Job and the Just God

February 27, 2022 Background Scripture: Job 42 Lesson Passage: Job 42:1 - 6, 10 - 17 At the end of the Book of Job, Job had come to a more spiritually mature understanding of God's relationship with people. Job did not attribute his new understanding to being taught by a person, but rather his own personal experience. There is nothing like experiencing God for yourself. Contrary to the opinion of some, God doesn't become real to us because we read the Bible. But rather the Bible comes alive as we experience God in our lives. At that point, the Bible is no longer just words written in a book. Experiencing God gives new meaning to the word of God. Job admitted that he was ignorant before his experience. Ignorance means lack of knowledge. Ignorance is not the same as stupidity unless one wants to remain ignorant. Job thought he understood some things about God that he did not understand. Not only was Job willing to acknowledge his prior ignorance, but he also prayed a prayer of repentance. Experiencing God is always greater than anything we can be taught—or happen to read. Additionally, now that Job had a new awareness of God, God showed Job that there was another step that Job needed to take. Job needed to pray for his friends who had falsely accused him. This is not always an easy assignment. God personally rebuked Job's friends and sent them to Job with a sacrifice to be offered along with Job's intercessory prayer for them. At this point, God was placing Job in the position of being a priest for his friends. They brought sacrifices to Job so that he could offer prayers to God on their behalf. Although it was not required, God restored twice as much wealth to Job as what he previously loss. That's God's faithfulness towards His own. God also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters. There are three things I find noteworthy about the rebuilding of Job's family. First, when it comes to property or livestock, the restored amount was twice as much as he owned previously. However, when it comes to children, the numbers are the same as before. This seems to speak to the perpetuity of the human soul. Job's first ten children were killed by a great wind destroying the house while they were in it, but they were still his children. In other words, there was no reason to give him six more daughters and fourteen more sons since the first group was still Job's children After all this had come to past, Job would count six daughters and fourteen sons as offspring. The second thing worth noting is that the names of the last three daughters are given. Neither the names of the first three daughters nor the names of any of the sons were given. Finally, it is worth noting that it was unusual during the times of the patriarchs for daughters to be given the right of inheritance alongside sons. Job gave his daughters that right. After these things, Job's friends and extended family came to visit and console him. Job lived an additional one hundred forty years after the events that are recorded. Those additional years allowed Job to see his offspring to four generations. I have no doubt that the additional years of Job's life were also spent teaching his family and friends the ways of God more perfectly. We sometimes speak of the patience of Job, but the events of this book speak more of the newfound wisdom of Job. It is wisdom because Job applied this newly gained knowledge of God: Even when the circumstances of life seem unfair, God is always a just God. Robert C, Hudson January 22, 2022