Was it unfair for God to allow Job to suffer over what was basically an argument between God and Satan?

Answer  
  

A surface reading of the [book of Job](Book-of-Job.html) usually evokes a reaction such as “Why is God making a ‘bet’ with the devil? God is being unfair to Job!” If we are honest and not just trying to defend God, He seems at first like some kind of cosmic ogre. God not only wagered Satan over the outcome of Job’s trials, but He actually provoked the bet (Job 1–2\). To make matters worse, [Job](life-Job.html) never finds out why he was afflicted in the first place. This is very disturbing for those who hope to see God as just, gracious and loving and not just “playing” with us as if we were pawns on a chessboard. So, in a way, the story of Job puts God on trial. To really understand what is going on in Job, we need to evaluate how this “trial” is litigated in the book’s argument.  
  

On the surface, when God finally “testifies” in Job 38–42, the way He “grills” Job may seem to suggest that God is “against” Job rather than “for” him. The God\-speeches are notable for their deep sarcasm, as if God were simply highlighting Job’s cluelessness (Job 38–39\). However, a deeper look reveals a more redemptive dynamic in this trial: first, Job’s friend Elihu actually serves under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, both as Job’s advocate before God and God’s advocate before Job (Job 32–37\); second, we find that God indeed *did* express His love to Job, both in His speeches (Job 38–41\) and in finally vindicating Job. God confirms that Job had spoken “what was right” about Him, whereas his first three friends had not (42:7\).  
  

As Job and his friends debate God’s fairness, it becomes apparent that all of them basically believe in the doctrine of “retribution theology”—every act receives just punishment or reward in this present life, so we should be able to tell who is righteous or wicked by whether they are visibly *blessed* or *cursed* on earth. This is a false doctrine, but Job thought it *should* be true and went on the offensive, charging God with injustice and calling for a trial (Job 29–31\). Surprisingly, God condescends and agrees to be put on trial. The speeches in Job 38–41 actually consist of God’s testimony in His own defense. In the “trial” we see that Job has no legal standing to convict God. Job cannot demonstrate how God runs the universe, so he cannot present any evidence of injustice (chapters 38–39\). Also, God establishes His absolute right to act as He sees fit. As proof, He points to two creatures—behemoth and [leviathan](leviathan.html)—that mankind has no control over whatsoever and that answer only to God.  
  

Even before God shows up, Elihu makes the same points and argues that God is deeply redemptive in His dealings with man in spite of man’s notorious tendency toward self\-destruction (32–37\). Since God validates Elihu’s points (38–41\), the adversarial tone in God’s answer to Job makes even more sense: throughout Job’s dialogue with his friends (4–27\) and in his formal complaint to God (29–31\), Job had assumed that God was *unaware* of what happened to him or that He was *deliberately persecuting* him or that Job had inadvertently sinned and God was *not willing to tell him* what the problem was. Job thought he was being punished entirely out of proportion to any conceivable offense he may have committed. In fact, Job questions God incessantly throughout the dialogue. His protest climaxes in a direct indictment of God on the charge of injustice (29–31\).  
  

So what did Job “get right” (42:7\)? The upshot of the trial is that Job finally sees that God’s governance of the universe is much more wonderful than he could have imagined, and he openly concedes this (42:2\-5\); so *this* is what Job spoke about God that was “right” (42:7\). Now, it is absolutely crucial to note the sequence of events at this point: it is only when Job obeys God and intercedes on behalf of his three friends—who had now become his enemies—that God actually blesses Job with a twofold inheritance (42:8\-17\). This “reward” was not at all some kind of “consolation prize” for Job’s unfair treatment; rather, it was the inheritance God promises to all who serve faithfully as redemptive agents of the Creator (cf. Daniel 12:3\). Job obeyed God and was rewarded for his obedience.  
  

In the end, God’s wager with Satan actually achieved an incredible coup: He harnessed evil and turned it to good (cf. Genesis 50:20\), and He transformed Job into the most effective servant of all, one who took on God’s own redemptive character and [loved his enemies](love-enemies.html). And this, in fact, is our take\-home lesson from Job.  
  

