Why is the devil the lord of the world when god was the one who created it

[BenYosef]

BenYosef, do you believe you go somewhere upon death? If so, where?

This is not the theme of this thread and it would be hijacking it to go on further along these lines. If you want to keep asking me personal questions about what I as a Reconstructionist Jew believe, we should make a separate thread.

But for now, rest assured that every morning I pray to God the words:

“The soul you gave to me is pure…Someday you will take it from me, restoring it to everlasting life.”

 

[De_Maria]

How do Jews understand Job 1.8? Simple.

In Hebrew, ha satan simply means “the adversary,” meaning someone who contends in argument or challenges another. In this specific case in Job, it is merely an angel who is bringing up questions of logic in an argument about Job’s righteous standing before God.

Hm? But this angel seeks permission to almost kill a righteous man. And the word “adversary” is not used in description of most angels, is it? Or do Jews recognize a class of angel which is considered an “adversary” of man?

If this were some type of evil archenemy as the Christian entity Satan the Devil is supposed to be, how does such evil get entry into the holiness of heaven?

I don’t know. There are many mysteries. I guess the same way the Serpent got entry into Paradise.

Why would the righteousness of God allow for such a thing? Could such competition exist between the Almighty and the nothingness of a mere creation which had gone rogue?

We believe He allows it to purify our faith. The Devil also has a purpose. Much like when the Gentile nations punished Israel. And then God punished them because they were too zealous. Or maybe that’s not the right word. They were too sadistic.

While Jesus’ teaching about being on guard of the evil of “the Devil” is not to be disregarded, Jews do not view the Devil in an anthropomorphic, personal manner. We view such as the personification of the evil which all humanity is capable of doing and which exists when we do not make room for God.

In the end, whether one personifies Satan or not, we do well to be on guard of the reality of such evil and work together to bring about the redemptive work that Jesus spoke about at Matthew 25.34-40 in which we can all be the hands of God serving each other as brethren. Only in this way can we fight the evils of the world that are all too real and will consume us if we do not fight them together.

Good point.

 

[BenYosef]

And the word “adversary” is not used in description of most angels, is it? Or do Jews recognize a class of angel which is considered an “adversary” of man?

Actually the Hebrew word “satan” or adversary appears in the following places:

1. A human enemy in war (1 Kings 5.18)
2. The Edomite Hadad is called “an adversary [Heb. “satan’”] against Solomon,” 1 Kings 11.14
3. “Rezon son of Eliada” is "another adversary [Heb. “satan”] against Solomon, 1 Kings 11.23, 25
4. King David is called “satan” in Hebrew meaning “adversary” by the Philistines at 1 Samuel 29.4.
5. A man’s opponent is called a “satan” at Psalm 109.6.

There is no class of angel is Judaism to whom the term “ha satan” is used exclusively. The term in Hebrew just means someone who is acting as an adversary. There are many who act this way in the Hebrew Bible, such as in Zechariah chapter 3 where someone opposes the work of the high priest Joshua is referred to as “Satan.”

This is why Jews don’t see the angel in Job as the same “Satan the Devil” as found in Christianity, as Judaism doesn’t have that. The “serpent” in Genesis is not “Satan” nor do we read “Satan” into anything else in Jewish Scripture because there isn’t a thing as there is in Christianity.

Does that mean Christianity is wrong or bad? No. That is not what I am saying. I am merely stating that Judaism doesn’t read the texts with the Christian lens that you do in these areas. This lends to having the different conclusions that we often draw in the end.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Who told you that the devil is the lord of the world?

 

[Hodos]

Why is the devil the lord of the world?

Because your Lord is the one whom you obey. So for much of the world, the devil is their lord.

 

[SeekSalvation]

I’m curious and appreciate your response. I’ll quit the hijack of this thread. Thanks

 

[De_Maria]

Actually the Hebrew word “satan” or adversary appears in the following places:…

There is no class of angel is Judaism to whom the term “ha satan” is used exclusively. The term in Hebrew just means someone who is acting as an adversary. …
This is why Jews don’t see the angel in Job as the same “Satan the Devil” as found in Christianity, as Judaism doesn’t have that…

Interesting. Do Reconstructionist Jews see the angel in Job as a class of demon or as an emissary of God’s?

 

[BenYosef]

Do Reconstructionist Jews see the angel in Job as a class of demon or as an emissary of God’s?

It is not exclusive to Reconstructionism that the book of Job is read in this way or that Satan is not considered the entity he is in Christianity. This is not to say that it Judaism as a whole is without the belief in evil spirits or that Christianity did not get the idea without some influence from Judaism.

Some of these Christian ideas are echoed in Jewish tradition. Though not viewed as the autonomous force of evil that he is in Christianity, Satan makes an appearance in the Talmud and Hasidic literature, offering a closer parallel to Christian eschatology.

But the angel referred to as “ha satan” in Job is not considered a demon or evil spirit in any branch of Judaism. It is merely an angel that is acting in the role of an opposer to God’s statements in the narrative. Job appears to be a legendary figure, and the narrative, which is a song or poem, without any real historical basis. The value of the story is more in line with the parables told by Jesus which, though not factual, were filled with truths.

 

[De_Maria]

De_Maria:

Do Reconstructionist Jews see the angel in Job as a class of demon or as an emissary of God’s?

It is not exclusive to Reconstructionism that the book of Job is read in this way or that Satan is not considered the entity he is in Christianity. This is not to say that it Judaism as a whole is without the belief in evil spirits or that Christianity did not get the idea without some influence from Judaism.

Some of these Christian ideas are echoed in Jewish tradition. Though not viewed as the autonomous force of evil that he is in Christianity, Satan makes an appearance in the Talmud and Hasidic literature, offering a closer parallel to Christian eschatology.

But the angel referred to as “ha satan” in Job is not considered a demon or evil spirit in any branch of Judaism. It is merely an angel that is acting in the role of an opposer to God’s statements in the narrative. Job appears to be a legendary figure, and the narrative, which is a song or poem, without any real historical basis. The value of the story is more in line with the parables told by Jesus which, though not factual, were filled with truths.

I see it totally differently. To me, Job is a real person and a prefiguring of Jesus.

Job 42:8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves, and let my servant Job pray for you.[a] To him I will show favor, and not punish your folly, for you have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job.”

Anyway, thanks for indulging me.

 

[awesomecatholic]

In the end the Devil will be crushed. Jesus died for our sins, so the devil was already crushed. But, our free will allows us to continue crushing him.