as His will was done.

Peter was indeed allowed to be sifted as wheat by satan, and he repented, and followed the Lord.
It is not for our glory but for His glory.

True but Peter was not yet converted.

Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 4:12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

Job's sins had not been forgiven. Job 7:21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? Job would have died in his sins if he had not repented.

Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Though Jesus knew Peter would be converted, that does not take away from Peter the free will to convert, or not convert.

[rejoice44]

I think the book of Job is all about how a finite man cannot comprehend an infinite God.

Or how a blind man cannot see.

[Fenris]

Or how a blind man cannot see.

Always comes down to that, doesn't it....?

[mattlad22]

True but Peter was not yet converted.

Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 4:12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

Job's sins had not been forgiven. Job 7:21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? Job would have died in his sins if he had not repented.

Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Though Jesus knew Peter would be converted, that does not take away from Peter the free will to convert, or not convert.

I agee, but it is the same as jobs situation you described.
Peter had the choice to repent, if he had not he would have died in his sins.
Job was the same, if he had not repented, he would have died in his sins.

We know what happened to both of these men.
Why would they repent? because they had faith in God, they believe in Him.

[AndyBern]

I think the book of Job is all about how a finite man cannot comprehend an infinite God.

That is definitely a main theme, if not the main theme.

The point of Job 42:7 is not that the friends spoke wrong of Job (which is what we would expect), but that they spoke wrong of God. Plus, God says Job spoke right of Himself (... again, what we would not expect).

If Job was in the wrong, why didn't God tell him to offer a sacrifice for his sin, as He did to the three friends?

[RabbiKnife]

The theme of Job is "God is God and I am not."

A lesson that, sadly, many Christians never seem to assimilate.

[VerticalReality]

Why do you believe everyone was wrong? God was in charge, for it was God that removed the hedge and set the parameters for Satan to operate in. God knew exactly what Satan was going to do and yet he gave his permission.

I understand what you're saying. Yet, none of that equals God bringing these things against Job. When I review the whole of God's word, I see a great deal of things that are required of the believer in order to live in victory over the attack of our enemy. The whole of God's word reveals that God's people have a great deal of say-so in what the devil is allowed to get away with. I think Christians today make a HUGE mistake by reading over portions of one book in the bible and building these doctrines out of it. They make Satan into this powerful being that God may sometimes allow to come into our life for no apparent reason in order to totally beat the living snot right out of us. To me, this sort of view is totally denying the whole of God's word. I see God throughout the whole of His word going to great lengths to instruct us how we can live above the power of the devil. Yet, Christians today build these doctrines from the book of Job giving Satan all this authority over the them. I do not believe this should be the case at all.

I'm saying they were wrong because they were. Job's friends were accusing Job of being sinful and God was chastising him because of it. God reveals that their charges against Job were not correct. Additionally, Job wailed and moaned the entire book about how God was taking this and that from him; however, it wasn't God who took it. Satan took it. People then want to say, "Well, God allowed him to take it, so He is ultimately responsible!" To me, that is baloney. Just because God allows a test does not mean we have to submit to the one administering it. Satan was the administrator of a test God allowed. Jesus is another example. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wildnerness to be tested of the devil. God allowed the test, but He was not the administrator of that test. Jesus chose not to submit to the administrator of the test. He simply refused. Therefore, Satan had no right to Jesus. All he could do was leave.

The whole of God's word indicates to us that we do not have to just take whatever the administrator of the test throws our way. I see God's people suffering through all sorts of senseless things today all the while claiming it to be God bringing something against them for His glory. No, if Jesus were right there with them and they asked Him for healing they would walk away free of their affliction. This serves as enough indication to me that God does not desire for His children to submit to the oppression of the devil. He is not glorified by someone getting cancer and dying a horrible death of pain and misery. That stuff grieves the Lord, which is all a part of the reason why Jesus came to destroy it.

[HisLeast]

That is definitely a main theme, if not the main theme.

The point of Job 42:7 is not that the friends spoke wrong of Job (which is what we would expect), but that they spoke wrong of God. Plus, God says Job spoke right of Himself (... again, what we would not expect).

If Job was in the wrong, why didn't God tell him to offer a sacrifice for his sin, as He did to the three friends?

I believe the degree to which Job was wrong was entirely different than his friends. Where Job erred was to question God, and to demand a reason. Where the friends erred was to actively promote an idea about God and reality that was untrue, and furthermore, harmfull. Hence, Job gets a lecture while his friends get a lecture and a price to pay.

[RabbiKnife]

I can buy that...

I think a lot of the church is guilty of the sin of Job's friends. We are very quick to say "God says" when it is really our opinion.

That, in my not so humble opinion, is the sin of using God's name in vain. I think a lot of us have a lot for which to answer on that regard.

[Phish]

I can buy that...

I think a lot of the church is guilty of the sin of Job's friends. We are very quick to say "God says" when it is really our opinion.

That, in my not so humble opinion, is the sin of using God's name in vain. I think a lot of us have a lot for which to answer on that regard.

I second this, great post

[ProDeo]

While we can only guess about his children, the book is clear on Job.

Yes.

That's why sometimes "because" is good as an answer. Or as God told Paul, "my grace is enough". Basically the same.

Surely Job will have tortured his mind with the same question assuming he wasn't aware of the origin of his sufferings as stipulated in the first chapter.

[Fenris]

That is definitely a main theme, if not the main theme.

The point of Job 42:7 is not that the friends spoke wrong of Job (which is what we would expect), but that they spoke wrong of God. Plus, God says Job spoke right of Himself (... again, what we would not expect).

If Job was in the wrong, why didn't God tell him to offer a sacrifice for his sin, as He did to the three friends?

Plus all the rhetorical questions in chapter 38 and 39. "you can't understand any of this, how can you possibly understand me?"

[Fenris]

Where Job erred was to question God, and to demand a reason.

I don't think that's an error. The whole point of the book is that we can't understand God, not that we shouldn't question Him. Heck, the name "Israel" means "struggles with God".

[rejoice44]

I agee, but it is the same as jobs situation you described.
Peter had the choice to repent, if he had not he would have died in his sins.
Job was the same, if he had not repented, he would have died in his sins.

We know what happened to both of these men.
Why would they repent? because they had faith in God, they believe in Him.

How much faith did Peter have when he denied Christ? Didn't the faith come after he saw the resurrected Christ? Likewise Job's faith came after he saw God. Job 42:5