What is the story of Job in the Bible?

Answer 1

The Book of Job introduces Satan, not yet as the adversary of God portrayed in later Christian belief, but as a 'son of God' or angel, whose role was to prove the righteousness of people by tempting them to do wrong.

The Book of Job is a fable, probably intended to set an example of devotion to God. God twice gave Satan a challenge to have Job curse God, first by destroying his family and his property (1:8,11), then by afflicting him with a terrible disease. If Job cursed God, he would be judged as evil, yet in this story it seems that God and his loyal assistant, Satan, were the wrongdoers.

After Job passed the test, the Book of Job says that God demanded of him whether he thought he was as great as God himself (chapters 37-41), but this is a part of the narrative that some say was probably extracted from a more ancient text. At first God was angry with Job for being so utterly righteous, demanding of him where he was when God created the world. He then said (40:2): "Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. " Job showed great calm and diplomacy in dealing with the Lord.

Because Job had shown his true devotion to God, he was compensated for his great losses, with vast new wealth and long life.

Another View:

You will find that verse sic in the NIV reads, "Now there was a day when the sons God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them." For someone who does not study The Bible (like the person who asked the question) it may seem that Satan was also a son of God at the time, but this is not the case. The word Satan actually means adversary and the first book of the Bible (Genesis) tells the story of how Satan got his name and why he is no longer a son of God.

The writer of the book of Job does not present it as a fable but as a true story that also illustrates the true work of our adversary. Satan is presented throughout the Bible as a person who accuses human beings of breaking the law of God. The consequences of this breaking this law is death. Satan seeks the death penalty for all human beings as all humans continually break God's universal law. God seeks to give humans a way to escape the death penalty by allowing His Son Jesus Christ, to die thus fulfilling the death requirement for human beings if they choose to take advantage of it.

Satan's accusation against Job was that Job only adheres to the principles of God's law because God is bribing him with protection and wealth not available to others, principles such as being kind and fair and concerned for the well-being of others which Job displays throughout the story. Job proves that he actually believes that being kind and fair and concerned for the well-being of others is right and he is going to continue to live by those principles even if the father and promoter of right principles should kill him.

It is important to note that God did not employ Satan to challenge Job. God allowed Satan to test Job so that Job's name could be cleared from the false accusation that he is a hypocrite.

Because Job did not cave, he proves that he is not a hypocrite. He actually believes what he preaches. Many today believe in doing the right thing only if it's convenient. The book of Job is not about devotion, it is about good vs evil. It's about a hero that does what is right regardless of the personal consequence. It's about a true warrior who fought the battle until it brought him to his knees but never bowed to the father of evil.