As to the opinions I have read concerning Job, they seem to miss an important point. That point is, there was nothing wrong with Job's faith. Nothing wrong in his walk with the Lord. The Lord even gave a glowing testimony of his faith in (Job 1:8). That doesn't mean there was not purpose with God in teaching Job something. But God did not send this suffering for the purpose of anything wrong with Job's faith or walk.

So why did God send it? It is interesting that God never told Job why. God never told Job about satan coming before Him and God bringing attention to Job. Job lived during a time when there was no written revelation. He and others understood that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings judgement. But Job had not been disobedient. He knew it. But his friends operated on the same belief. Obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings judgement. Thus Job must have done something wrong to be going through this suffering, they believed.

Suffering or bad things happening to believers is not always the result of sin in their lives. It may well be part of the bigger picture of the spiritual war that God is always involved in. And God is free to do with His creation as He so sees fit. Without question. Had Job not undergone this trial, and it happened to one of his friends in the same manner, Job would have had the same attitude as his three friends had of him.

So Job was never told why, and knows not to question, and faithfully accepts the just decisions of the Almighty. No matter how grievous they may be.

Quantrill

Fascinating topic...

Because of some personal struggles and happenings over the past year, from time to time I have been thinking of the story of Job. I agree with you that Job was an upright man and it appears that God challenged Satan to allow him to try Job's allegiance.

However there is an interesting lesson hidden in the story that jumped out at me over this past year. It seems that although Job was an upright man, yet God used Job's test of faith to teach him something.

Job (who was only human like all of us) started to defend himself against the unfair accusations of his friends. He lifted out his righteous deeds before them. I think this was only a natural reaction for someone falsely accused. Yet as we continue in the story, we see that God starts speaking to Job, and shows Job His mighty power, authority and righteousness. The end result of this is that Job repented in dust and ashes as he saw the glory of God. And then as Job forgave his friends, God restored him.

This sounds like an unfair result for a "righteous" man who had all his possessions, his family and his health taken away - yet it was the refining fire of God. May it ever be so with me.

So a question to you gentlemen.

- Do you think Job opened the door for satan??

- Can satan just go around attacking anyone, or does there have to be a door opened for him to operate?

Me personally, I am not clear on this,

I know this thread will get some great discussion

Dave M said:

So a question to you gentlemen.

- Do you think Job opened the door for satan??

- Can satan just go around attacking anyone, or does there have to be a door opened for him to operate?

Me personally, I am not clear on this,

I know this thread will get some great discussion

Click to expand...

I have no idea.

Does that help? :grin:

The thought that Job opened the door for Satan was a new one on me. We are told that the enemy is seeking whom he may devour, also that God will not allow anything we cannot stand. I don't know if God personally "opens the door" for the devil to attack each of us. But evidently Satan can be held back if it would be more than we can endure. So in that case it might be argued that God chooses which door to open...

Quantrill said:

I believe God is the one who sent satan as it is God who brought attention to satan concerning Job. (Job 1:8) "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Click to expand...

Greetings,
Here is another view on this.
God is all Knowing. He Knew what satan was doing.

See it more like ... So you have my servant Job in mind.
God does not ever use or send satan after His people.
Blessings

Quantrill said:

So Job was never told why, and knows not to question, and faithfully accepts the just decisions of the Almighty. No matter how grievous they may be.

Click to expand...

Job Repented
No place does it back it was Gods decision.

Chad4Him said:

I agree with you that Job was an upright man and it appears that God challenged Satan to allow him to try Job's allegiance.

Click to expand...

It might appear this way to some but God does not challenge the devour against His People.

Dave M said:

Do you think Job opened the door for satan??

Click to expand...

Most Defiantly.

Dave M said:

Can satan just go around attacking anyone, or does there have to be a door opened for him to operate?

Click to expand...

What does scripture say?
Be alert
Give no place
satan is constantly trying to steel, kill and destroy.

We are told over and over about this.
Take every thought captive.
satan uses trickery and deception through well thought out strategies full of truth perverted with lies and falseness.

@Wired 4 Fishen

One comment on Job opening the door for satan to physically attack him... If we say that the tribulations that happened to Job, happened because of Job not being "on guard" then we likely can blame a lot of disasters on people "opening the door" or not being vigilant. (Note that I am referring to physical disasters, not spiritual disasters, or "reaping" that happens because of poor choices or sin.)

I don't think God acts that way. Just because a disaster happens to you doesn't mean that you were somehow not watchful, or giving place to the devil. Of course, God can sanctify us through disasters. He turns things around for the good. Romans 8:28

Wired 4 Fishen said:

It might appear this way to some but God does not challenge the devour against His People.

Click to expand...

I do agree with this, it is a mystery to me..

Chad4Him said:

I have no idea.

Does that help? :grin:

The thought that Job opened the door for Satan was a new one on me. We are told that the enemy is seeking whom he may devour, also that God will not allow anything we cannot stand. I don't know if God personally "opens the door" for the devil to attack each of us. But evidently Satan can be held back if it would be more than we can endure. So in that case it might be argued that God chooses which door to open...

Click to expand...

This reply is confusing scripture together which forms a false belief.

Understand no place in the New Testament does it teach pray and God will do anything about the devil.
It does tell us that we must.

God said He would not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle.

How does temptation come according to scripture?

Temptation entices the flesh.
If we walk according to the ways of God then we can endure and over come.

We control Any and All doors given unto the enemy

Chad4Him said:

@Wired 4 Fishen

One comment on Job opening the door for satan to physically attack him... If we say that the tribulations that happened to Job, happened because of Job not being "on guard" then we likely can blame a lot of disasters on people "opening the door" or not being vigilant. (Note that I am referring to physical disasters, not spiritual disasters, or "reaping" that happens because of poor choices or sin.)

I don't think God acts that way. Just because a disaster happens to you doesn't mean that you were somehow not watchful, or giving place to the devil. Of course, God can sanctify us through disasters. He turns things around for the good. Romans 8:28

Click to expand...

Again there seems to be multiple situations being used and lumping them as one.

Romans 8:28 is not a stand alone Scripture.
Not all things are worked for good.

Wired 4 Fishen said:

This reply is confusing scripture together which forms a false belief.

Understand no place in the New Testament does it teach pray and God will do anything about the devil.
It does tell us that we must.

God said He would not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle.

How does temptation come according to scripture?

Temptation entices the flesh.
If we walk according to the ways of God then we can endure and over come.

We control Any and All doors given unto the enemy

Click to expand...

I agree with this. My point was that God said He would not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle. However the devil has no such scruples and would devour us in an instant if God did not hold him back. I probably need to look for scripture for that :wink:.

Faith is confidence and trust in what God wants for you, that God works only good for you....Fear on the other hand is trust in what Satan can and will do to you....Both are a tool that one uses deliberately or not. When one operates in one he cannot operate in the other simultaneously. He operates in Faith or in fear....And no lie! If you operate in faith, Satan can do nothing to you....If you operate in fear, God can do nothing.....So...
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (CJB)

19 “I call on heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have presented you with life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life, so that you will live, you and your descendants, 20 loving Adonai your God, paying attention to what he says and clinging to him — for that is the purpose of your life! On this depends the length of time you will live in the land Adonai swore he would give to your ancestors Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov.” Choose faith....Choose LIFE

Mr Quantrill said. "
So why did God send it? It is interesting that God never told Job why. God never told Job about satan coming before Him and God bringing attention to Job. Job lived during a time when there was no written revelation. He and others understood that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings judgement. But Job had not been disobedient. He knew it. But his friends operated on the same belief. Obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings judgement. Thus Job must have done something wrong to be going through this suffering, they believed.

Suffering or bad things happening to believers is not always the result of sin in their lives. It may well be part of the bigger picture of the spiritual war that God is always involved in. And God is free to do with His creation as He so sees fit. Without question. Had Job not undergone this trial, and it happened to one of his friends in the same manner, Job would have had the same attitude as his three friends had of him.

So Job was never told why, and knows not to question, and faithfully accepts the just decisions of the Almighty. No matter how grievous they may be." This is fine as long as you realize it's all supposition.

Wired 4 Fishen said:

Again there seems to be multiple situations being used and lumping them as one.

Romans 8:28 is not a stand alone Scripture.
Not all things are worked for good.

Click to expand...

Yes I agree that this is probably the scripture most used out of context in nice inspirational plaques etc.

Berean Literal Bible
And we know that God works together all things for good to those loving God, to those being called according to His purpose,

All things that happen to us are not necessarily working for our good but rather it is God behind the scenes who can bring redemption, healing and sanctification through the things we face, using them for our good.

Chad4Him said:

Fascinating topic...

Because of some personal struggles and happenings over the past year, from time to time I have been thinking of the story of Job. I agree with you that Job was an upright man and it appears that God challenged Satan to allow him to try Job's allegiance.

However there is an interesting lesson hidden in the story that jumped out at me over this past year. It seems that although Job was an upright man, yet God used Job's test of faith to teach him something.

Job (who was only human like all of us) started to defend himself against the unfair accusations of his friends. He lifted out his righteous deeds before them. I think this was only a natural reaction for someone falsely accused. Yet as we continue in the story, we see that God starts speaking to Job, and shows Job His mighty power, authority and righteousness. The end result of this is that Job repented in dust and ashes as he saw the glory of God. And then as Job forgave his friends, God restored him.

This sounds like an unfair result for a "righteous" man who had all his possessions, his family and his health taken away - yet it was the refining fire of God. May it ever be so with me.

Click to expand...

Thank you for this....I admit it put a huge grin on my face....First though, God did not challenge Satan, it was Satan issued the challenge. and God placed the restrictions, without which Satan no doubt would have killed Job outright.

Yes....Job was an upright man...But he was just a man, he had holes. He let fear into his thinking...this opened him up to attack from the enemy in all areas because you cannot operate in fear and faith at the same time.
If Job had not given way to fear, Satan would have had no legal ground to stand on....And Job would not have gone through all that hell.

You spoke of Jobs friends and their unjust accusations....I agree, they sound just like Christians of today....Always justifying Satans attacks, and blaming the victim of those attacks. "You must have done something wrong and now GOD is punishing you.." NOT WHAT THE WORD SAYS!

Then, as you say, God demonstrated His love for Job, took him aside and had a good heart to heart with him....What wonderful things Job learned! And what wonderful things we can learn by listening to that conversation!

@Wired 4 Fishen

I think what you are getting at is this scripture:

James 1: 13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.

So is that what you mean by "we control the doors"? I see here that it doesn't mention the devil. I do agree that we blame a lot of things on the devil and not enough on our own heart's desires ("the devil made me do it").

So from that, you are saying that evidently Job must have opened the door to allow the things that happened to him. But I do not see the things that happened to him as being temptations as referred to in James 1:13. Do you?

Bendito said:

First though, God did not challenge Satan, it was Satan issued the challenge.

Click to expand...

What reason did God have to tell Satan "have you considered my servant Job" than for it to be a bit of a challenge? Not necessarily a challenge that says "Now you go and see if you can tempt him". But challenging nonetheless, it appears.

Dave M said:

So a question to you gentlemen.

- Do you think Job opened the door for satan??

- Can satan just go around attacking anyone, or does there have to be a door opened for him to operate?

Me personally, I am not clear on this,

I know this thread will get some great discussion

Click to expand...

Our world operates on laws Dave...God owned the Earth, and passed the deed to Adam. Then Adam handed the deed to Satan who then became king of the world....God could not just walk into the Earth then because He was legally bound from doing that....So He became man, was born into the Earth. That was legal....Then by allowing Satan to kill that body, fulfilling the law....the wages of sin is death....He went into hell, took the deed back, led the saints out and took them home then He came back and gave the deed back to us....It's all about legalities...Now 'ownership' of the Earth is where God originally put it, in mans hands. Now whatsoever WE declare legal in the Earth is legal in the heavens, and whatsoever WE declare illegal in the Earth is illegal in the heavens. Satan has lost all his authority, and man is in charge again.
Even the Book is a legal document/s. Its a Book of covenant..