by frankiespeakin 17 Replies latest watchtower bible
TopHat,
Job is part of the Hebrew canon, which was fixed by early rabbinism (the Jewish heirs of the Pharisees) after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Christians (who mostly used the Greek LXX) had nothing to do with that. You can read interesting discussions about Job in the Talmud of Babylon, tractate Baba Bathra I: http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/t07/t0705.htm (search for Job).
Hi Frankie nice to hear from you again. I also had the impression that Job was an obviously mythological book that badly distorted the way god dealt with mankind, why should man be pleased with god in case He doesn't treat him well? Does he not have the right to criticise Him in that case? Can't a child criticise a bad parent?
Makes me think of an episode of South Park I saw the other night. Kyle decides he no longer believes in God (He uses the name Jehovah, by the way) and his parents are trying to convince him that God exists. So they tell him the story of Job, complete with cartoon pictures of Job's family dying, etc. After they are done, there is a long silence and Kyle says, "So God killed Job's family and all his animals, and destroyed his home, and made him really sick, just to prove a point to Satan?" Another long pause, and the parents say, "Well, yes, I guess so."
I guess it was sort of the simpleton version of Jung's writing, eh? Pretty funny though.
Another thing - I hear witnesses all the time saying that we are supposed to be proving Satan a liar, in reference to his claim made in Job that people will only serve God for their own good. Well, it seems to me that witnesses are proving Satan right, considering the harsh consequences which are meted out to them if they don't do what is "right" (as in, what the society says is right). So couldn't it be said that most witnesses only do what is "right" because they fear punishment - ie shunning, public humiliation by disfellowshipping, being marked, being talked about, etc.? How can they claim that they are proving the issue of universal sovereignty when they really base their actions on a fear of public shame?
When I was still a dub...I had the same thoughts as Jung about God, Satan and Job exactly! I expressed my thoughts to a pioneer sister but didn't really get an answer. The book of Job just doesn't make sense for a loving God to let Satan goat him into hurting a faithful and loyal servant.
Hmmmmm, Jung died a suicide when he discovered that he had no preason for being alive, didn't he?
Rex
Frankie,
The point of the story is that God is sovereign, Job was so righteous that he was given over to Satan. With Job's obedience God rewarded him with double his previous wealth. God won the bet, so did Job, so did his family who died here prematurly but reside in heaven, in Abraham's Bosom as Paradise was called. Whenever you look into the good book be ready to look beyond the forest if you want to see the trees!
Rex
SO,
The point of the story is that God is sovereign, Job was so righteous that he was given over to Satan.
What's is given over to Satan mean? I know that's a phrase that is common among christians but appears very vague? It appears to me that the phrase itself stops clear thinking, because of its vagueness.
With Job's obedience God rewarded him with double his previous wealth. God won the bet, so did Job, so did his family who died here prematurly but reside in heaven, in Abraham's Bosom as Paradise was called. Whenever you look into the good book be ready to look beyond the forest if you want to see the trees! Rex
Where in the book of Job does it say that his family that were killed in this God ordained experiment went to heaven? And if God knows everything why put Job to the test? If God is Love then why such a cruel experiment? I alway thought that if you go around wanting people to worship you and letting your loyal servants killed by your enemy(when you have the power to stop it). To me that sound awfully unloving and very egotisical. In the book of Job I fail to see a God of love, but rather a very heartless superior being that wants to be right, vindicated, unquestioned, and feared.
Could it be that you fear God so much that you can't even think a bad thought about God, because God is suppose to read thoughts and you might be afraid of him catching you haveing a doubt or negative thought about his goodness or greatness. But what if we just completely whiped out all fear of displeasing either Diety, how would we think then when reading the book of Job?
