Gives and Takes Away?

Today in church a song was sung about our God who gives and takes away. I understand this verse in the song comes from Job 1:21 where Job says, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." I have issues with songs that quote this verse as if to say that is who our God is. This is why.

First - Job is the oldest book in the Bible. The Bible is a progressive revelation of God to mankind. We are still to this day moving forward on the shoulders of past generations as God continually reveals more and more of who He is to us. Since Job is the oldest book in the Bible, it means that God is beginning the revelation of Himself in this book. We find Job 1:21 right at the beginning of this first book and it is clearly Job speaking about the way he views God. Just because a person's thoughts are recorded in the Bible doesn't mean we stand on them as truths to live by. Knowing what Job said is part of the story of Job. So in this oldest book in the Bible Job makes a statement about what he thinks about who God is. Job was alive before Abraham and this was his understanding of covenant.

Second - In the story of Abraham, we see God reveal Who He is Himself. He calls Himself Jehovah Jireh (The Lord will Provide). It is the first of His 7 redemptive names (7 names of God showing God's Redemptive relationship to us). Each of these 7 names points to a continuos and increasing self-revelation. Jehovah means "the self existent One who reveals Himself," and Jireh means "Provider." Each of the 7 redemptive names point to the cross and a different blessing that is provided by the Atonement. The 7 names are Jehovah Tsidkenu (God is our Righteousness), Jehovah Shalom (God is our Peace), Jehovah Ra'ah (God is our Guide), Jehovah Rapha (God is our Healer), Jehovah Jireh (God is our Provider), Jehovah Shammah (God is Ever Present), and Jehovah Nissi (God is our Victory). These 7 names express God's nature as revealed by Himself. The represent the redemptive blessings Christ died to provide. Jehovah (God) is seen as meeting every need of man from his lost state to the end. God reveals Himself as the Provider of our every need. So we know that God gives and that part of Job's statement was correct.

Third - You would be very hard pressed to find another verse that shares the same viewpoint as Job in Job 1:21. The entire Bible is the story of Redemption. We see no where God is the one taking away something good. He takes away the sins of the world. He takes away bad things, but never good. The song we sang in church today was about God taking away good things. Here's some scripture

"No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless (Psalm 84:11)"
"And God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)"
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door shall be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to all who ask? (Luke 11:9-12)"
"I have come that they might have Life and have it to the full (John 10:10)."

The devil is seen regularly as the one who "steals, kills, and destroys (John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8, Luke 8:12)." God is always good (Psalm 100:5, 119:68, Matthew 10:19, John 10:11, 1 Peter 2:3) and He is Love (1 John 4:8, 16).

I don't understand how we as believers can take one verse, spoken by Job in his frustration, discount the entire rest of the Bible, and then say this is who God is. That is not who God is! Stop saying He is. Stop singing He is. Look at the Bible. God promises to meet your every need. How do receive anything from God? Through Faith. When we continually sing that God gives and takes away, we effectively kill our faith for Him to meet our needs. How about we look to the Bible and who God says He is rather than some catchy song.