Job 42 Conclusion
We have reached the conclusion of Job’s story. Job answers God with a right attitude and God deals with his friends. Job is restored and then some!
I like the conclusion of Job. It’s not only that Job gets it right in the end, but that his relationship with God changes from knowing about God, to knowing God. It took this experience to birth that relationship in him.
I have always wondered why God allowed Job to go through this, and I feel that He has finally given me the answer. To birth the relationship that couldn’t be created any other way. Let’s rejoin Job as he makes this move. Holy Spirit, please guide the rest of this journey. Thank You for already sharing a morsel with me. I look forward to what else You have for this journey.
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Job falls to his knees with the final words of God. He KNOWS that he has sinned in how he characterized God and thought himself righteous enough to question God. He HAS to answer for his sins.
“O Lord, You are wonderful. Nothing that You set Your hand to remains unfinished or ruined. And there is NOTHING that You cannot do! I spoke without understanding and knowledge. I leaned on my own understanding instead of leaning into Yours. I have failed You miserably and I repent of ALL my sins.”
Job assumes a posture of pleading.
“My heart’s desire is to know You more Lord. I want to question You, as in asking to know more of You. I will be still and listen to Your answers to my questions. For, I knew of You before and followed what I believed You would require of me. But now, I know You like NEVER before. I know you face to face.”
God turns His attentions to Job’s friends. The ones who kept telling him that all he need do is repent of his sins to be made right again. That God was doing this to Job as a punishment for his sins. Even though NONE of them could name any sin. He addresses Eliphaz by name, but includes the others in His statement.
“My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly” (Job 42:7-8).
As soon as God finishes speaking, the three men scramble to their feet and rush off to do as God has instructed them. There isn’t time for them to go to their own homes to gather what God has required, so they purchase what is needed from the closest supplier. Within two hours they are ready to make their sacrifices.
“Job, please pray for us as we offer these animals to the Lord for a sacrifice” pleads Eliphaz.
Job smiles at his friends and nods his head. He moves from the place he has been sitting in the ashes and dirt. Job’s friends carefully clean the place where Job has been offering sacrifices. Once the altar is clean, they begin by slicing the throats of the seven bulls. These are quickly skinned, disemboweled, and cut for the fire.
Zophar lays the wood while the other two friends prepare the animals. As each animal is ready, Zophar takes it and places it over the fire and watches it as the fat is burned away and the meat is consumed by the fire. Zophar replenishes the wood as needed. As a burnt offering, ALL of the animals have to be consumed by fire to be acceptable to the Lord.
After the oxen are burning away, Eliphaz and Bildad kill and prepare the rams. These are added to the altar as space becomes available. It takes all day to complete the sacrifice.
Once the last of the animals are on the altar being consumed by the fire, Job prays for his friends.
“Lord God of ALL creation. These men have come to comfort me. They put their lives in You hands, not knowing beforehand if the affliction I had would spread to them as well. They tried offering their own wisdom, believing it to be Yours as well. They have acted as foolishly as I did during this time. I ask Your forgiveness of their sins of judgment and condemnation against me. I have forgiven them as well. How could I not, with what YOU have forgiven me from.”
As soon as Job finished his prayer, the sores on his body begin to dry up. Those that had been ready to erupt, quickly decrease their pressure against his skin and the redness fades. It takes two days before Job’s skin is completely clear. The scars fade over the next week. By the end of two weeks, Job’s skin is completely cleared.
Once Job’s skin is fresh and new again, his brothers and sisters come flocking to him to offer their sympathy and to bring him gifts. There is much feasting and celebrating while they visit. Before departing, each presents Job with a piece of money and a ring of gold.
Job’s wife repents of her sin before her husband and he makes a sacrifice of a burnt offering for her. She conceives a child that same month
Over a period of years, Job’s regain and even surpass his original his original fortunes. “He had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys” (Job 42:12). He is blessed with more children as well. God gives Job seven sons and three daughters. “He called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters” (Job 42:14-15). Job lives another 140 years after his affliction. He sees his grandchildren, their children, and their children’s children. Job is surrounded by four generations of his children when the Lord calls him home in his sleep. Prior to his death, ALL ten of Job’s children receive an inheritance from him. He blessed his daughters as well as his sons from what the Lord had given him.
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Job’s journey to a personal relationship with God is long and arduous. We are not told how long Job suffered, but it was enough to bring about true change. His heart would never be the same again.
I have walked through difficult seasons in my life and they too have brought me closer to my Lord. Looking back on them, I’m grateful for the changes. During the hard times, I wanted OUT of them FAST. I stayed in them until God has completed His work in me; just as God did with Job.
Father God, THANK YOU for the lessons along the way. THANK YOU for deepening our relationship. It has sustained me. I cannot imagine life without You! I could NOT survive without You!!! Keep deepening our relationship God. I’m PRAYING that this won’t entail another HARD season.
