Job 42 could be outlined:
Job Humbly Submits To God (Job 42:1-6)
The Lord Speaks To Job’s Friends (Job 42:7-9)
Job Is Restored (Job 42:10-17)
We have reached the final chapter of Job. In chapter one Job is put to the test. Satan has asked God to test Job. The testing becomes more severe in chapter two. The rest of the book is Job’s response to the testing. A basic truth is – life is a test and it is a trust. How we handle the bad stuff in life is important – so too is how we handle the good stuff. Things like faithfulness, hope, endurance are important. How do you know if you will be found faithful if you are not tempted with unfaithfulness? In the NASV of the Bible – James 5:11 asks: “Have you not heard of the endurance of Job?” Endurance counts. Job endured the test. He has set an example for all of us to follow.
The book of Job is considered by many to be the oldest book of the Bible yet it deals with a basic question – the problem of evil in our lives. Because of the fall on Adam and Eve – all of us suffer – those who are righteous and those who are wicked. Suffering is a part of life – because of the fall. If we think that the righteous will not suffer – we only need to look at what happened to Jesus. He did not suffer because of the sin in his life – he suffered because of the sin in our life. “He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our inequity.” (Isa. 55:7)
1Then Job answered the LORD and said: 2“I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. 3You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ 5“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. 6Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:1-5 (NKJV)
JOB HUMBLY SUBMITS TO GOD
God has sent the last four chapters asking Job, “Who do you think you are?” Job now answers. He starts by glorifying God. He says, “You can do anything and everything. Nothing You set your mind on will be stopped – all of Your purposes will be fulfilled.”
Job goes on to say in verse three, “You have asked me, “Who is this that speaks of things he does not understand? Who is this that opens his mouth and inserts his foot? You are right – I have spoken when I should have observed and listened. I should have been – quick to listen and slow to speak – but I wasn’t. I spoke of things that I don’t know about.”
Job humbles himself in verse four humbles himself before God when he pleads with Him, “Will You please listen to me? Will You hear me out?” In this verse Job is asking permission to speak God because he says, “You questioned me and You asked me for an answer. Please let me give you one.”
Job does not strive to answer the great and grand questions of the universe – instead he explains what he has seen, “I have heard stories of You – but now I have seen You with my own eyes. I am humbled – I am undone – I am shattered before You. I will repent in the mud hole of my life – for nothing compares to Your Glory.”
Great is God and mighty to be praised. There is no one like Him. He alone is holy. Even when we think we have the purest of motives – there are shadows. Only in Him are there no shadows at all. Job knows this – for he has seen God and Job realizes that his hands are dirty. No amount of scrubbing that one does on his own hands will get them clean. That is why Job says in verse six, “I can’t stand myself – I will go, sit and repent in a pile of dirt. From dust I was made – to dust I will return.”
7And 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. 8Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven 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 of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD commanded them; for the LORD had accepted Job. Job 42:7-9 (NKJV)
THE LORD SPEAKS TO JOB’S “FRIENDS”
It may seem strange to some to place an outline of the book in the comments of the last chapter of the book – yet I think that is the best place for it. If you have read through the entire book it is always good to go back and review what has happened so that you can get a handle on it. So here is a breakdown of the book of Job:
First Part - The Historical Intoduction - Job 1–2
Second Part - The Argument - Job 3–42:6
I. The first series in the controversy –Job 3–14
(1.) Job opens the discussion by cursing his birth-day, and by a bitter complaint of his calamity –Job 3
(2.) Speech of Eliphaz –Job 4–5
(3.) Answer of Job – Job 5–6
(4.) Speech of Bildad – Job 8
(5.) Answer of Job – Job 9–10
(6.) Speech of Zophar – Job 11
(7.) Answer of Job – Job 12–14
II. The second series in the controversy – Job 15–21
(1.) Speech of Eliphaz – Job 15
(2.) Answer of Job – Job 16–17
(3.) Speech of Bildad – Job 18
(4.) Answer of Job, Job 19
(5.) Speech of Zophar – Job 20
(6.) Answer of Job – Job 21
III. The third series in the controversy – Job 22–31
(1.) Speech of Eliphaz – Job 22
(2.) Answer of Job – Job 23–24
(3.) Speech of Bildad – Job 25:1-6
(4.) Answer of Job – Job 26–31
IV. Speech of Elihu – Job 32–37
V. The close of the discussion – Job 38–42:6
(1.) God speaks to Job – Job 38–41
(2.) The response and confession of Job – Job 42:1-6
Third Part - The Conclusion – Job 42:7-17
(1.) The Lord speaks to Job’s friends – Job 42:7-9
(2.) Job is restored – Job 42:10-17
Let us now pick up at verse seven:
God speaks directly to Eliphaz the Temanite and says: “I am angry with you – because you have not spoken honestly about Me like Job has. I am also angry with your two friends – Bibdad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite – all of you are in the same boat – you have all done the same thing.”
Notice that God does not mention Elihu. Gill’s commentary says:
“No notice is taken of Elihu, nor blame laid on him; he acting as a moderator, taking neither the part of Job, nor of his friends, but blaming both: nor did he pretend to charge Job with any sins of his former life as the cause of his calamities; only takes up some indecent, unguarded, and extravagant expressions of his in the heat of this controversy, and rebukes him for them; and throughout the whole vindicates the justice of God in his dealings with him.”
In verse eight God now prescribes to the three friends of Job what they are to do. “Take seven bulls and seven rams – go and make an offering.” Notice that God also gives them another task in the middle of this verse – “go to my servant Job.” God always has given us two tasks – to love Him with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we think that we can love God without loving our neighbor – we are mistaken. First John four says:
“If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” 1 John 4:20-21 (NASV)
Jesus said:
"Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” Matthew 5:23-24 (NASV)
The response of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar was simple – they did what God instructed them to do – they were obedient.
10And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. 12Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17So Job died, old and full of days. Job 42:10-17 (NKJV)
JOB IS RESTORED
In verse ten we find that Job too obeyed what God had instructed in verse eight. Job had been instructed to pray for his friends – and he did. A good man will not just pray for himself but will also pray for others – even if he is at odds with them. The prayer for others often is profitable for the one who is praying. When we pray for a change in our enemies we are often changed ourselves. Jesus said:
“I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:44 (NASV)
The remainder of the chapter tells us how Job is restored and in the end blessed. But let me say – our adversities in life affect us. We can become bitter or we can become better. Job could have turned his back on God. Job could have cursed God and died – yet he didn’t. Throughout all of his trials and testing he never turned his back on God. Did he get angry – frustrated – depressed? Yes! But he endured. He set an example for all of us to follow.
This is a story that ends with the thoughts – “And they lived happily ever after.” Let me end this study with the words of Matthew Henry.
“In the beginning of this book we had Job’s patience under his troubles, for an example; here, for our encouragement to follow that example, we have his happy end. His troubles began in Satan’s malice, which God restrained; his restoration began in God’s mercy, which Satan could not oppose. Mercy did not return when Job was disputing with his friends, but when he was praying for them. God is served and pleased with our warm devotions, not with our warm disputes. God doubled Job’s possessions. We may lose much for the Lord, but we shall not lose anything by him. Whether the Lord gives us health and temporal blessings or not, if we patiently suffer according to his will, in the end we shall be happy. Job’s estate increased. The blessing of the Lord makes rich; it is he that gives us power to get wealth, and gives success in honest endeavors. The last days of a good man sometimes prove his best, his last works his best works, his last comforts his best comforts; for his path, like that of the morning light, shines more and more unto the perfect day.”
