Job 42:1-6
Then Job answered the Lord and said: I know that you can do everything and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. You asked, who is this who hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand. Therefore I have uttered that I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, and let me speak; you said, I will question you and you shall answer me. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you. Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.
Job in a dialogue with the Lord responded to the Lord’s profound question: Who are you to counsel me or have you become my counselor? Job acknowledged the Lord is sovereign over all things, when He declares a thing it’s established and when He establishes a thing it stands forever. “For the counsel of the Lord stands forever and the plans of His heart to all generations.”- And there is nothing that is impossible for Him. In humanity, Job confessed he drew conclusions on things he was ignorant of, because of the anguish in his heart, his words were rash and his understanding was limited (Job 3, 6). Job responded to the Lord’s question in faith “I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear” faith comes by the hearing and hearing by the word of God; Job believed in the Lord’s report. (Romans 10:17)
Job heard the words of the Lord through Eliphaz the Temanite, “Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker? As Eliphaz professed God as pure, righteous, just, and love; a God who redeems those who put their trust in Him; Eliphaz advised Job to seek God and commit his cause to Him. (Job 4,5,15,22).
Job also heard the word of the Lord through Bildad the Shuhite, as Bildad ascribes greatness to a God who is righteous and upright in His way. A God who neither subvert nor pervert justice and who will not cast away the blameless nor upload evildoers, He is a God of truth who is without injustice. Bildad advised Job to not forget God, to not leave the path of righteousness, and warned Job of the consequences of forgetting God, which leads one from darkness to light.(Job 8,18,25).
Job heard the word of the Lord through Zophar the Naamathite, as Zophar ascribed infinite wisdom to God who is wise in everything; He neither deal with us according to our sins nor punished us according to our iniquities. He also warned Job the triumph of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite is but a moment. Zophar encouraged Job to return to the Lord with all his heart, be prudent with his words, and then the Lord would deliver him and make Job’s life brighter than the noonday. (Job 11, 20)
The spiritual eyes of Job were enlightened as he was corrected, reminded, and encouraged by truth, including God speaking to him from the whirlwind. In contrite, He admitted he was wrong in his assumption of the Lord’s purpose and plans for his life and Job follow up his confession with repentance- It is the goodness of the Lord that leads us to repentance.
Pause & think
In what ways do we hear from the Lord?
Do you think Job friends were true friends, why and why not?
Did Job friends offer him comfort or condemnation and what was their original intent? (Job 2:11)
Job 42:7-9
And so it was after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz, the Temanite, ” My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends for you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has. Now, therefore, take for yourselves 7 bulls and 7 rams go to my servant Job and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken to me what is right as my servant Job has.
How did Job friends misspeak of the Lord as they attempted to comfort him?
Eliphaz the Temanite assumed Job iniquities separated him from God and if he turned from his wicked ways to the Lord, the Lord would hear him. Eliphaz asked Job if it was any pleasure to God that Job was righteous or does God gain something from Job being blameless. (Job 22: 2-5, 22) “ He does not delight in the strength of the horse, He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man, The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy. (Psalm 147:10-11) What things delight the Lord?
Bildad, the Shuhite, assumed Job had turned away from Lord, his sons sinned against Him and the Lord cast them away because of transgression and had prohibited His light from shining on Him. Every good gift and perfect gift comes from down from the Father of light with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Children are a heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. He does not deal with us according to our sin nor punished us according to our iniquities.
“Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good for His mercy endures forever.”
Zophar assumed Job was insincere, self-righteous and his iniquities separated him from God. “Mark the blameless man and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace”- Salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in times of trouble. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine, they shall be satisfied.
“Praise the Lord according to His righteousness; praise the name of the Lord Most High.”
The Lord rebuked Job’s friends concerning how they misrepresented Him on the series of events that occurred in Job’s life. They assumed God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked in their passionate yet limited narrative of their understanding of God. Even though Job friends meant well, they sat with him for 7 days and 7 nights in mourning and were sincere in their counsel, however, they misrepresented God in terms of His relationship to Job. Ironically, God accused those who accused Job of sinning and the Lord provided a means by which they could remit their sins- for without the shedding of blood there will be no remission of sin. These wise men did as the Lord commanded them and their sins were forgiven. Job foreshadowed Christ as our mediator when He interceded for his friends, despite none of them believed he was innocent, yet, the Lord answered Job’s prayers. For in Christ, we have redemption and the forgiveness of sin through His blood. Jesus, our mediator is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always makes intercession for us. (Hebrews 7:25)
Job 42:10-11
And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances came to him and dined with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him concerning all the adversity the Lord had brought on him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and gold earring.
The Lord restored Job’s losses when He obeyed the instruction of the Lord. “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” The Lord gave twice as much as he had before, as prophesied by his friends:
Eliphaz the Temanite: Receive, please instruction from His mouth, lay His word in your heart…you will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you and you will pay your vows; you will decree a thing and it will be established for you, so light will shine on your ways…“You shall know that your descendant shall be many and your offspring like the grass of the earth. You shall come to your grave at a full age; a sheaf of grain ripens in its season. (Job 22:21-30, 5:17-30, Job 42:10, 16)
Bildad the Shuhite: Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly. The Lord would show Job the secret of wisdom and his prudence would double so that life would be brighter than the noonday and he would be like the morning.” (Job 7:7, Job 42:12)
Zophar The Naamathite: And your life would be brighter than noonday. Though you were dark, you would be like the morning. And you will be secure because there is hope; yes, you would dig around you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down and no one would make you afraid. (Job 11:19, 42:16-17)
God implored Job’s friends to be reconciled to Him and did not impute their trespasses to them rather He provided a means to remit their sin and reconciled them to Himself as He corrected them. Similar to how God covered the sins of Adman and eve (Genesis 3:21) and provided a sacrifice for Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 2:28). God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Christ while on the cross asked our Father to forgive us for we did not know the Father’s intended purpose of His death was to not only redeem us from sin and death but to reconcile us to Him. (2 Corinthians 5:19). God did not send His Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Job grew in his understanding of the love of God, which surpasses knowledge and he had a deeper faith in God. Job demonstrated the love of God to his family and friends when He accepted their gifts even though they had persecuted him when he needed them the most. (Job 19:13, 22) Their gifts of silver and gold earrings were probably given to pacify his anger, and Job graciously accepted them.
After this Job lived 140 years and saw his children and grandchildren for 4 generations. So Job died, old and full of days.
Know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from fathers but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish and without spot. So let us purify our soul in obeying the truth through the Spirit, in sincere love for the brethren, loving one another fervently with a pure heart to the praise of the Father’s glory and grace.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.