What Is The Purpose Of Suffering In The Book Of Job
In The Book of Job, a wealthy, righteous man is the subject of a bet between God and Satan. Over
the course of the story, Job cannot fathom why he deserves the punishment and suffering he
receives through God s own doing. Through comparison of different religious and philosophical
texts, we can learn the purpose behind Job s misfortune. In this paper, the purpose of human
sufferingand how it relates to Godwill be examined along with how the Book of Jobpertains to the
philosophies of Anslem and Aquinas. In the story, Job, a wealthy and righteous man is the
unlucky soul forced into a bet between God and the devil. Satan proposes that Job is only so
pious because God has showered many blessings upon him, such as large herds of livestock, vast
amounts of riches, and ten healthy children. Lucifer than claims that, if God took all these gifts
away, Job would surely curse him. God agrees to this wager and strikes Job down by killing all of
his children, livestock, and destroying his wealth. Job then mourns his losses by shaving his head,
and ripping up all... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Once the affected individual realizes what God wants, the pain is lifted, or, in Job s case, all that
was lost is returned. We see this in the story of Saul, as he is blinded by God due to his
persecution of Christians. When Saul realizes his wrongdoings, his sight is restored. Saul then
converts to Christianity, and changes his name to Paul. Ina sense, this process also happens to
Job. Near the end of the book, God descends from heaven in a whirlwind and explains to Job that
he cannot fully comprehend God s doings because he is only a mere mortal. God then proceeds to
be angry with Job s friends for questioning why Job was being tested by the Lord, saying that they
can never understand how heavenly justice functions. Job then intercedes for his friends, and God
eventually forgives
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...