Questions for Discussion: 

After sharing the first chapter of the book of Job, someone posted questions on the website. Some of these questions are very good and some are basically unanswerable from a human point of view. I have had some of these same questions personally at times.

The study of this book and its understanding depend on our trust in the wisdom of the Creator and belief in His overall design for humanity and the universe. I am not Job nor am I the Almighty, but I will share my thoughts and hope that they help to answer some of them. Here they are for your perusal. Please join the discussion with your comments. 

1. “The sons of God/Elohim, were these the same sons of God mentioned in Genesis 6?”

According to scripture the righteous are called sons of God. The story in Genesis 6 is used in the book of Jubilees and the book of Enoch to claim that heavenly beings (aliens) saw the women on this earth and descended to sleep with them, thus impregnating them and creating giants called Nephalim. (Who were the Nephalim? This is a subject for another discussion. To claim that angels or “sons of God” from other parts of the universe coveted the beautiful women,  in my opinion, places a blight upon these angelic beings and thus allows the view of evil in the entire universe, not just on planet earth. If the principles of the  law of Elohim were from eternity, then angelic beings would not participate in lust. I have discussed this in an article about the flood and these issues here. 

2. “What about the collateral damage just for the testing of Job’s faithfulness? Children, servants died, property damages, relationships broke. The lives lost, were they merely pawns for the test? Were their lives not as important as Job’s? So why does the test  need more lives lost and more properties damaged just to bring out the best of Job?”

We see disasters in this world all the time. This world is not Paradise, not yet! The Eternal knows why He allows things to happen. We know from the story that Job is the most righteous person on earth. Were the others wicked? We don’t know. Why did they have to die? Why does anyone have to die? Sometimes it is just better to trust. There are times when we see innocent children die. People murdered for no reason other than they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. (October 7 for example). Why didn’t Elohim protect the innocents? That is not something we understand. Can we believe that in the long run, the innocents will have a future life? I choose to believe that. 

3. Is there a great responsibility (do we open the possibility of a problem) by being righteous because you may be put to an extraordinary test?

Does anyone know if they are righteous enough? Those who think they are righteous may be filled with pride which is not a trait of good people. Should we not strive to be righteous anyway, regardless of whether we provoke the Evil to attack us? Those who are godly make it uncomfortable for those who are not godly. Shall we leave the world to get away from the wicked? We have to believe we are here to improve the world like yeast in a lump of dough. Sometimes a holy influence changes things in the world. Don’t we see this in what is prophesied about Israel bringing the light to the nations?

4. “Why was Satan with the sons of Elohim?”

As I showed (here) he was an imposter. He was not one of the sons of God. He asserted himself as an accuser, adversary of the good man Job. He was not invited to the assembly. 

He was also an adversary to the ways of the Creator. He showed this by doubting His word and putting God to the test. So whom did Satan think he was to doubt the wisdom of the Eternal God who created all things? 

Deu 6: 16 “Do not put the LORD your God to the test as you did at Massah.” 

5. Is it true that in order to be totally righteous, you should not blame Satan or the devil for the misfortunes taking place in your life? 

If God is in control of His universe and our world and everything in it and has shown by His creative power and divine wisdom that there is none equal to Him and His judgement, then nothing can happen to us unless it is permitted. Can we say like Job said later:

Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.”

There are examples of martyrs and others who have died painful deaths who praised their Creator until the end. We as humans do not see the battles that take place in the heavenly realms. We do not see the struggle for proof that we are acceptable. Perhaps we all have troubles like Job did to some extent. Can we still trust even when we argue with God about it?

6. Losing all your loved ones, (children) and the distrust of Job’s wife was an extraordinary test.

I agree that this is beyond difficult. I think of others who have abandoned loved ones in order to follow the truth. It is never easy. As to Job’s wife, I sympathize with her for she not only lost all her children, her means of support, and had to endure her husband’s suffering. I don’t know why this happened to her other than to say that God’s ways are beyond our comprehension. 

7. Why do bad things happen to good people? 

Why indeed? Except to prove that there are some who choose to be on the side of righteousness no matter what the cost. And perhaps to disprove Satan’s allegations that the righteous serve God only because they know “which side their bread is buttered on.”

8. So from the standpoint of the book of Job, the fact that one faces misfortunes or disasters does not mean that you have disobeyed or violated the Torah.

This is true.

9. Did the Almighty know that Job would pass the test? 

If the Almighty knows the future and the very depths of who we are, then I believe that yes, He knew. 

10. It seems that Satan didn’t believe the Almighty.

I agree! Again, Satan doubted God and apparently wanted to infect the entire council of the Sons of God with his doubt. Perhaps he wanted to dethrone the Almighty and assert himself as ruler of the Universe, just as he has done on this earth. 

11. A certain passage says “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” Was the Almighty totally involved in testing Job’s faithfulness?

Didn’t God give Satan permission to use His power? What is written?

Job 1:11 “But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

So Satan tells God to use his power to strike Job and then in verse 12, God tells Satan that he has put Job in his hands, but not to lay a finger on him. Then in Chapter 2, as we will see later, Satan is allowed to afflict Job’s body but not to kill him. So who did the striking? Apparently Satan was given the power to do whatever he wanted up to a certain point. 

12. How many people today live exemplary lives like Job?

I hope and believe there are many people who live righteous lives. I firmly believe there are many who are sheltered in the shadow of the Most High. Sometimes we do not see the righteousness because we are blinded by our own limitations and shortcomings. Sometimes maybe we just don’t care enough to understand what is going on.