That is most beautifully put, Mad Dawg. But it doesn't explain or justify the presumption that God tortures those he loves, those who fear him the most, those who avoid all wickedness, the upright. There is an underlying dose of sado-masochism in such theology, common to both Latin and Protestant communities. Compare it to the East, where St. Symeon the New Theologian says
"I neither fasted nor kept vigils, nor slept on bare floors but — to borrow the Psalmist's words — 'I humbled myself' and, in short, 'the Lord saved me.'" [On Faith, Philokalia, Vol 4)
The west believes God makes people suffer. The East believes God is mercy, God is the Comforter, not the torturer! The East holds that those who suffer do so voluntarily for the glory of God and thank God for the opportunity to suffer for faith. Now, speaking of what we are deficient in, I am certainly decifient in that.
Job is, first of all, Old Testament. To a Catholic or Orthodox that is a foreshadowing of truth like through the glass, dimly...Can we really discern God in the OT save through the likeness of Christ by asking ourselves where is Christ in all this? I don't see Christ making bets with Ha-Satan. Do you?
Let's look at Job 2:3 (my emphasis)
3. The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause." (NAB)
God repeats what Job 1:1 says, that Job is blameless and upright (in God's eyes, and God knows everything!), while admitting that Satan can incite God to destroy without case (I guess we could say "for the H&ll of it" no pun intended!).
Let's also try to understand Job in terms of what faith is. Our faith is a way of life. At least Orthodoxy is. As Kolo's One Who Has to be Obeyed says "they walk orthodox in Greece." That's why there are truly Orthodox countries. Their whole way of life, habits, vocabulary, culture in general reflects their faith.
In that mind frame, can you see someone subjecting one's model child to such a test as Job was subjected so God can boast about himself being supreme and to prove Satan wrong? Would a loving father ever do that to one of his favorite children?
Job would also imply that unless we are tested to the extreme as he was we cannot be sanctified. And in order to be tested one has to be upright and shun all evil. That would drastically reduce the number of candidates to enter the heaven to single digits imo
Job is an interesting subject; one which has caused more than its share of trouble throughout the past 2 millenia, though to be honest, I think the problems have been more among the Westerners than among the Easterners. If one takes the OT completely literally, it can lead to problems. My experience is that Orthodoxy, as a general matter, looks at the OT as the story of the preparation of God’s people for the coming of Christ and to establish our place as human in Creation. In other words, its not about whether bats are birds. +Athanasius the Great gives us an example of what I am talking about in his “Life of Antony” (meaning +Anthony the Great) where speaking about Job at section 29 he says,
“’But if any one having in mind the history of Job should say, Why then hath the devil gone forth and accomplished all things against him; and stripped him of all his possessions, and slew his children, and smote him with evil ulcers? let such a one, on the other hand, recognise that the devil was not the strong man, but God who delivered Job to him to be tried. Certainly he had no power to do anything, but he asked, and having received it, he hath wrought what he did. So also from this the enemy is the more to be condemned, for although willing he could not prevail against one just man. For if he could have, he would not have asked permission. But having asked not once but also a second time, he shows his weakness and want of power. And it is no wonder if he could do nothing against Job, when destruction would not have come even on his cattle had not God allowed it. And he has not the power over swine, for as it is written in the Gospel, they besought the Lord, saying, “Let us enter the swine .” But if they had power not even against swine, much less have they any over men formed in the image of God.
30. ‘So then we ought to fear God only, and despise the demons, and be in no fear of them. But the more they do these things the more let us intensify our discipline against them, for a good life and faith in God is a great weapon. At any rate they fear the fasting, the sleeplessness, the prayers, the meekness, the quietness, the contempt of money and vainglory, the humility, the love of the poor, the alms, the freedom from anger of the ascetics, and, chief of all, their piety towards Christ. Wherefore they do all things that they may not have any that trample on them, knowing the grace given to the faithful against them by the Saviour, when He says, “Behold I have given to you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy .”’
See what I mean? Remember guys, Christianity arose in the East and spread to the West and sometimes thinking about the Faith in a Western way can lead one into dangerous, blind alleys. Orthodox Christians know Who Christ is and Who the Father and the Spirit are. None are the celestial game player of the OT but the stories teach us all sorts of valuable lessons about Who Christ is, what our position in Creation is, indeed what Creation itself is in its fallen state and what our created purpose is.