DianeVera said:
Indeed in the Book of Job, "ha-satan" is portrayed as a servant of the Biblical God, not as his enemy or rival. However, "ha-satan" doesn't ask permission to do anything to Job. Rather, the Biblical God is portrayed as the one who instigates everything. The Biblical God is the one who brings up the subject of Job, asks "ha-satan" his opinion, then tells "ha-satan" to act on said opinion.
G-d brings up the subject of Job because...
Now the day came about, and the angels of G-d came to stand beside the Lord, and the Adversary, too, came among them. The Lord said to the Adversary, "Where are you coming from?" And the Adversary answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth and from walking in it."
Now the day came about That day which was Rosh Hashanah, (known as a day of sounding the shofar, and the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded the Adversary to bring the merit and the guilt of all creatures. This is the meaning of from going to and fro on the earth.)
From going to and fro on the earth and from walking in it. So is my wont to go to and fro, to see the evil ones and the good ones. Now I went to and fro throughout the entire earth and I did not find anyone like Abraham, about whom it is said (Gen. 13:17): Rise, go to and fro in the land. The Sages of blessed memory (Baba Bathra 16a) said that the Adversary meant this for the sake of Heaven, in order that Abrahams merit not be forgotten by our G-d.
Then G-d brings up Job because, Rashi says, He felt that The satan was denouncing this righteous man...
http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=16403&showrashi=true
basically The satan is saying it is easy for Job to be righteous because he has not been as tested as others have...then HaShem tells The satan to basically do his job...test Job
If you look at it from the standpoint that The satan is the one who tests us as opposed to a christian concept of a being who is trying to destroy us it makes sense that HaShem instructs The satan to perform his designed task which, apparently, he feels HaShem has not allowed him to do on Job...
Just a thought i could be wrong...