an unfair contest between God and the devil

In the book of Job, there is a contest between God and the devil. The devil tells God that Job, a faithful man, is only faithful because God blesses him. God says to the devil, take away everything he has, stopping only at  the point of death, and Job will still be faithful.

It is an unfair contest, one that God ultimately wins. Even after Job has lost all his family, all his wealth and all of his considerable social standing, he still worships God. The devil loses.

At the end, God returns to Job all of his wealth and standing, and gives him new children to replace those who died in the test.

There was only one problem. Job wasn’t aware there was a test. All he saw was his life falling apart and the loss of his children, along with everything else. It was, as I said, unfair. Yes, Job passed with flying colors, but at such cost.

Job rails against God. Tell me why, he cries out. Tell me what I did wrong and I will show you that you are wrong. His “friends” come and tell him again and again that he obviously sinned because God only punishes sinner, not righteous people.

It is a nightmare that probably lasted for a few years.

At the end of it, God tells Job – nothing. Not a thing. No explanation, nothing. What he says, in essence, is I am God and can do what I want. Job accepts this because of the kind of man he was. And things go back to normal.

Except that his beloved children are gone, his wife is hurt almost beyond reclamation, his friends see a God who does whatever he wants to do no matter how you have tried to serve him.

But the one thing God never does is condemn Job for complaining. He just tells him that this is the way things are and that is it. He is God and made the world and can work as he wants.

Job accepts it.

But it was not fair. Yes, Job got back all his stuff and more, it says. He also got back more children. But the first children were killed in quite a horrible accident and they will never be back. He will bear their loss the rest of his life.

He will also bear the fact that his God turned on him to make a bet with the devil.

Because no matter how you put it, God did. Yes, God is God. He ‘wills and works according to his good measure.” Yes, he is the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, the Beginning and the End. Yes, he is Lord.

And quite frankly, any God that you can predict is not a real God. A real God is one who is unpredictable, one who is far, far greater than you can imagine. Otherwise, he is like the old Greek and Roman gods who were just great big people.

And you have to recognize that there is a capriciousness in God that can be uncomfortable. No matter how long you have served him, nor how hard you have tried to be what he wants, he will still allow bad things to happen to you.

Yes, he may care for you and see you and number the hairs on your head. But he will also allow one of his loving children to contract a debilitating disease that serves no purpose and brings 24/7 pain.

And there is no reason why.

That is the worst part. If we had sinned, that would be one thing. But for those who are simple worshippers to have things happen that are beyond belief is hard to accept.

For those who have served him for years to be cast aside is hard to accept. For those who love him to be ignored is hard to accept.

And the worst part is, I have seen the righteous forsaken and his seed begging for bread. At least I have seen them homeless, without the basic needs of transportation and medicine.

And I do not know why.

Yet, I say, as Job did, I know that my Redeemer lives and cares for me. he is still my God, even though he has disappointed me.