Lessons from Job

Any thoughts on why Job went through what he did (i.e. what was God’s purpose and was it more than a test of Job’s faith?)

I read an interesting book not long ago that made the case that God used Job to demonstrate that a perfectly righteous man could undergo severe trials and afflictions; that trials and afflictions were not necessarily the result of sin.

The book’s author said Job in a way conditioned Jews to understand Jesus Christ in that Jesus Christ was perfectly righteous in spite of the torture and crucifixion He endured.

(I’m not explaining this very well; the book’s author did a much better job.)

Interesting that God never explains to Job why he went through all of that torment.

Job v karma

Thread 174143

Originally posted by @fmf
Job v karma

Thread 174143

Thanks. Just read through it; a lot of talk about rape and karma. Didn’t really hit on Job, but if I had known the thread was there, I may have tried to revive it instead of posting a new thread.

Originally posted by @romans1009
Any thoughts on why Job went through what he did (i.e. what was God’s purpose and was it more than a test of Job’s faith?)

I read an interesting book not long ago that made the case that God used Job to demonstrate that a perfectly righteous man could undergo severe trials and afflictions; that trials and afflictions were not necessarily the result of ...[text shortened]... ter job.)

Interesting that God never explains to Job why he went through all of that torment.

Pain is the result of sin, it's just that the person suffering may not have sinned to deserve such suffering.

Sin is like a bomb going off. It may hit the intended targets but it may also cause innocent people to suffer.

Originally posted by @whodey
Pain is the result of sin, it's just that the person suffering may not have sinned to deserve such suffering.

Sin is like a bomb going off. It may hit the intended targets but it may also cause innocent people to suffer.

I tend to agree but in Job’s case, his afflictions were not the result of sin.

Parallels between Job and Jesus (no I’m not saying Job was on the same level of Jesus; just comparing their circumstances.)
1) The most righteous man on earth suffered the most of any man in earth.
2) Job did nothing wrong to deserve his suffering.
3) It was God’s will for Job to suffer.
4) In his darkest hour, Job’s friends failed him.
5) Job’s sufferings had three sources: God’s abandonment, Satan’s assaults, and people’s reproaches.
6) Job was falsely accused.
7) Job was challenged by others to save himself.
*Taken from “Pain, Perplexity and Promotion; A Prophetic Interpretation of the Book of Job” by Bob Sorge.

There are more parallels that I’ll post at some point in the future.

It is true that the answer to why Job went through his trial is not given in the book of Job.

The answer is in the book of Second Corinthians though.This letter could be considered Paul's autobiography.

It is also an explanation of how adversity and suffering are used by God to bring out the treasure of His divine life in the "earthen vessel" of the believers' created lives.

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.

We are pressed on every side but not constricted;
unable to find a way out but not utterly without a way out;
persecuted but not abandoned;
cast down but not destroyed;

Always bearing about in the body the putting to death of Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who are alive are always being delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So then death operates in us, but life in you." (2 Cor. 4:7-12)

The pouring forth of ministry of Christ and grace came from the apostles as a result of the Christ within them being subject to every test and coming forth victoriously.

In principle the suffering which God's sovereignly assigns each believer in Christ works for the release of divine life through them to others:

"So then death operates in us, but life in you."

The eternal treasure of God's life deposited in the vessel of every believer in Christ comes out victorious in power over trials to the earthen vessel.

"We have this treasure [the eternal life of Jesus Christ] in earthen vessels [our created human life] that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us."

Originally posted by @romans1009
Any thoughts on why Job went through what he did (i.e. what was God’s purpose and was it more than a test of Job’s faith?)

I read an interesting book not long ago that made the case that God used Job to demonstrate that a perfectly righteous man could undergo severe trials and afflictions; that trials and afflictions were not necessarily the result of ...[text shortened]... ter job.)

Interesting that God never explains to Job why he went through all of that torment.

Why does God need to explain to Job or anyone reading the bible, why HE does stuff?

Originally posted by @rajk999
Why does God need to explain to Job or anyone reading the bible, why HE does stuff?

He doesn’t - and He didn’t!

But we know from the early chapters of the book of Job that Job’s afflictions were a test of his faith and that he did not deserve them.

I was only wondering if there was a broader purpose as the author of that book I cited seems to think; namely that Job served as an example to Jews that suffering and torment could affect righteous people who did not deserve it as a way to condition Jews to understand the future ordeal and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Originally posted by @romans1009
I tend to agree but in Job’s case, his afflictions were not the result of sin.

Sure it was. It was because of the fall of mankind.

Sin leaves a mark for long periods of time.

Originally posted by @whodey
Sure it was. It was because of the fall of mankind.

Sin leaves a mark for long periods of time.

Evidence?

Heb 13:5 and Deut 31:6
He will not fail you nor forsake you

This is my Lord.

Originally posted by @romans1009
He doesn’t - and He didn’t!

But we know from the early chapters of the book of Job that Job’s afflictions were a test of his faith and that he did not deserve them.

I was only wondering if there was a broader purpose as the author of that book I cited seems to think; namely that Job served as an example to Jews that suffering and torment could affe ...[text shortened]... rve it as a way to condition Jews to understand the future ordeal and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Not everything in the Bible needs to be analysed to death. They are just stories of events gone by. Did not Jesus cover that matter of why there was suffering? If you really read and understood Christ then you would be a happy contented person.

Originally posted by @whodey
Sure it was. It was because of the fall of mankind.

Sin leaves a mark for long periods of time.

Not sure I agree as the early chapters of Job describe a wager between God and Satan as to whether Job’s devotion to the Lord was the result of the blessings in Job’s life and whether Job would curse God if he encountered hardships.