What Was Job’s Problem?

What Was Job’s Problem?
The Reason For My Faith ^ | 7?31/26 | Chuck Ness

Posted on 07/31/2026 1:30:42 AM PDT by OneVike

While I agree with mainstream Biblical theology that self-righteousness was not Job's initial sin, I must disagree with their claim that Job was sinless throughout the whole ordeal he went through. There was a flaw in Job's heart, and it emerged during his severe trials. The popular teaching we get is totally based upon the narrative we are given in the introduction of Job, that his suffering was not a punishment for any prior sin: “Prior”, signifying before Satan attacked him with GOD’s approval. What came later is all based upon, in my opinion, Job's response to his troubles, which GOD knew ahead of time. To say otherwise is to deny GOD’s omniscience.

Omniscience of God refers to His attribute of possessing total, perfect, and infinite knowledge. It means God is aware of everything: the past, present, future, and possible future, including the intimate details of our thoughts, words, and hearts, existing completely outside the limitations of human time and learning. This is why Jesus tells us if we sinned in our hearts, we are guilty of the very act we may not have committed in the flesh. The heart of the problem is always our heart, for our hearts will lead us into sin

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (Matthew 15:18-19)

My stance is that I agree God knows everything that was, will be, and what might be. I get this from understanding the omniscience of GOD. A perfect example of this would be an incident that took place with David when Saul was hunting him down. You can read the account at 1Samuel 23:1-13 where GOD responds to David’s prayer about whether or not the citizens of Keilah, the town he saved from the Philistines, would or would not betray him to Saul. Read the account and you will understand my thinking and why I use the logic here as to GOD knowing even the what if’s of life that we cannot even fathom, and thus the reason I disagree with the popular understanding that Job was without sin.

In this commentary I will attempt to explain my reasoning as to why I believe that Job not only committed a sin by standing on his own righteousness, but he was also bordering on committing blasphemy. Yes, that is two possible sins: him standing upon his own righteousness against God’s, and the fact that in doing so he was bordering on blaspheming GOD, for daring to accuse HIM of an evil deed by wrongly punishing him. I will not go so far as to state that Job was guilty of blasphemy against GOD, yet a lesson in this is for us all to be cognizant of what we say, that comes from our heart, when we get frustrated by the troubles we are in.

Thus GOD knew before Satan came before HIM, that in Job’s heart there was a little problem, a problem Job did not even consider, a problem GOD knew existed. This is why we read in Job 2:10 that’

In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

First off, this was offered before the long discussion between Job and his friends. True, at that time Job had not sinned with his lips. Yet!. However, by the time we get to Job chapter 40, we see GOD chastising Job for his errant attitude where he justified himself over GOD.

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: "Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?” (Job 40:6-8)

Many times we do not realize we have a problem until things go bad. Well, I believe from all I read in Job, that GOD allowed Job to suffer because HE wanted to point out that one flaw Job had. As usual, GOD played Satan like a fool in HIS lesson to Job, because in all that transpired Job never cursed GOD. It may seem cruel to us that GOD would use such methods, especially considering the loss of Jobs’ children, his wealth, and the good standing he had amongst everyone who knew him. Yet, GOD always knows what is best for us, and lessons do not always come cheap.

Before I continue, I want to make the point that the story and the lesson of Job should not be limited to just one ancient man living in the land of Uz. This account of the mysterious relationship between God’s sovereignty, human suffering, and personal righteousness speaks to larger universal issues related to the human condition and offers a correction to bad theology. The story of Job does this by establishing the principle that suffering is not always tied to sinfulness. Job teaches us that good people will also suffer in a fallen world. We read in Job 1:1 that he was an upright, blameless, and righteous man. Yet, as the rest of the book reveals to us, he suffered greatly.

(Excerpt) Read more at trfmf.com ...

TOPICS: Evangelical Christian; General Discusssion; Theology
KEYWORDS: hewasntwozniak; job; justification; righteousness

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It's a long read but well worth it.

1 posted on 07/31/2026 1:30:42 AM PDT by OneVike

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To: OneVike

My mistake, I incorrectly posted the link to the commentary at the end,