"At this point believers must ask painful questions. Doesn’t this sound as if God is using Job in some fantastic experiment? Why should the poor chap have to lose his wealth, his family, his health, and (as we shall see) his reputation, merely to prove God right in a challenge God might well have ignored?
That question could call forth a very long book. I have no final, exhaustive answers. But some things should be borne in mind. (a) We belong to God. He may do with us as he wishes. There is something deep within us that rebels at being reminded of that elemental truth. But truth it is. Indeed, our rebellion in the face of it is a reminder of how much we still want to be at the center of the universe, with God serving us. That is the heart of all idolatry. "I pray that we, that I, can read Job and see it not just as some historical event that teaches us some abstract truths about God and suffering and how one ought to react and respond. Rather I pray that we see both the intimate care God has for us, his people but at the same time see the transcendent nature of who God is and that He always has the end in view.
To God Alone be the Glory
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