Good and evil are very difficult terms to define. Some would seek help from their religions to help them determine whether a person is good or evil. Within Judaism and Christianity there are many ideas about who or what is good or evil. Many of these ideas contradict one another. It seems as though good and evil is based more on perspective than a set in stone definition. “Good” people in Judaism and Christianity are people who fear their God and strive to please Him. Sometimes they would even do sacrifice rituals. The Book of Job clearly shows a man who fears his God so much that even when he loses everything he owns, he is just as faithful. Job only questioned God’s motives for a moment. When God appeared in a Theophany, Job was overwhelmed and believed God when he said that Job was just a small part of the world He created and that Job could not possibly comprehend the universe as a whole. The book of Job is seen as a test of faith. The author of the Book of Job would define the evil in the world as a test of faith. Not everyone believed that evil was a test of faith. Many people questioned why God would have to take everything away and make them suffer like that, especially for someone as good and loyal as Job. Job’s friends in the story believe that Job must have done something to deserve such punishment. They would define evil as a divine punishment. However, this idea was abandoned on November 1, 1755 when the Lisbon earthquake killed 50,000 people and destroyed
In the book of Job, Job walks through life making sure his actions and words are carefully chosen, and even goes as far as to burn offerings for sins yet committed. The book of Job, and then later the modern take titled J.B., was a new display from God, showing that bad things can happen to good people. The book of Job made it clear in the bible that God was not giving or taking anything because of our own achievement, but that all things good and bad are from God. Archibald Macleish tries to reenact Job in a more modern version that new readers today might find easier, and although so aspects might be off from the original text, the story of J.B. follows closely to Job’s story line. One area that can be compared when looking at both texts
The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is often associated with a various number of themes such as racism, social inequality, the importance of family values, and much more. But one of the more hidden messages of the book centers around the idea that there is a coexistence of good and evil. This theme is really brought to life the more the reader is able to understand the book. Through sub themes such as coming of age, perspective, and intense characterization of many important characters the idea of good and evil is really brought to light.
Later in the book Job’s friends tell him that he must have sinned very badly in order to have such terrible things to happen to him, Job’s
The theme of the Book of Job is the perseverance of the human spirit. Job loses everything but he does not lose his faith in God. “Job refuses to curse God” (Book). Job has not done anything to deserve this, but it is a test from God and Satan to see if Job is actually as
How does one characterize good and evil? Throughout time, people have asked this question and only received opinions based on references from
Various religions define good and evil in various ways. However, one thing is certain. Since our society has existed, good and evil have also been in existence and many religions see them as two sides of the same coin. Some religions see them as counterparts, one of which focuses on promotion of happiness and the other on everything evil or all that is contrary to happiness. Every religion and mythology define them in its own way and they find representation in various forms like demons and angels in Christianity and Devas and Danavas in Hinduism. But the concept of good and evil has always been there and in old times
As we have seen, God promises a blessing to those who trust in His word and strive to live by it. Christians do not want to miss out on God’s blessing, especially those waiting for Him to reveal something. Now reading any book of the Bible, even Job, one begins to understand that God will bless you as you strive to study and practice His way of life. The Bible prophetically warns of even more pain in many different forms then what is done here Job, and through this we begin to portray God in a different light (Janzen 2012). However, the book of Job reveals God’s level of intervention during such a violent time. Due to the context and dire situation it would be difficult to imagine anything more then the pain for the members of Job’s family and the community at that time. They needed encouragement and the assurance that the trials Job faced would soon be over. The evil powers of Satan that governed Job’s life for a moment would be destroyed, and a triumphant sense of peace would be reestablished. The message of Job was intended for those in a particular time and circumstances of pain. Christians familiar with other violent writings would understand the book's symbolism, for practically everything Job went through was a test that other biblical figures felt during similar times of persecution. Job’s story was written to all people that may face the same trials, and find peace after their
Each character in The Book of Job was given a specific role. The main hero is Job with his rich but complex nature. As one can deduce from the name of the book, he plays the most important part. His wife, even though appearing rarely, also has an essential role of showing the readers the opposite of her husband. The authors structured her in a way that readers can compare two spouses’ personalities and ponder which one had a better reaction on the book events. After all the tragedies, happened to the family, Job’s wife chose to abuse God and commit suicide. Her behavior proves readers that her faith in God largely depended on the gifts, He was providing. She showed us an example of a person, who Satan was speaking about on the heaven council. Job with his behavior, which is the opposite to his wife, only verifies his faith in God. He refuses to listen to his wife and insists that he have done nothing to deserve the sufferings.
Although God appears to be insulted by Job’s rage, he recognizes the love, loyalty, and appreciation Job has for Him. In return, after all the troubles, God gives Job a long life filled with joy, happiness, and peace.
One of the things that we learn from the full complement of all of the revelation of God’s word is that God does not treat us adversarially, as we are his children. He may permit us to experience suffering and hardship in this life. But, those things are not indications, in and of themselves, of God’s displeasure and that’s all that Job could see. But, we can have a strong faith; we can have a more informed faith to know that that is not a necessary imprint. That we don’t have to look at bad things in our life and say oh, God must be displeased with me, that is not necessarily true.
–Loss of children: Satan had said Job only served God because he was protected, so God allowed Satan to take his children, and still Job did not curse God, because he knew that God is both sovereign and good.
In the book of Job we see that God takes Job around to show him the beauty of the world and his creations in response to Job’s protests of innocence. The message that God was showing to Job was that humans are not the center of the world and everything was created for God to enjoy. Things in the world just happen (not necessarily against or for a person), and evil exists as a way to reconcile ourselves with the reality that we make up a marginal place in the world.
In stark contrast to God’s presence in Genesis, the character of God in Job strays from the ideal perfection of the divine. The concept of the ideal manifested in Genesis is embodied in God’s moral, reasonable, and rational behavior. In Job, on the other hand, rather than being reasonable, methodical, and creating life, God displays more human characteristics and plays the role of both creator and destroyer. The book of Job begins with God’s boastful bargain with Satan, which subsequently leads God to allow the total destruction of Job’s family and livelihood. Job is even attacked physically with “loathsome sores… from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2:7). In an uncharacteristically immoral decision, God gives Satan the power do
The question answered in Job is not “why is God unjust towards good people” but rather “What justice is God inevitably providing for good people through difficult situations?”
What makes a person good or evil? Why are some people labeled as good and some evil? Why do some people have traits or characteristics of both good and evil? Are people truly evil or do they just make bad choices? Throughout our lives we are faced with making decisions about our lives and often the choices we make can determine the path we follow. Depending on our life choices we can be labeled as either good or evil. Good and evil are relative; one person can be good while another evil. Some people can possess a combination of both good and bad traits. But even those who are considered bad can be rehabilitated to display good qualities such as empathy or kindness.