Academic Religion and Philosophy: Western Christianity; Hebrew Bible; Old Testament (for Western Christians) Research and Social Commentary Paper: God and Satan As Portrayed In the Book of Job

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Tanya Scuccimarra
Professor O’Sullivan
English 231 - Final Paper
August 1, 2014
God and Satan As Portrayed in the Book of Job
The book of Job is the story of the most wealthy, blessed, righteous man in the eastern
region who is chosen by God as the perfect sacrifice to prove that even if a prosperous man loses
everything, his devotion to God remains steadfast. Like Noah, Job is considered blameless and
upright and without evil. (Job 1:1) The author’s most telling sentiment is that God believes that
there is no one on Earth who compares to Job. This is important because all throughout the Old
Testament, the most righteous are chosen to represent a living example of Godliness. In fact, as
human as each Bible character may be, their inner character seems to be pure. Makes me realize
that being without sin is a prerequisite for God in the Old Testament. In order to be used as a
mighty example for God, a sinless nature is required. However, once the author makes it clear
that Job is a righteous human and a worthy sacrifice to show the goodness of God; to show that
God gives and takes away; and ultimately, that God restores those who are faithful, it quickly
becomes apparent that God and Satan are all the more so human.
According to the Bible, God is the creator of everything. He is the one true God and He
reigns over all the Earth. But what starts to unfold within the first chapter of Job is that God and
Satan act human. This made me wonder if God and his creation are really all that different. If
God made man in his image, then perhaps humans have the characteristics, psychological make-
up, and behaviors of God. How else to explain what takes place between God and Satan in the
first chapter of Job? Their resentment, feuding, and hubris prompted the storm that was to drop

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on Job. And aren’t these human emotions? Maybe humans aren’t acting in unscrupulous petty
ways, maybe they behave just like their creator?
On a lazy day, back from their wanderings and shenanigans, the sons of God appear
before Him. Amongst the sons of God is Satan. Satan was hanging out with the sons of God. Is
it far fetched to believe the author was showing that the sons and Satan were friends? If not
friends, Satan appears to have been included in their wanderings. I picture a pack of roaming
young men meandering all over the world looking for trouble. Itching to get their hands dirty or
to do something to erase their eternal boredom.
Thus far, throughout the Old Testament, Satan has been painted as the tempter of man
and God’s protagonist. More than this, Satan almost seems to be created by God to play this
role. How else would God show that He is God without having someone else play against Him?
Why would Satan be allowed to hang with God’s sons if he is responsible in Genesis for
tempting Eve and prompting the fall of mankind? Why wouldn’t God have destroyed Satan
already? Why let Satan exist at all unless God needed him?
That Satan prompted the fall of man is a really big deal. The fall is the basis for the
Bible. Yet, Satan is amongst God’s sons and has the ability to talk to God: “And the Lord said
to Satan, “From where do you come?”” Satan answers, “From going to and fro on the earth, and
from walking back and forth on it.” (1:8) This is not a tense conversation nor does Satan quiver
when he strolls up to God. “From going to and fro on the earth” is a really casual response.
Satan and God are clearly very well acquainted and nobody draws their swords. Their enmity
doesn’t seem to factor into their relationship in this moment. How many times as humans have
we had people in our lives cause us grief and yet we keep them close? I don’t know why I paused
so much at the exchange between God and Satan. There was something about God’s inquiry to

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Satan and Satan’s response that feels so human. Their exchange was two non-humans who knew
one another on a seriously deep human-like level.
After God asks Satan what he’s been up to, God poses a loaded question, “Have you
considered my servant Job?” This line is huge to me because Satan had not brought up any
major conclusions to his wanderings. Satan simply informed God that he was walking the Earth.
It was God who pointed out Job and it’s definitely presented to Satan as a challenge. I
immediately thought of Greek mythology when Zeus gave the task of creating humans to
Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus. Once humans were created in Greek mythology, they
were then used as pawns of the gods. It appears that humans were created for the sole purpose of
giving the gods something to do. Humans provided the gods with every sort of psychological,
physical, and sociological experiment. It reads the same when God asks Satan, “Have you
considered my servant Job?”
If God is all knowing and the creator of Satan, He surely understands Satan’s nature. To
ask Satan such a loaded question is proof that He already knows how Satan will respond. Their
boxing match is endless, in my eyes. Their relationship consists of constantly trying to one up
the other. How human! In fact, how more so human because God and Satan act ticked off,
pompous, proud, vengeful, and must, at all cost, prove their superiority.
How is this any different than two nations at war? Wars are started over something as
bane as enmity between the powers that be. The sacrifices of war are that nations inhabitants.
People are the sacrifices any time there is a power struggle. It’s almost breathtaking how little
the inhabitants are to blame. I see God’s challenge to Satan as the beginning of war and the
sacrifice is Job. What starts out as “Job is righteous and blameless” and therefore the perfect
specimen to prove steadfast devotion to God, is, at its root, all about God and Satan.

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I would like to think there was some point to God singling out Job when He knew Satan
would take the bait. Maybe God and Satan’s warring is for the greater good of mankind?
Maybe Job is the example for others in that region to put their faith in God during the absolute
desperate times in life. Perhaps the book of Job is the story to turn to when humans need proof
that they will be restored from the worst of times. Job could also be an example that God is good
and faithful to those who are faithful to Him. But, even with all of those reasons, it was still
between the powers that be and the real battle had very little to do with Job the man.
Once God says, “Have you considered my servant Job” and explains that Job is without
sin, without evil, and faithful no matter what, Satan points out that Job is loyal only because he is
protected and blessed. Satan is well aware that humans who are comfortable in life and blessed
by God are not typically going to have any desire to turn from God. Why bite the hand that
feeds you? Therefore, Satan questions God’s choice of Job as proof of devotion. Satan says,
“But now, stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse you to your
face.” (1:11) This is so personal to me because their words take Job completely out of the
picture and brings it back to God and Satan’s warring. This is also such human behavior. If two
people have deep-rooted issues between them and are trying to prove a very important, eternal
point, they will make sure that the sacrifice is a worthy one. Satan and God had been in this
position before and there were scores to settle.
God and Satan’s conversation made me think about the circumstances under which
Adam and Eve were tempted. The Garden of Eden was an idyllic, beautiful, abundant home.
Adam and Eve wanted for nothing, or so it seemed. They had everything they needed in order to
live out their days in a lush paradise where no harm could befall them and where their God was
present. God walked amongst them. It couldn’t be more peaceful and intimate, God and His

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creation were one. Adam and Eve were faultless and without sin. They had a hedge of
protection around them just like Job. And in their midst, Satan was allowed to exist. Satan had
knowledge of the tree of good and evil. Satan, knowing that Adam and Eve had no reason to
turn their back on God, still decided to try and tempt them away from God. In order to do this,
Satan had to have been given some sort of authority. Why else would he be allowed in the
Garden of Eden? God could have thrown him out or killed him off. But God did not and Satan
was able to successfully tempt Adam and Eve.
So, here now was Job who had everything, including the favor of God. Job had a hedge
of protection around him and Satan was given the authority to bring calamity upon Job to try and
break Job and ultimately cause Job to curse God. God tells Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in
your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” (1:12) And with that battle cry, Satan slays
Jobs children, his livelihood, his self-worth, his health, his sanity, his stature, and causes Job’s
friends to seriously question Job’s goodness and righteousness. Just like that, in one day, Job is
leveled. Not only this, but what a human thing for God to do. God said, “Have you considered
my servant Job,” and Satan had not for Job was protected. God said, “All that he has is in your
(Satan’s) power,” and Satan smote Job. In a way, God passed the buck. It was His idea but
Satan’s handiwork. God didn’t personally hurt Job, but He did give the authority to Satan to
cause harm. I cannot handle that part because humans do that all the time. They set the stage, stir
the pot, and then step back and watch others play it out before them. Kind of manipulative but I
am still clinging to the fact that this is all for the better and Job will be restored. But, in the
interim.

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The book of Job shows that God and Satan have very human-like qualities. Their
personalities; their warring and enmity; their hubris is not unlike God’s children. If someone
were Christian, perhaps they should take comfort in the fact that what they may consider their
shortcomings and ineptitude is really more like their God than not. Maybe to study God’s nature
more and focus less on the lesson is what brings man closer to his creator. God is so human-like
in His emotions and needs, in His wants, in His desire to reign, and in His fierce insatiable thirst
to have his creation devoted solely to Him. God seems to stop at nothing to make sure His
children remain with Him. It doesn’t feel like the healthiest behavior, but I don’t know that love
is ever totally rational.
Lastly, because I do not want to discredit Job entirely, because I do not want to forget the
man who was laid low by a personal war on his life, Job’s response to his friends who question
his character, who seem to chastise him for his grief and loss, is this: “I could speak as you do, if
your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, and shake my head at
you. But instead I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips would
relive your grief.” (16:4-5)