Repentance, Submission, and Blessing
Book of Job Chapter 42
What we will see in this last chapter of the Book of Job is that although Job had not sinned, there were many things that he did not have the right understanding of about the Lord.
Job did not have the Bible that we have today to guide Him, Job only had those things of knowledge that had been passed down from his forefathers and what he could learn talking face to face with the Lord.
Job was not very many generations from Noah, so the fear and the power of God should have been near to Job's heart.
We should clearly understand that we are to take the Word of God He has given to us, to learn all we can about our God and fools not to do so!
We are only temporary residents of this place called earth.
My mom is 91 years old, but many of us will not live that many years, but we will live eternally with the Lord so this little time we live now, is nothing compared to eternal life.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The one thing every child of God knows is, that our Heavenly Father has a plan, and we are smack dab in the middle of it and we will not be left out of God's plan.
We serve a Great Big God of All Power and we are blessed that He is a Loving and Merciful God!
The greatest wrong we do today may be the fact that, we speak too much before we have the right understanding!
This becomes really serious when we are speaking of our Lord and Savior.
*****Job 42:1 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
What is awe? Awe is fear mingled with admiration or we could say, fear mingled with reverence.
Psa 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Psa 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Psa 33:9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
In the days of Job, the rainbow had much more significance than it does today for it reminded the people of the awesomeness of God.
Today most people do not give the rainbow a second thought, but we should!
If we do not have these same thoughts that Job had, then we are the sinners, not Job.
There is nothing that God cannot do except sin. God cannot sin and God cannot lie, and God cannot be unrighteous!
It can never be said that God will do foolish things and it be true!
God can hear the smallest whisper because God can hear the thought that is in our heart before it gets to our mind and causes some action good or bad!
Job admitted he had talked about things that he had not clearly understood.
*****Job 42:3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
What is the one greatest thing that Job had learned in all this?
We have no right to question the ways of God!
We have no right to complain to God for the things we go through!
We have no right challenging God's wisdom!
We have no right challenging God justice!
We should think about these things as we have seen the results of the recent elections!
Did we vote according to the Word of God?
God does what God does anytime God wants to do so!
What did Job learn?
That he must bow in humble submission before His Creator and admit, it is God who is sovereign!
Isa 14:24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
Isa 46:8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Isa 46:11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
To be honest, we must accept all the things that God does as the right things to do, no matter how we feel about them!
Jehovah is a righteous God!
We may not ever understand all the Word of God, but the more we study ourselves, the more we listen to the Preacher, the more we attend Sunday School, the more we will understand how our Lord works in this world.
In fact God will never go against anything He has given to us in writing!
We do need to have an accurate Bible written, according to the Greek and Hebrew Manuscripts of the Received Text.
We will never understand the Bible unless the Holy Spirit lives within us and we will never have the Holy Spirit live within us, until we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.
The world can never know the truth of the Scriptures unless a child of God, led by the Holy Spirit, teaches them and of course the Holy Spirit is the greatest of all teachers and He will always, "always" lead us to Jesus the Messiah.
God has every right to demand we live according to His Word!
*****Job 42:4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
We must also understand that we must be willing to live without our questions being answered!
This is what "faith" provides!
Faith allows to go on with our life knowing that everything that God does is the right thing!
We serve a righteous God!
When our "faith" is strong our suffering will be short!
Satisfaction comes with the knowledge of the truth!
We must clearly understand, that because we have accepted the truth of God, the truth of the Lord Jesus, we are the children of God and the Lord knows best what we need in this life, and He has prepared us a place for us to live in our eternal life, where there will be no problems at all.
Another thing we must know is that we are not perfect, and we always have some sin to repent of.
Our thoughts are not always pure!
Our actions are not always right!
Our non-actions can be sin!
There are always some things that we have not done knowing we should have done!
You see, the closer we get to the Lord the better we will be in this life!
The more we know about the Lord the better we will be in this life!
When we pray, we should have a greater knowledge of the Lord's answer, if we are familiar in what the Lord has done in the past.
If we are God's child, then we can know that He will answer our prayer and we will get what we ask if we ask in faith.
The key to our relationship with the Lord and answered prayer is our "faith"!
As one man wrote "we should be crushed under the weight of God's "greatness", if we think about it!
*****Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
As God had said, Job was the most perfect man on the earth at that time, yet Job had never grasped the greatness of God.
I believe we all fall short in this category!
It is a true statement "that we need to get off self and get on the Lord".
We are nothing more than a sack of dirt, yet in the eyes of our Savior and our Creator, we are the most brightest shining jewel, upon this earth.
He is not going to harm us!
He is not going to allow this world to harm us until it is time for us to go home!
The Lord never said it was going to be easy being a Christian in fact, the Lord said just the opposite.
Joh_16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
We need to be over-comers of all the things that happen to us in this world!
The Lord teaches us to hate evil.
Joh_7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
The works of this world are always evil in some way!
The world sees an act of goodness as the first step of domination.
We must see sin as something that needs to be eradicated from this world!
We cannot allow corruption to be victorious!
For the most part we tolerate sin, when we need to express that hatred for sin the Lord teaches us to have.
This does not mean that human being, but it does mean that sin!
If Jesus testified of the works of sin, then if we are "like Christ" (Christian) then we need to testify of the works of sin!
The world does not see that being a Christian is being like Christ Jesus!
The world does not see that being a Christian is to live according to the Word of God!
We must always repent of any sin that we have, and this does not mean to tolerate the sin of others!
We are not found sincere in these things unless we have submitted to the Lord!
Now God speaks to Eliphaz.
*****Job 42:7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
You see it was right for Job to reject the error of these three so-called friends and Elihu.
The things they had said to condemn Job, were wrong!
It was Job who had said things that were right according to the truth of God!
Eliphaz had been a bad example for those other three who followed after him in accusing Job.
We see that Jehovah had chastised Job, but His wrath was against those three men.
God's own children will never see God's wrath upon them!
This is another type in the Book of Job.
God does chastise His children and will keep His children from His wrath to come.
Rom_5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, "we shall be saved from wrath through him".
But the children of disobedience will see the full force of the wrath of God.
Rom_1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against "all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness";
Rom_2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Job had remained true to God through the assault of these worldly men!
Eliphaz was a type of the world and those with him were his followers.
And the Lord does not ever change, He will reward those He has justified, and He will punish those who are disobedient sinners who refuse to accept the Lord Jesus Christ, and refuse to repent!
When we have been "justified" by the Lord it does not matter if we are wrongly judged by the world.
The world thinks we are all hypocrites, anyhow!
We are not of this world just pilgrims passing through this world!
The world that rejects the ways of God cannot then judge the godly!
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Then God shows mercy to these men rather than "judgment" at this time.
*****Job 42:8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
As I said at the beginning of our lessons in the Book of Job, we see Job was considered a Priest in his day.
This is also another proof of Job's innocence.
Here again we see that Job was told to do these things before the 613 laws were given to the Jews.
2Ch 29:21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
2Ch 29:22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.
That word "folly" means foolishness, but it also means wickedness.
Those who defend these three men should know that Jehovah said they were wicked!
Wicked people do wicked things, insisting they are only trying to help, just as corrupt people do corrupt things insisting that is was only for the good of our nation, and everyone to vote in our recent elections and they do not see the wrong in doing so to achieve their goal, a quest for power.
This is the same goal of the Antichrist, "power"!
These three men did exactly what the Lord told them to do, and we can be sure Elihu was watching and listening just as he had been doing all along, but was probably not near 30 years of age.
*****Job 42:9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.
Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Before Job could offer up a sacrifice for these three men, he would have first had to offer up a sacrifice for himself and God had accepted that sacrifice along with this sacrifice for these three men.
Remember these three men had been inspired and used by Satan, and God put a stop to it, and again placed that hedge of protection around His child Job.
What did Solomon teach after such things?
Ecc 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Ecc 9:8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Ecc 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Ecc 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
We also see that the Lord also took Satan out of the picture for the rest of the days of the life of Job!
Once Job was healed and his grief ended, we see that Job was accepted again by his friends and family who had also been influenced by Satan.
*****Job 42:11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
Job had suffered for no wrong that He had done and when we suffer in this way God smiles! Why?
Because we are growing to be more like His Son.
Again we see Job as a type of Christ.
1Pe 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
1Pe 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Job was humbled by his conversation with the Lord and he now knew much more about the ways of God.
These are the reasons that the Book of Job, and all the wisdom books are in the Bible.
This is why the Book of Job is considered a wisdom book, because we can learn the ways of our God and we are very wrong when we do not try to learn about Him.
We need to understand the way the Lord deals with sin and His children.
We say the patience of Job and Job was a great man of God, but I still do not understand why the Lord puts up with us.
I do not know how God could have sent His Son to pay for my sin and all our sin.
Notice how Job's friends and family return, still blaming God for bringing evil upon Job, still not claiming God to be a righteous God.
They do now show the signs of true comforters.
1) They came in respect. We must show respect to our brothers and sisters in their time of need.
2) They brought food. We should bring food because many will not fix for themselves.
3) They brought money. When possible or when needed we may have to provide for their necessities.
2Co_8:14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:
4) They came with the intention to comfort. We must come as comforters and not accusers!
Yes, God allowed these things, but we should be thanking God for these valuable lessons we have learned and can learn for the Book of Job.
Notice how God will always make us pay for the harm we cause our brothers and sisters.
Their comfort was not in their money nor that gold, their comfort was in remembering that they should have supported Job from the beginning and not have abandoned him.
It is God who blessed Job!
*****Job 42:12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
Notice how Job was now twice as rich as he had been before.
We do not know the time frame for all these things that happened to Job, but I do not think it was a long period of time.
We see that God knew exactly how many animals Job had before they had vanished.
God knows more about us than we know ourselves!
As the children of God there are some things we need to understand!
1) All our earthly troubles will sooner or later have a blessed ending.
2) Our success in this life is not what we have in the beginning but what we have at the ending.
3) Our afflictions are not penalties but for correction and sanctification.
4) At the end of this day if it ends in peace, we should be devoutly thankful and press onward till we reach that ending that sums up our lifetime upon this earth, remembering that we need to cling to our integrity as a "Born Again" child of God.
5) All true blessings come from our Heavenly Father!
Jas_1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
The Lord also blessed Job again with seven sons and three daughters and this time we know their names.
*****Job 42:13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.
Job 42:14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.
The greatest treasure that God allowed to be restored was children.
Job again had seven sons and three daughters.
Some would say why not 20 as with the animals.
Job had the knowledge that those first ten were in Heaven!
As head of the family, it was still Job's job to try to make sure that these ten would live righteously and when Job got to Heaven and when their time on earth ended there would be twenty of Job's children in Heaven.
Jemima a beautiful child meaning "as beautiful as the day" some also say it has the meaning of "dove".
Jezia (Cassia) meaning, "sweet-scented".
Psa 45:8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
Kerenhappuch (Kehren Happook) meaning "horn of cosmetics" taken from the Hebrew words meaning "ivory" or a ray of light added to "glowing" as in "glowing eyes".
No doubt Job's three daughters were the fairest in all the lands in their day!
*****Job 42:15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
In the day of Job it was the men who were left an inheritance and the women were expected to marry and that husband provide for his wife but Job decided to go against the grain and he equally left all ten of his children an inheritance and Job was rich, that inheritance was great.
So many say that the Bible does not treat men and women equally but we see God always treats everyone equal but he also insist in the order of the family with the man the head of the family in a Christian home led by the Lord.
There will be order in the Church the Lord the Head of the Church and that Christ called man of God to be the shepherd of the Church.
But God was not through blessing Job.
*****Job 42:16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.
Job 42:17 So Job died, being old and full of days.
Job lived to see his grandchildren, his great grandchildren, and his great-great grandchildren and Job's life was full.
Full meaning, abounding in love and grace and peace for a hundred and forty more years.
Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
The Lord Jesus was very compassionate and merciful also, but today He has patience greater than Job as that old accuser is constantly in His ear accusing those Jesus died for.
Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
The Lord's patience has an ending and according to many scriptures the Lord could return at any time and redeem His children!
Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment