the book of job, and an unjust god

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It is not unusual at all for morality plays to be really, really horrible. Exaggeration is a common technique to get a point across and also to keep the story exciting.Is there any reason to think that Job as well as many of the others in the Bible are not simply the same thing?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Actually I'd be more likely to consider the story of Job two have several motives.First, it is talking about the power of GOD. It is showing that GOD can do anything he wants. It is also though trying to explain to folk that you can't explain GOD in terms of what happens to you. I imagine there is an underlying attempt from the Priestly Class to try to explain why bad things happen to good people.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Very good questions that go to the heart of the issue. There is little difference but the Bible was not written simply by religious people.As look at the books of the Bible you find different parts written by different people from differing communities and with different objectives. For example, if you look at Genesis you find that is is a compilation and compendium of various oral (or perhaps written) traditions from different perspectives. Part of it is written from the perspective of a Priestly Class trying to design a bureaucracy, others by Nationalists trying to create a Nation, still others reflect the varying points of view of the settled farmers versus the nomadic herdsmen. It's not so much an us versus them situation. Rather it's more of a detective story. What is not included is as significant as what is included.What we see in John in particular is an effort to revise the prior Gospels to change the orientation from a Jewish Sect into a Christian Religion. In Job we see two themes, one from a Priestly Class trying to explain why bad things happen to good people, the other telling folk that if something bad does happen, it's because GOD wants it that way.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Actually, that doesn't seem to be the case.If you read Exodus the poor Pharaoh got played just like a rube at a carny. It was just like Job.The Pharaoh never hardened his heart until GOD told him to do so, nor did he refuse to listen. In fact, to create the literary tension, move the plot along and keep folk from falling asleep, GOD had to "Harden Pharaohs heart". The Pharaoh had no problem with the Hebrews leaving but that wouldn't have been much box office. So, to get the gate up they had to figure a way to get in the great chase scene and the way to do that was by GOD working over the poor Pharaoh.And what did the Pharaoh get for listening to GOD?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion