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Can God 'give, then take it away'?

What does the saying 'God gives and takes away' mean?

Clarify (1) Share Report Asked April 22 2016 Mini Anonymous

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Mini Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army
The quotation in the question is from Job 1:21, and was Job's reaction to the loss of his children and his wealth as a result of the affliction that God had permitted Satan to bring upon Job to prove that Job did not serve God merely because God had prospered him. (The next verse also notes that, despite all that Job had lost, he did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.)

As Job also said in Job 1:21, he had come naked from his mother's womb, with no possessions. Everything that he (or we) might acquire is ultimately a gift or blessing from God, to be used for His purposes (although we might all be tempted to forget that, and to pridefully view any prosperity we experience as being entirely the result of our own efforts, to do with as we please).

God is ultimately in control (through either His directive or permissive will) of what happens to us in this life. He delights in giving good things to His children, but we can take nothing from this life with us when we die. It is thus eventually all taken away from us, in one form or another.

If God in His omniscience and omnipotence permits such a loss through no doing or fault of our own, He is also able to make even that loss ultimately work for our good, as long as we remain faithful in our love and service to Him (Romans 8:28).

April 23 2016 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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1678030644.260467 Charles Crabtree Supporter
In Matt.18:23 Jesus tells a parable about a king forgiving an huge unpayable debt after his servant worshipped him. After this servant would not forgive a small debt owed to him the king took away his original forgiveness of the huge debt and put the servant in prison to be tortured until he payed all of an unpayable debt.

After this parable Jesus says his Father will do the same if we do not forgive from the heart.

My interpretation is that God can take back what he has given. Whether this is salvation or not I am unsure.

Jesus died for our sin plain and simple, but is there a difference between a sin and a trespass? My reading of Leviticus about sin offerings and debt or trespass offerings makes me think there could be a difference.

In the Lord's prayer we are taught to pray for forgiveness of debt and trespasses. Is this because Jesus knew he would cover our sin but not trespasses.

To answer the question I think God can take back what he has given without going against his word.

August 17 2019 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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