WHAT ABOUT JOB?

Whenever I talk or write about the goodness of God and His amazing grace, invariably someone will say, “What about Job?”. There are those who teach and believe that at certain times, God gives satan permission to attack us.  Would you give a cruel enemy, one whose desire is to kill, steal, and destroy permission to attack your child?  No?  I didn’t think so.  Why would you believe that God would do that to you?  Your answer would most likely be, “Because it’s in the book of Job in the Bible.”  Is that really what we find recorded in the book of Job?  Job is not only one of the oldest books in the Bible, it is no doubt the most misunderstood book of the Bible.  Job lived before Abraham and after the Tower of Babel.  He does not mention God’s covenant with Abraham, Israel, or the Law of God.  He does mention Adam and makes a reference about the flood.

If we read the Bible without the understanding of God’s grace and the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we will be very confused about many things.  To understand the written word of God, we must have a relationship with the Living Word of God.  Most of us were told (preached) that God introduced Job to satan, that God literally dangled Job in front of satan like a piece of meat in front of a hungry dog.  This is a terrible portrayal of our heavenly Father!  According to this view, there is no difference between God and satan. It portrays God and satan working together.  The devil did the stealing and killing, but God gave the permission.  He “allowed” it to happen.  Do you not know that satan in the Bible is called “the thief”, he comes to kill, steal, and destroy”?  If a thief has “permission” to steal, then he can’t be called a thief.  God is Father God, He’s not the god-father.  The “God allowed it” doctrine that has crept into the church has impugned the name and character of God.  I’ve heard statements made like this, “I have cancer, I don’t understand it, but I know God has a purpose for allowing it in my life”.   Statements such as this are not only ignorant, but blasphemous.  If you think God has given satan permission to attack you and inflict you with pain and suffering, then you are not left with any options to do much resisting of it, because after all, God is allowing it.  How ridcularous!  I have also noticed the same Christians that believe this lie, that God allowed their sickness for a purpose, yet they run to the doctor and try to get it off them as quickly as possible.  If you truly believe God is trying to teach you something with your sickness, then you should not resist it and learn all you can.  Do you not see how foolish this lie is?

I understand how people read the first chapter of Job in traditional translations of the Bible and come away believing that God was giving satan permission to attack Job.  Let’s read (Job 1:8) from two literal translations of the Bible and we will get a more accurate meaning of the original Hebrew language:

And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, “Hast thou set thy heart against My servant Job because there is none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright, fearing God, and turning aside from evil?” (Job 1:8, Young’s Literal Translation YLT).

Look at Green’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible (LITV):

And Jehovah said to Satan, Have you set your heart on My servant Job because there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil? (Job 1:8, Green’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible (LITV).

Satan had set his heart to attack Job.  God was just letting satan know that He knew what he was up to.  Well, why didn’t God just stop the devil?  He couldn’t.  I didn’t say He didn’t have the power to stop him, but God really gave the earth to man and man (Adam) gave that power to satan, he now had authority to attack man.

  The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S; But the earth He has given to the children of men (Psalm 115:16 NKJV).

This is why there is so much evil on this earth.  I know you heard that God is in control of everything that happens on this earth, but this also is a lie.  Much of what happens is not His will.  In fact, the Bible never says God is in control, but it does say that the satan has control:

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19 NIV).   Click on this link for more. https://dellyoung.net/2016/11/21/god-is-not-in-control/

During the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, satan said to Christ, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish” (Luke 4:6 NKJV).  When was satan “delivered” this authority over earth?  In the Garden of Eden when Adam handed control to satan.  This helps us to understand the Lord’s statement in Job 1:12 that troubles so many.

Job 1:12 (YLT)
 And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, `Lo, all that he hath is in thy hand, only unto him put not forth thy hand.’ And the Adversary goeth out from the presence of Jehovah.

So, when the Lord says, “all that is his is in your hand!” He is stating a painful fact that will ultimately cost Jesus his life.  Job was already under the dominion of satan.  This was demonstrated again when satan contended with Michael the archangel over the body of Moses (Jude1:9).  Here are some things that are important to remember when reading Job.  Job was not saved, he was not filled with the Holy Spirit, he had no Bible to read.  He had some understanding of God, but not everything Job said about God was correct.  Job thought that God was the cause behind all his suffering and loss.  That’s why he said, “the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away”.  Really?  Does God give and then take away what He gave?  That makes God the thief!  Does God give parents a child and then just decide to take it away?  No wonder so many people hate God as this verse was quoted at their child’s funeral.  God would never do that.  He said His gifts are irrevocable, never taken back (Rom 11:29).

Job admitted that he spoke things that he did not understand and which he did not know.
You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know (Job 42:3 NKJV).  Job went on to say in (Job 42:5-6) that “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.
⁶  Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”

Job had only heard of God, but when his eyes saw Him, Job said I hate myself.  Job hated that he had a wrong opinion of God.  The book of Job is an inferior revelation of God.  I didn’t say an inaccurate revelation, just not complete.  Jesus Christ is the revelation of God, not Job.  Anything that we think we know about God that we cannot prove in the life of Jesus in the gospels, we need to call into question.  It’s important to note that Jesus was the perfect revelation of the Father. Hebrews 1:3 says, “He is . . . the exact representation of His nature.” On one occasion Phillip asked Jesus to “show us the Father” (John 14:8).  Jesus replied, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father”.  In other words, you’re looking at Him.  Revealing the Father was a primary assignment in Christ’s coming. What was hidden in the shadows of the Old Testament was clearly seen in the New Testament through the life of Jesus – The love of the Father is extravagant, and everyone is welcome to come and receive.  The invisible God of the Old Testament became visible and touchable in the life of Jesus.

Lastly, I am a disciple of Jesus, not a disciple of Job.  Most today have a wrong opinion of who God is. I will not allow an incomplete and inferior revelation of God from the book of Job to form my total view of God and neither should you. To see God as He truly is, His love, His character, one only needs to look to Jesus, not Job.