God's role in the Bible is characterized in several different ways, with dramatically competing attributes. It performs many functions and, like literary characters, it is dynamic and evolves over time. The representation of God is unique in the distinct books of the Bible. This flexibility of role and character is illustrated by the divergence between the depiction of God in the book of Genesis and the depiction of God in the book of Job. On a larger scale, God creates with intention in Genesis, in contrast to the wanton destruction in Job. However, as the scale diminishes, God's creative authority can be seen in both books, and yet this creative authority manifests itself in quite distinct ways. In Genesis, God as creator is ideal, moral and rational; in Job, God as creator is boastful, imperfect, and discredited by his own pride. As the first line of Genesis explicitly states, “God created the heavens and the earth”; God is a creator (Genesis 1:1). He is all-powerful, gentle and remains above his creation. In His perfect, distant way, God announces “let there be” a new creation, and so it is (Genesis 1:3). The simple process ends with him seeing his creation is good, his blessing, and the circular pattern of evening and morning. He is the essence of a divine Creator. Genesis paints an ideal picture of God in which he forms the heavens and the earth, the day and the night, the water and the sky, the earth and the sea, the plants, the creatures and humanity – all with intention. In the first chapter of Genesis, everything God creates has a clear and simple name, which reflects the greatness of creation without boasting. The light is called “Day”, the darkness is called “Night” and there is nothing left. Each individual ...... middle of paper ...... other books throughout the Bible. On the other hand, the book of Job is of unknown authorship and origin, which is reflected in God's inconsistent attributes with many of his other depictions in additional books. While the first view of God given in the Bible is that of a perfect creator, the flexibility of His nature allows His characteristics to evolve in different contexts. His rational, reasonable, and moral personality in the first book contrasts sharply with his boastful, immoral, and flawed ways in the final book of Job. Instead of creating methodically, he destroys unjustly. However, on a more complex level, God is creator in both stories. Job's depiction of his creative authority is discredited by his overly proud and sarcastic portrayal of his own achievement. This leads to further divergence between its two already distinct roles..