24 February 2019
CENTRAL TRUTH
God in His own Sovereignty and time rescues and restores those who faithfully depend on Him in hardship.
MEMORY VERSE: The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. Job 42:12a.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: That at the end of this Lesson the student would be able to: 1. Explain the circumstances of Job’s affliction and restoration. 2. Remain steadfast in faith in the midst of trials.
LESSON TEXT: Job 42:1-17
Job 42: 1. Then Job replied to the Lord: 2. “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4. “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ 5. My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” 7. After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. 8. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 9. So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. 10. After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren- Happuch. 15. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17. And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
I. JOB’S REPENTANCE
A. Acknowledgement of God’s Greatness
B. Acceptance of his Weakness
II. JOB’S RECONCILIATION
A. Rebuked B. Restitution
III. JOB’S RESTORATION
A. Family
B. Fortune
C. Favour
INTRODUCTION
The story of Job ends on a positive note emphasizing the fact that good always triumphs over evil. The psalmist David said, “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all” (Ps. 34:19). God would not abandon his own in times of trouble; He would always rescue and help them. God is faithful to his promises and that when all seem lost that is when He shows his power. Although like Job, we may not understand why we go through certain trials and difficult situations in life, we should understand that God will not fail and that He will save and restore those who put their trust and hope in Him. God did not give Job any reason for his sufferings, but He gave him a fuller knowledge of the all-powerful and all-wise God, and this changed Job’s thinking. Now Job saw that God is above all and in control of everything; He is concerned about the smallest detail. Although Job may not have understood the reason why God did those things, he was assured that God was working according to His own purposes, and those purposes were perfect. Job suffered but he also found peace, for the God who revealed Himself to him was greater than Job ever imagined. Humbly, Job confessed the truth of God’s questioning him that he had darkened His counsel without knowledge (42:3; cf. 38:2). God had challenged Job to answer his questions (42:4; cf. 38:3), but Job now had nothing to say.
Previously, he had a theoretical knowledge of God, but now he personally met God. Although his questions were not answered, he himself was fully satisfied (42:5-6). In this lesson, we will learn how the trials we go through should draw us closer to God and make us experience Him in a more intimate and beneficial way.
I. JOB’S REPENTANCE – Job 42:1-6 A. Acknowledgement of God’s Greatness – v. 1-5
Job admitted that he had spoken out of ignorance and therefore acknowledged God’s greatness. He acknowledged God’s unlimited power, knowledge and dominion. His answer shows his humility and submission to God. He confessed that God does all things well; that everything God allows to happen agrees with His wisdom and purpose; and that even the suffering of godly people has meaning and purpose. Job humbled himself before the Lord and acknowledged His power and justice in executing His plans (v. 2). Then Job admitted that his words had been wrong and that he had spoken about things he didn’t understand (v. 3). Job withdrew his accusations that God was unjust and not treating him fairly. He realized that whatever God does is right and man must accept it by faith. In our trials and difficult moments, we should be conscious of the fact that God is all-powerful and able to do what he purposes to do and no one can stop him. We may not always understand the issues of life but we can always have the assurance that God knows and understands and in the end, all things would work out for our good according to His purpose.
B. Acceptance of His Weakness – v. 6 “Surely I spoke of the things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know”. ..(v.3b). Job now admits his own weakness in contrast to the unlimited greatness and dominion of God. In the midst of this revelation and understanding Job now proclaims “. . . I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” – v. 6. Job acknowledged his error and was ready to submit to and serve God no matter what happened to him. The word “Repent”, in this case, means to “change one’s way of thinking and to express true regret for previous thoughts or actions.” Job considered himself, and even his morality, as mere “dust and ashes” before a holy God.
II. JOB’S RECONCILIATION – Job 42:7-9 Job’s friends who went to him with obvious intention of comforting him ended up
compounding his misery by concluding that he was suffering because of his sins. They had confronted Job with philosophies and human wisdom and inflicted more mental and emotional pain on Job.
A. Rebuked – v.7 “You have not spoken of me what is right” The Lord’s assessment of the friends of Job was that they had erred in their arguments with Job. The Lord spoke sternly to the three friends of Job for their faithless and incorrect ideas about Him and for their false accusations against Job. Their three main errors were:
1. They tried to hold on to their extreme views about the relationship between prosperity and suffering. They were wrong: the righteous do not always experience blessing and the wicked do not always experience hardship.
2. They urged Job to admit to a sin he had not committed so that he might escape his suffering and perhaps regain God’s blessing. They may not have realized it, but in reality, they tempted Job to use God for personal gain. If Job had followed their advice, he would have lost God’s trust in him and confirmed Satan’s claim that Job served God only for personal benefit.
3. They had been arrogant in claiming that they were speaking for God when some of their views were not right. “My wrath is kindled”, means “I am angry with you.” The reason for God’s anger is “you have not spoken of me what is right.” What is right means what is correct and consistent with the facts. It is used in the Hebrew of Deuteronomy 17:4; 1 Samuel 23:23. Today’s English Version Bible renders it here as “the truth.” Job’s friends insisted that Job’s calamities were God’s punishment for his sins. Job maintained that he had not brought this punishment on himself through sin. So, the friends were saying things about God that were not true. Job was correct in what he was saying about God, but he drew conclusions from it that portrayed God as unjust. It is for these wrong conclusions that Job had just repented. (Reyburn, William David: A Handbook on the Book of Job, 1992)
B. Restitution – vs. 8 - 9 God’s recommendation to the three friends of Job was that they should go to Job for him to intercede for them. This meant a reconciliation with Job and God – a reconciliation with Job because they had not treated him fairly and a reconciliation with God because they did not speak well of Him. God calls Job “my servant” and states that his prayer was accepted. Because of Job’s godly humility and devotion, God honoured Job with special favour and spiritual authority. God accepted Job’s prayer for his three friends because of Job’s right relationship with Him (v. 8-9) It is important for us to forgive and reconcile with those whose words and actions cause us pain and sorrow in order to receive favour and honour from God. God now takes the initiative to reconcile the friends to himself and to Job. In chapter 1 verse 5, Job offered burnt offerings to God on behalf of his children. Job is now asked to make a similar sacrifice, which confirms the fact that God accepts Job.
Seven bulls and seven rams is a large sacrifice. Job is to play the role of the mediator, like Abraham in Genesis 20:7, Moses in Numbers 21:7, and Samul in 1 Samuel 7:5; 12:19, 23. However, it is the friends who supply the animals for the sacrifice. (Reyburn, William David: A Handbook on the Book of Job, 1992).
III. JOB’S RESTORATION – Job 42:10-17 When Job forgave and interceded for his friends, God restored to him in double portion all that he had lost. By forgiving his friends and praying for them, Job brought back the blessing to his own life (vs. 10). We only hurt ourselves when we refuse to forgive others.
A. Family – vs. 10-11, 13-15 Job’s reconciliation with God and his friends has been established. The circle now widens as he is restored to society in the form of his brothers and sisters. The larger circle is made up of all who had known him before; these are his “former friends”. There is no suggestion that these people had come to help Job in his calamity.
These friends and relatives showed him sympathy and comfort, which was the intention of the three friends in chapter 2 verse 11, but they never succeeded in doing it. The actions of the three friends were in response to the evil they assumed was inflicted on Job by God. In chapter 2 verse 10 Job asked “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” In chapter 30 verse 26 Job said “when I looked for good, evil came.” This is said in Job’s complaint of the harsh treatment he received from God. (Reyburn, William David: A Handbook on the Book of Job, 1992).
B. Fortune - vs.12 God restored to Job twice the number of livestock he had before (v. 10 cf. 1:3) so that his latter years were more prosperous than the former. Did this outpouring of material blessing from God mean that the theory of the three self-appointed jurors was correct, after all? (They had predicted that prosperity follows repentance, Job 5:8, 17-26; 8:5- 7, 21; 11:13-19). No, the restoration of wealth was a token of God’s grace, not an obligation of His justice. Since Job had (unknowingly) silenced Satan by not cursing God, and since he had repented of his pride his suffering did not need to continue. The restoring of his estate demonstrated to his friends that God had restored him.
Furthermore, the Book of Job does not deny the general biblical principle that God blesses the righteous. Instead the Scriptures show that the principle that God always prospers the righteous is not always the case. God in His sovereignty can give or hold back—blessings in accordance with his purposes. (Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985)
C. Favour-vs. 16-17 Job lived 140 years after his ordeal. Job saw his descendants to the fourth generation that is, he lived to see his great-great- grandchildren. His death came not when he was in intense agony from his losses (as he had prayed, Job 3:20-26; 10:18- 22), but later when he was full of years. Job received all that he had lost not because of his purity or blameless life but because of the favour of God upon his life.
“. . . Now I see that you are able to do all things” (Job 42:2, 5)
INSIGHT
This book, probably the oldest in the Bible, deals with mankind’s most pressing problems: the question of suffering and man’s relationship with God. Job’s experience billboards the truth that man’s worship of God does not stem from a business- like contract, whereby he earns material rewards from God. Man’s relationship to God is not a juridical arrangement in which He is obligated to reward man for every good act. Instead, man is to trust God, worship Him regardless of his circumstances, and rely on the perfections of His character even when God’s ways are not fully understood. Misfortune does not mean God has forsaken His own. It does mean He has plans that the sufferer may know nothing of. A believer’s unmerited tragedy may never be fully understood. Yet he can realize that God is in charge, that God still loves him and cares for him. This is what Job learned. His three denouncers said suffering’s purpose is always discipline (punishment for wrongdoing); Job felt it was for destruction (thinking God was determined to destroy him); Elihu stressed that the aim is direction (to keep him from death). But God had two purposes: demonstration (that Satan’s allegations were false) and development (of Job’s spiritual insight). Therefore, to attack God, to malign Him, challenge him, accuse Him, bait Him, or try to corner Him all of which Job did—are out of the question for a believer. To criticize God’s wisdom only shows one’s own ignorance. The chasm between God and man leaves no place for pride and self-sufficiency.
Job did not receive explanations regarding his problems; but he did come to a much deeper sense of the majesty and loving care of God. Thus, he came to trust Him more fully, knowing that His ways should not be challenged.
Though often inexplicable and mysterious, God’s plans are benevolent and beneficial. (Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985)
We must not misinterpret this final chapter and conclude that every trial will end with all problems solved, all hard feelings forgiven, and everybody “living happily ever after”. It just doesn’t always happen that way! This chapter assures us that, no matter what happens to us, God always writes the last chapter. Therefore, we don’t have to be afraid. We can trust God to do what is right no matter how painful our situation might be. But Job’s greatest blessing was not the regaining of his health and wealth or the rebuilding of his family and circle of friends. His greatest blessing was knowing God better and understanding his working in a deeper way. As James wrote, “You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the purpose of the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11). And Hebrews 12:11 reminds us: “Now, no chastening seems to be joyous for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (NKJV). “In the whole story of Job,” wrote G. Campbell Morgan, “we see the patience of God and endurance of man. When these acts in fellowship, the issue is certain. It is that of the coming forth from the fire as gold, that of receiving the crown of life” (The Answers of Jesus to Job, Baker, p. 117). (Wiersbe, Warren W.: Be Patient, 1991)
1. Why do the righteous suffer?
2. What should be the Christian’s attitude towards suffering?
3. How would you counsel a faithful Christian who is going through suffering?
4. Does God always prosper faithful Christians? Explain.
DAILY BIBLE READING
Mon. Promise of Restoration - Joel 2:23-27
Tues. Complete Restoration - Genesis 40:13, 20-21
Wed. Restoration of Life - James 5:19-20
Thu. Divine Restoration - Jeremiah 30:16-24
Fri. Restoration of Fortunes - Jeremiah 33:23-26
Sat. Restoration of Sight - Mark 8:24-26 Tags agss
CENTRAL TRUTH
God in His own Sovereignty and time rescues and restores those who faithfully depend on Him in hardship.
THE RESTORATION OF JOB
MEMORY VERSE: The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. Job 42:12a.
LESSON OBJECTIVES: That at the end of this Lesson the student would be able to: 1. Explain the circumstances of Job’s affliction and restoration. 2. Remain steadfast in faith in the midst of trials.
LESSON TEXT: Job 42:1-17
Job 42: 1. Then Job replied to the Lord: 2. “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4. “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ 5. My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” 7. After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. 8. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 9. So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. 10. After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren- Happuch. 15. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17. And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
LESSON OUTLINE
I. JOB’S REPENTANCE
A. Acknowledgement of God’s Greatness
B. Acceptance of his Weakness
II. JOB’S RECONCILIATION
A. Rebuked B. Restitution
III. JOB’S RESTORATION
A. Family
B. Fortune
C. Favour
BIBLE EXPOSITION
INTRODUCTION
The story of Job ends on a positive note emphasizing the fact that good always triumphs over evil. The psalmist David said, “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all” (Ps. 34:19). God would not abandon his own in times of trouble; He would always rescue and help them. God is faithful to his promises and that when all seem lost that is when He shows his power. Although like Job, we may not understand why we go through certain trials and difficult situations in life, we should understand that God will not fail and that He will save and restore those who put their trust and hope in Him. God did not give Job any reason for his sufferings, but He gave him a fuller knowledge of the all-powerful and all-wise God, and this changed Job’s thinking. Now Job saw that God is above all and in control of everything; He is concerned about the smallest detail. Although Job may not have understood the reason why God did those things, he was assured that God was working according to His own purposes, and those purposes were perfect. Job suffered but he also found peace, for the God who revealed Himself to him was greater than Job ever imagined. Humbly, Job confessed the truth of God’s questioning him that he had darkened His counsel without knowledge (42:3; cf. 38:2). God had challenged Job to answer his questions (42:4; cf. 38:3), but Job now had nothing to say.
Previously, he had a theoretical knowledge of God, but now he personally met God. Although his questions were not answered, he himself was fully satisfied (42:5-6). In this lesson, we will learn how the trials we go through should draw us closer to God and make us experience Him in a more intimate and beneficial way.
I. JOB’S REPENTANCE – Job 42:1-6 A. Acknowledgement of God’s Greatness – v. 1-5
Job admitted that he had spoken out of ignorance and therefore acknowledged God’s greatness. He acknowledged God’s unlimited power, knowledge and dominion. His answer shows his humility and submission to God. He confessed that God does all things well; that everything God allows to happen agrees with His wisdom and purpose; and that even the suffering of godly people has meaning and purpose. Job humbled himself before the Lord and acknowledged His power and justice in executing His plans (v. 2). Then Job admitted that his words had been wrong and that he had spoken about things he didn’t understand (v. 3). Job withdrew his accusations that God was unjust and not treating him fairly. He realized that whatever God does is right and man must accept it by faith. In our trials and difficult moments, we should be conscious of the fact that God is all-powerful and able to do what he purposes to do and no one can stop him. We may not always understand the issues of life but we can always have the assurance that God knows and understands and in the end, all things would work out for our good according to His purpose.
B. Acceptance of His Weakness – v. 6 “Surely I spoke of the things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know”. ..(v.3b). Job now admits his own weakness in contrast to the unlimited greatness and dominion of God. In the midst of this revelation and understanding Job now proclaims “. . . I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” – v. 6. Job acknowledged his error and was ready to submit to and serve God no matter what happened to him. The word “Repent”, in this case, means to “change one’s way of thinking and to express true regret for previous thoughts or actions.” Job considered himself, and even his morality, as mere “dust and ashes” before a holy God.
II. JOB’S RECONCILIATION – Job 42:7-9 Job’s friends who went to him with obvious intention of comforting him ended up
compounding his misery by concluding that he was suffering because of his sins. They had confronted Job with philosophies and human wisdom and inflicted more mental and emotional pain on Job.
A. Rebuked – v.7 “You have not spoken of me what is right” The Lord’s assessment of the friends of Job was that they had erred in their arguments with Job. The Lord spoke sternly to the three friends of Job for their faithless and incorrect ideas about Him and for their false accusations against Job. Their three main errors were:
1. They tried to hold on to their extreme views about the relationship between prosperity and suffering. They were wrong: the righteous do not always experience blessing and the wicked do not always experience hardship.
2. They urged Job to admit to a sin he had not committed so that he might escape his suffering and perhaps regain God’s blessing. They may not have realized it, but in reality, they tempted Job to use God for personal gain. If Job had followed their advice, he would have lost God’s trust in him and confirmed Satan’s claim that Job served God only for personal benefit.
3. They had been arrogant in claiming that they were speaking for God when some of their views were not right. “My wrath is kindled”, means “I am angry with you.” The reason for God’s anger is “you have not spoken of me what is right.” What is right means what is correct and consistent with the facts. It is used in the Hebrew of Deuteronomy 17:4; 1 Samuel 23:23. Today’s English Version Bible renders it here as “the truth.” Job’s friends insisted that Job’s calamities were God’s punishment for his sins. Job maintained that he had not brought this punishment on himself through sin. So, the friends were saying things about God that were not true. Job was correct in what he was saying about God, but he drew conclusions from it that portrayed God as unjust. It is for these wrong conclusions that Job had just repented. (Reyburn, William David: A Handbook on the Book of Job, 1992)
B. Restitution – vs. 8 - 9 God’s recommendation to the three friends of Job was that they should go to Job for him to intercede for them. This meant a reconciliation with Job and God – a reconciliation with Job because they had not treated him fairly and a reconciliation with God because they did not speak well of Him. God calls Job “my servant” and states that his prayer was accepted. Because of Job’s godly humility and devotion, God honoured Job with special favour and spiritual authority. God accepted Job’s prayer for his three friends because of Job’s right relationship with Him (v. 8-9) It is important for us to forgive and reconcile with those whose words and actions cause us pain and sorrow in order to receive favour and honour from God. God now takes the initiative to reconcile the friends to himself and to Job. In chapter 1 verse 5, Job offered burnt offerings to God on behalf of his children. Job is now asked to make a similar sacrifice, which confirms the fact that God accepts Job.
Seven bulls and seven rams is a large sacrifice. Job is to play the role of the mediator, like Abraham in Genesis 20:7, Moses in Numbers 21:7, and Samul in 1 Samuel 7:5; 12:19, 23. However, it is the friends who supply the animals for the sacrifice. (Reyburn, William David: A Handbook on the Book of Job, 1992).
III. JOB’S RESTORATION – Job 42:10-17 When Job forgave and interceded for his friends, God restored to him in double portion all that he had lost. By forgiving his friends and praying for them, Job brought back the blessing to his own life (vs. 10). We only hurt ourselves when we refuse to forgive others.
A. Family – vs. 10-11, 13-15 Job’s reconciliation with God and his friends has been established. The circle now widens as he is restored to society in the form of his brothers and sisters. The larger circle is made up of all who had known him before; these are his “former friends”. There is no suggestion that these people had come to help Job in his calamity.
These friends and relatives showed him sympathy and comfort, which was the intention of the three friends in chapter 2 verse 11, but they never succeeded in doing it. The actions of the three friends were in response to the evil they assumed was inflicted on Job by God. In chapter 2 verse 10 Job asked “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” In chapter 30 verse 26 Job said “when I looked for good, evil came.” This is said in Job’s complaint of the harsh treatment he received from God. (Reyburn, William David: A Handbook on the Book of Job, 1992).
B. Fortune - vs.12 God restored to Job twice the number of livestock he had before (v. 10 cf. 1:3) so that his latter years were more prosperous than the former. Did this outpouring of material blessing from God mean that the theory of the three self-appointed jurors was correct, after all? (They had predicted that prosperity follows repentance, Job 5:8, 17-26; 8:5- 7, 21; 11:13-19). No, the restoration of wealth was a token of God’s grace, not an obligation of His justice. Since Job had (unknowingly) silenced Satan by not cursing God, and since he had repented of his pride his suffering did not need to continue. The restoring of his estate demonstrated to his friends that God had restored him.
Furthermore, the Book of Job does not deny the general biblical principle that God blesses the righteous. Instead the Scriptures show that the principle that God always prospers the righteous is not always the case. God in His sovereignty can give or hold back—blessings in accordance with his purposes. (Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985)
C. Favour-vs. 16-17 Job lived 140 years after his ordeal. Job saw his descendants to the fourth generation that is, he lived to see his great-great- grandchildren. His death came not when he was in intense agony from his losses (as he had prayed, Job 3:20-26; 10:18- 22), but later when he was full of years. Job received all that he had lost not because of his purity or blameless life but because of the favour of God upon his life.
“. . . Now I see that you are able to do all things” (Job 42:2, 5)
INSIGHT
This book, probably the oldest in the Bible, deals with mankind’s most pressing problems: the question of suffering and man’s relationship with God. Job’s experience billboards the truth that man’s worship of God does not stem from a business- like contract, whereby he earns material rewards from God. Man’s relationship to God is not a juridical arrangement in which He is obligated to reward man for every good act. Instead, man is to trust God, worship Him regardless of his circumstances, and rely on the perfections of His character even when God’s ways are not fully understood. Misfortune does not mean God has forsaken His own. It does mean He has plans that the sufferer may know nothing of. A believer’s unmerited tragedy may never be fully understood. Yet he can realize that God is in charge, that God still loves him and cares for him. This is what Job learned. His three denouncers said suffering’s purpose is always discipline (punishment for wrongdoing); Job felt it was for destruction (thinking God was determined to destroy him); Elihu stressed that the aim is direction (to keep him from death). But God had two purposes: demonstration (that Satan’s allegations were false) and development (of Job’s spiritual insight). Therefore, to attack God, to malign Him, challenge him, accuse Him, bait Him, or try to corner Him all of which Job did—are out of the question for a believer. To criticize God’s wisdom only shows one’s own ignorance. The chasm between God and man leaves no place for pride and self-sufficiency.
Job did not receive explanations regarding his problems; but he did come to a much deeper sense of the majesty and loving care of God. Thus, he came to trust Him more fully, knowing that His ways should not be challenged.
Though often inexplicable and mysterious, God’s plans are benevolent and beneficial. (Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985)
LIFE APPLICATION
We must not misinterpret this final chapter and conclude that every trial will end with all problems solved, all hard feelings forgiven, and everybody “living happily ever after”. It just doesn’t always happen that way! This chapter assures us that, no matter what happens to us, God always writes the last chapter. Therefore, we don’t have to be afraid. We can trust God to do what is right no matter how painful our situation might be. But Job’s greatest blessing was not the regaining of his health and wealth or the rebuilding of his family and circle of friends. His greatest blessing was knowing God better and understanding his working in a deeper way. As James wrote, “You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the purpose of the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11). And Hebrews 12:11 reminds us: “Now, no chastening seems to be joyous for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (NKJV). “In the whole story of Job,” wrote G. Campbell Morgan, “we see the patience of God and endurance of man. When these acts in fellowship, the issue is certain. It is that of the coming forth from the fire as gold, that of receiving the crown of life” (The Answers of Jesus to Job, Baker, p. 117). (Wiersbe, Warren W.: Be Patient, 1991)
1. Why do the righteous suffer?
2. What should be the Christian’s attitude towards suffering?
3. How would you counsel a faithful Christian who is going through suffering?
4. Does God always prosper faithful Christians? Explain.
DAILY BIBLE READING
Mon. Promise of Restoration - Joel 2:23-27
Tues. Complete Restoration - Genesis 40:13, 20-21
Wed. Restoration of Life - James 5:19-20
Thu. Divine Restoration - Jeremiah 30:16-24
Fri. Restoration of Fortunes - Jeremiah 33:23-26
Sat. Restoration of Sight - Mark 8:24-26 Tags agss
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