The story of Job is a staple of pulpit barkers exhorting the value of faith in the face of adversity. South Park provides a reasonably good summary of how the story is often told.

Much could be written on the bizarre pass Christians give God for murdering innocent men, women, and children for the sake of winning a bet against Satan, a creep whose opinion matters... why? It matters more than the lives of a dozen or more people, apparently.

But the story gets some basic details wrong. It is not about faith at all, with current connotations of love and loyalty. It is about dominance and blind obedience. Satan's bet is specifically that Job will curse God to his face. That is not a mere "lapse in faith", but a ballsy act of defiance against a horrifying monster capable of killing all of your friends and family to win a bet. Job utters the famous line about "the lord giveth, and the lord taketh away" which the Bible congratulates him for, but these are the closing verses of chapter 1 of the book of Job— out of 42 chapters. Why does the traditional account end with chapter 1 of a 42 chapter book? Because Job loses his faith and rails against God, and that's too embarrassing to mention.

The middle chapters of Job are basically Job complaining of his ills, and about the lack of justice in the world as three other men (acquaintances ?) show up to disagree. They say the world is just and God's rewards and punishments should not be questioned, and Job thinks they're worthless liars. By the way, [Spoiler] as you read what Job and his three dissenters say about God, bear in mind that in the epilogue God himself says that Job never lied about him, and that all of the three men who speak to Job do lie about him.

A good place to start is in chapter 6. Job openly wishes that God would kill him so that he could die before he defies the Word of God, as he knows that he will, and does

8 “Oh, that I might have my request,

that God would grant what I hope for,

9 that God would be willing to crush me,

to let loose his hand and cut off my life!

10 Then I would still have this consolation—

my joy in unrelenting pain—

that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.

11 “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?

What prospects, that I should be patient?

12 Do I have the strength of stone?

In chapter 8 Bildad the Shuhite promises Job he will yet be restored because he is blameless and good. Job replies that there are no means for a person to prove their innocence to God, because God is vast and humans are pitiful microbes he barely notices. Job notes that there is no hope for justice because God is a violent amoral thug who will crush you just for complaining. He continues by wishing there were an uber-God who could bring justice, because God is unjust:

16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,

I do not believe he would give me a hearing.

17 He would crush me with a storm

and multiply my wounds for no reason.

18 He would not let me catch my breath

but would overwhelm me with misery.

19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!

And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him?

20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;

if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.

22 It is all the same; that is why I say,

‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

23 When a scourge brings sudden death,

he mocks the despair of the innocent.

24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,

he blindfolds its judges.

If it is not he, then who is it? 33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,

someone to bring us together,

34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,

so that his terror would frighten me no more.

35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,

but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Job rages on as well in chapters 14, and 19, an unadulterated indictment of God's psychopathic attitude toward his children. Reminder, God later says that Job spoke the truth about him.:

14:19 as water wears away stones

and torrents wash away the soil,

so you destroy a person’s hope. 19:7 “Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response;

though I call for help, there is no justice.

The three men who visit Job continue to assure him the world is just, evildoers face punishment and the good are rewarded. They also argue, contradicting their previous point, that the ways of God are unknowable to mortals as feeble and small as they are. Job finds their arguments utterly idiotic and/or deliberate lies and incredulously calls them out:

13:2 What you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you. 4 You, however, smear me with lies;

you are worthless physicians, all of you!

5 If only you would be altogether silent!

For you, that would be wisdom.

6 Hear now my argument;

listen to the pleas of my lips.

7 Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?

Will you speak deceitfully for him?

8 Will you show him partiality?

Will you argue the case for God?

9 Would it turn out well if he examined you?

Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?

10 He would surely call you to account

if you secretly showed partiality.

11 Would not his splendor terrify you?

Would not the dread of him fall on you?

12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;

your defenses are defenses of clay.

And later,

21:34 “So how can you console me with your nonsense?

Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”

Finally, in chapter 38, God shows up "out of the storm" to speak to Job. God answers Job's plea for justice by reading his Divine resume. This includes:

commanding the dawn to shake the earth by its "edges"

shutting the seas behind doors to limit their boundaries

deliberately making Ostriches stupid and indifferent to their own eggs, laid in sand where anything can crush them or eat them, but it's cool because they can run fast

putting the mane on horses

being able to command and defeat two monsters, the "behemoth" and the leviathan

Now, properly bullied by "I'm bigger than you so STFU" God, Job relents, admitting God's omnipotence and his own ignorance. Which is exactly what Job said would happen in chapter 9.



God does not offer reason or evidence compassion or love. He is petulant and neurotic as an insecure cop throwing his weigh around because he was bullied too much in high school:

Do you have an arm like God’s,

and can your voice thunder like his?

Not only does Job never take anything back, but in a bit of extra weirdness God punishes the three counselors for lying about Him while saying Job spoke only the truth.

God rewards Job with riches and new, pretty children to replace the ones who were murdered. The moral is clear, and clearly not about faith but rather obedience to a self-confessed non-just dictator: do as you are told and be rewarded with material wealth, or disobey and be punished.