Hey Paul:

In the first paragraph I was trying to convey that man - with his free will - accounts for wicked acts in the world. Actually, a better way of communicating this would be to say that man is the DEVIL’s proactive “proxy” in unleashing so many wicked and evil acts upon each other.

I read Job completely differently than you. I used to have your interpretation - generally - until it was pointed out to me that it was not God who caused Job to suffer, it was satan. I don’t have the scripture handy, but that’s the way the whole exchange between satan and God is set up. Then, at the end, God restores Job. All along the way Job’s incredible travails are the account of satan, and God’s hand being lifted from Job.

Job is the oldest book in the OT (supposedly) and the hebrew texts vary on the exact wording. But the essence of the narrative is that satan and God had a discussion, singling out Job as a loyal servant of God, and then the devil sought to destroy Job with everything he could throw at him, whilst God knew all along that Job would withstand the assault of satan and, after God was proven correct, he restored Job.