Hi Kenny,
Here is another part of the article that Marques has given you an excerpt from. This will show you that Ray did speak on
"the fact that God was the one that prompted satan to sift Job."http://bible-truths.com/lake15-C.html ------------
JOB’S TRIAL ANSWERS MANY ENIGMAS
Who was responsible for Job’s trial? Satan? Job? God? Are “calamities” better than “evils?” Can Satan operate independently of God? Does God use evil for good? Is it a sin to hold God responsible for all the evil in the world?
Job was a man who feared God and eschewed [shunned] evil. God gave Satan authority to test Job. God set the guidelines. Satan caused all of Job’s oxen, sheep and camels to be stolen, and his servants to be killed. He also caused a house to collapse in a wind and kill all the young men and Job’s sons and daughters. Satan then covered Job with painful boils.
Would anyone suggest that these trials that came to Job were not “evil?” Well here is what Job called them:
“But Job answered and said, O that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!” (Job 6:1-2).
Calamity is the proper translation in this verse. Now then, does the argument (which is totally untrue) that God created “calamity” in Isa. 45:7 rather than “evil” carry any weight whatsoever in any practical way. No, Job’s “calamity” was very evil.
Who was responsible for these evils and calamity that came upon Job? Satan, right? Wrong. Satan was merely the club in God’s hand. Notice what Job was inspired to say:
“And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned NOT, nor charged God foolishly [with wrong]” (Job 1:21-22).
Dr. Fred Price wrote me a letter along with a booklet he wrote in which he states that the phrase, “…the Lord has taken away” in this verse of Scripture, is not true. Dr. Price argues that God does not take away. Clearly God did more than “allow” these evils to come on Job, rather God caused these evils to come on Job. It was “The Lord” Who took away all of Job’s possessions and his family. Satan was merely the club in God’s hand.
Surely all of my readers are aware if you or I did to Job and his family what God did, it would be a crime of the highest magnitude and would be punishable by death.
All through the remaining chapters, Job charges GOD with being responsible for his trial, not Satan. In the last chapter God reprimands Job’s three friends by saying:
“…ye have not spoken of Me the thing which is RIGHT, like My servant Job” (Job 42:08).
Job charged God with all the evils that came on him and God said Job spoke the truth and what was right,
Job had no “free will” in any of this. God was in total control and God was responsible for all that happened. God caused Job’s uprightness; God caused Job’s downfall; God caused Job’s restoration and blessing. He will do the same for all humanity, with the exception that our blessings will be spiritual and eternal, not just physical and temporary as Job’s were. Job's spiritual blessings will come when “…the heavens be no more” (Job 14:12). The book of Revelation tells us precisely when this event will occur in the life of Job and the Patriarchs of old.
THE KINGDOMS OF SATAN AND HIS ROLE AS ADVERSARY
A note of great importance: Why didn’t God personally, and directly bring all of these trials and calamity of evils upon Job? Why did God USE Satan? Or is this just another case of God “allowing” Satan to test Job? We shall soon see how much God “allows” in the Scriptures, and it will shock most people when they learn the Truth.
At the start of this paper we learned that Satan (Beelzebub) has a “kingdom.” And that it involves the spiritual realm of demons and devils.
But Satan rules over far more than just the realm of demons. Lets learn a few more Truths that have been hidden from the eyes of Christendom.
Did God really, merely, allow Satan to try Job? God will reveal to our spirit many many spiritual truths of paramount importance if we will read His word and BELIEVE WHAT WE READ.
“And the Lord said unto Satan…” (Job 1:7).
“And the Lord said unto Satan…” (Job 1:08).
“And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he has is in THY power; only upon himself put not forth your hand. So Satan went…”(Job.1:12).
Now really, is this whole scenario something that Satan thought up? Is this something that God is just “allowing?” Be honest. God set this whole thing up from the beginning. GOD goaded Satan into a negative response. GOD pushed Satan to find an excuse for Job “eschewing evil.” GOD set up this trial. GOD commissioned Satan to bring evil against Job. GOD instructed Satan as to just how far that evil could extend. THIS WAS ALL OF GOD!
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mercy, peace and love
Kat