Job: A Defensive Study For God

I must acknowledge the source of today’s blog. The outline comes directly from a Rick Warren study. I was so impressed that I immediately thought of expanding upon it.

When Job's life fell apart, and God was silent, Job still found reasons to praise God:

If you remember the story Job had spent his life as a righteous man in God’s sight. He was so devout that he use to offer sin sacrifices when his sons and daughters had a party just in case they had, in some way, broken God’s laws. The consequence of this devotion to God was that God had blessed him. Job was a man of substance in society because of the goodness that God demonstrated to him.

Enter Satan who, while debating the relative merits of Job’s devotion, suggests that there is a mutual benefit in the relationship between God and Job. God recognizing the implied challenge, withdraws the hedge of blessing that surrounded Job and hands over the fate of all Job’s household and wealth. In short order Job goes from being a man of wealth with sons, daughters, servants and stock to a virtual pauper

On day two Satan returns to God for the second round of this debate. In all his ruination Job had not sinned, instead blessing God he said that he had returned to an approximation of his birth.

Satan used the ploy that what a man has is dispensable but if Job’s health was effected it would be a different situation to which God replies “do not kill him.” The result of Satan’s work was that Job was covered with lesions and his wife taunted him that he should “curse God and die” to which he told her to stop speaking nonsense.

After this, three of his friends arrive to provide their own forms of pastoral comfort, within their own insight.

Job replies to the comments that his first two friends made of God, “that he is good and loving. (Job 10:12)”. Though he hates what has happened to him, if he had sinned he deserved what had happened. His only regret was that God had not deigned to tell him of his culpability.

After some more discussion he announces “That he will save me. (Job 19:25)”. This appears to be more than the statement that God would ultimately justify him, even though he dies. He goes on to say that God “has a plan for my life. (Job 23:14)” Such was Jobs belief in the justice of God that good times or hard times God was his constant.

The pastoral bickering continues and Job next counters his friends with the statement. “That he notices every detail of my life. (Job 23:10; 31:4)” That these circumstances would pass and that God who saw how he handled himself would bring him through as refined gold exits the smelter.

Next Elihu, one of Job’s friends attempts to come to God’s defence Claiming God was after all the ultimate authority; “no-one had appointed Him, he simply always was in charge Job 34:13” Job was not entirely blameless according to Elihu he was being recaltricant  to use a modern term

In Chapter 37 Elihu again goes on that God reasons are far beyond the reasons of man (verse 5) and further no man has prescribed the way God may go. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.(verse 23.

Finally, Job says to God that He is, indeed, in control and that “His plans cannot be thwarted” Chapter 42:2. God vindicates ultimately whilst sending his friends to sacrifice for their making the life of Job harder by their incorrect care of their friend.