Chunk VII. How Does God Love YOU?

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Why did God allow Satan to buffet/ attack Job? This question is synonymous to asking
Why did the writer focus on this sub-issue? A means to an end. Why did God allow Satan to buffet Job? - refers to the means. God is sovereign; Man is limited; Satan is defeated; -these refer to the end.

What had the writer been trying to say? He wanted to :

1. share the truth revealed to him ( most probably by the Holy Spirit) about the nature/true essence of God: Someone as Job perceived - someone one can talk to, someone who listens, someone who can be intimate as a love-relationship ( "I desire to speak to the Almighty..." 13:3). This is in contrast to Job's friends' view of God* - some distant, unknown, fearful, cruel POWER , given to whims and tantrums, suggesting a Master-Slave relationship.

2. prod the reader**- you can do it, you can be Job/better! It is not impossible to survive the odds; not impossible to keep our integrity during extremely difficult times.

God was convinced of Job's loyalty"look at my servant Job, there is no one on earth like him..." 1:8. God was not testing Job, Satan was - "stretch out your hand ... strike his ... and see if he will not curse you ..." 1:11, 2:5. Why did God allow the testing then? Job was loyal to God BUT he did not know the extent of his faithfulness; nor did he know what he was truly capable of - persevering under great stress, courage under fire, faithfulness, true love and devotion to God. It was for Job to know what he was made of. This is why it is a love-relationship because it strengthens not tests because of doubt.

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Cultural notes ( from Ellen Bowler, World Masterpieces, Prentice-Hall...)
* Orthodox view of God is not only cultural BUT geography-based. Mesopotamia, the land between two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates. Situated on the two rivers, ancient Mesopotamia was both a region of plenty(frequent floods, rich soils, two major rivers suited to trade) and poverty ( summer droughts, withered crops), opportunity and danger (the flat alluvial plain, without forests or other natural obstacles, left the region open to invaders).

Ancient near-eastern religion reflected the insecurities of life in a region threatened by floods and invaders. Mesopotamians believed that humans were created only to serve gods.

View of God: like the ancient Greeks - given to anger, whims and exercised tremendous powers.

**Job is symbolical of Man (you can substitute your name for Job- Alex, Vera, Zarine, Lilybel...)