Better Off Alone Essay

In the bible God’s greatest servant is Job; â€Å"This man was innocent, upright, and God-fearing, and kept himself apart from evil† (66). Job did everything God requested, and yet Job was maliciously tested by his creator. Throughout the story of Job there were several accounts of Job expressing his misery that resulted from God’s cruel tests of faith. Reading the story of Job I came up with the question of, would Job be happier without the weight of God’s continuous misperception and unannounced tests? Yaweh strikes Job with a â€Å"test† and murders his sons, daughters, and animals to see if Job will still love him. Perhaps God didn’t have faith in Job instead of visa versa. Yaweh causes Job to be miserable and want to kill himself; in no way is this enjoyable, or worth proceeding to worship a deity. If God were to tell Job he is the one who permitted all of these deeds, Job would no longer follow this deity. God is lying to get what he wants from Job, I don’t believe Job would still appreciate a God that goes against what he orates. It’s as if a wife had gone behind her devoted partners back and had a secret accomplice to pursue her other in a â€Å"test† of fidelity; If she were to tell him â€Å"I tested you, and had another female pursue you to see if you would stay loyal to me†, He would be mad and most likely leave her for lack of trust. Just as Job should leave his â€Å"creator† in the dark as nothing and move on to be happy, instead of constantly trying to please a God that is never satisfied. Job is â€Å"innocent† and â€Å"kept himself apart from evil† (66) and he was also tested with God’s sinful acts of murder and pain. Job was more than true to God, he showed this by even filling his own son’s faithful void; â€Å"Job would send to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer whole burnt offerings, one for each† (66). First off Job was this great of a servant so therefor Job should have been treated better and shouldn’t have been tested. This didn’t happen; but if Job was questioned because he is known as God’s ultimate servant and he had to live up to high standards then feasibly, Job wouldn’t have to deal with an untrusting God if he never submitted. Yaweh speaks with the Accuser and even points out himself that Job is â€Å"like no one on earth†; â€Å"Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on earth: Innocent, upright, and God-fearing and kept himself apart from evil† (66). This is a repetitive sentence through the first section of the story; making a statement that Job has all of these reliable qualities for his God. Job is pious; even Yaweh speaks of this, right before he causes Job an enormous amount of pain. When Yaweh and the Accuser speak of challenging Job’s allegiance, Yaweh tells the Accuser â€Å"Everything he has is in your power, but do not harm his person† (67). Emotions are a part in one’s brain, and one’s brain is a part of the â€Å"person†. By killing his family and animals, this is creating the feeling of agony (harm) to his person. One can then notice God either doesn’t know what harm is or he is just so unpleasant he doesn’t care if he causes Job discomfort, he just wants to see the outcomes of such mischievous acts with Job’s irrevocable loyalty. This isn’t fair to Job, to be harmed for entertainment, what an unhappy life to live. In result of God’s first test of faith, Job unchanged, remains faithful. God figures, well that’s not enough, he then changes his statement to the Accuser and says â€Å"He is in your power, but see that you preserve his life† (67). Yaweh goes back on his words and then physically harms Job’s â€Å"person† and â€Å"smote(s) Job with sickening eruptions from the souls of his feet to the crown of his head† (67-68). Job wouldn’t need to prove devotion to God through anguish if he just had escaped from this unfortunate cruel God. The only reason Job is being chosen to be tested is because he is God’s ultimate servant. If he didn’t believe in God then he wouldn’t have been chosen because God would have already known he was not faithful. Nothing would happen to him if he said good bye to God because all of Job’s friends told him not to keep following God, and nothing cruel happened to them. Job would be happy not constantly being subjected by God’s insecurities. Just how miserable was Job? Job was enormously depressed which shows in this quote; â€Å"blot out the day when I was born† He wishes to not remember the day he was born, or wish it never happened. With his words of self-loathing it creates to the reader feelings of suicide and hate. It makes the reader feel almost apathetic towards Job, for not listening to his friends and also continuing to follow a horrendous god.