Pop quiz: Which Biblical character has attracted the most comments on this blog? Yes, it’s Job, which tells me that the story of Job-who-lost-everything is one of the most divisive in scripture. For the past eight years, I have maintained that God was not complicit in the ruin of Job. God did not rob him, kill his kids, or make him sick. Nor was God involved in the devil’s schemes. Yet some folk take umbrage with these claims. They seem to prefer a God who robs, steals, and kills. You know, just like Jesus did. Sheesh. If you have just joined us, I encourage you to check out the other articles in my Job series. You will find that, contrary to popular belief, God does not give and take away, and Satan is not God’s sheep-dog. And before you ask me about a certain scripture, please check out the 40 or more Job references in the Scripture Index. You may find your question has already been answered. A reader recently asked me to explain this scripture: Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and [...]

God good; Satan bad. That’s deep revelation, yet many don’t know it. They think a good God does bad things and that he sometimes employs the devil to do his dirty work. Take the subject of sickness, for instance. When we get sick it’s natural to ask, how did this happen? Did I catch a bug? Did I eat something bad? Is God punishing me for some sin? That last question is nuts, yet many think that’s how God operates. When sickness comes, they figure God sent it. Why am I sick? God must be trying to teach me something. Hallelujah. It’s absolutely bonkers. Jesus made nobody sick; he healed people, both good and bad. If you must blame someone for your afflictions, blame the devil (see Acts 10:38). “But didn’t God hand Job over to Satan? Didn’t God give Satan permission to afflict Job with sickness?” From where does this scandalous notion come? It comes from this scripture: “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to [...]