Jehovah's voice out of the whirlwind ceased, and Job humbled himself
in full measure. He confessed the wrongness of his former utterances.
He had to abhor himself and repent in the place of death-dust and
ashes. These moments in the presence of God had produced a result which
all the talk of the three friends, and even of Elihu, had not achieved.
The man, who was so excellent among men, and had a testimonial from
even God Himself, had discovered his own utter sinfulness in the
deepest springs of his being. A discovery we all in our turn have to
make!
The whole of this story has a great lesson for us, as we realize, if
we read James 5: 11. We are now going to see "the end of the Lord" in
all this, which reveals that He is indeed "very pitiful and of tender
mercy." What then was the end that the Lord had in view, when He
permitted all these testing disasters to come upon Job?
First, he obtained what we may call a first-hand knowledge of God.
Previously he had known of Him by "the hearing of the ear;" that is, by
tradition. But now, said he, "mine eye seeth Thee;" that is, God was
apprehended in a new and vital way. He did not "see" in a literal
sense, as we are assured by 1 Timothy 6: 16, yet the eye is but the
organ of sight and it is the mind that sees. Again and again we say, "I
see," when something that made no appeal to our eyes has sunk into our
minds. Job now knew God in His power, holiness, righteousness, as far
as He could be known in those days.
It is our privilege to know God as He has been revealed in our Lord
Jesus Christ, and through that knowledge we receive "all things that
pertain unto life and godliness," and, "exceeding great and precious
promises," as well as gaining day by day, "grace and peace." So we are
told in the opening verses of Peter's second Epistle. Indeed we may say
that with us, as well as with Job, a first-hand and experimental
knowledge of God lies at the base of everything.
But second, as the fruit of this knowledge of God, Job saw himself
in a totally new light. Formerly he had sung his own praises. Now the
correctness of his outward behaviour faded out of his mind, and he saw
the self-conceited depths of his fallen nature. Hence in true
repentance he abhorred himself.
This spirit of self-judgment is wrought in all who really have to do
with God. Examples of it abound in Scripture. For instance: when
Abraham found himself in the presence of God, he said, I "am but dust
and ashes" (Gen. 18: 27). Similarly, Isaiah said, "I am undone" (Isa.
6: 5); and Daniel, "my comeliness was turned in me into corruption"
(Dan. 10: 8). So, Peter, "I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5: 8), and
Paul, "sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Tim 1: 15). And all these were
saints eminent in their day. They would not have been eminent, if they
had not had such an experience. Have we had it?
And now there comes into view another feature comprised in the end
which the Lord had in view. The three friends of Job were condemned,
for they had not spoken rightly, nor humbled themselves as Job had,
vindicating God and condemning themselves. They were instructed to go
to Job, offer up sacrifices, and seek his intercession on their behalf:
without a doubt a most humiliating process for them. Though they had
visited Job in order to commiserate and console they had been led in
the progress of the arguments into hurling accusations and reproaches
at him, and as they did so developing a self-righteous spirit
themselves. Thus, not having humbled themselves as Job had done, they
were publicly humbled by God.
But what about Job? The Lord knew right well what a complete
revolution had been wrought in his spirit, while as yet his poor body
was unaltered. He said, "My servant Job shall pray for you; for him
will I accept." Not long before with heat and sarcasm he had argued
against them. Now, with kindness and grace in his heart he prays for
them! The man who had gained a true knowledge of God, and consequently
had learned to abhor himself, is quite transformed in his relations
with his former opponents. Resentment has given place to
reconciliation. The spiritual gain of this was immense.
It must have been an extraordinary scene. Verse 10 shows that the
turn in Job's bodily condition and in his fortunes came when he had
prayed for his friends, and not before. Here were the three friends,
well-favoured gentlemen of the east with their sacrifices; Job, an
emaciated figure, covered with boils Yet this poor physical wreck is in
touch with God, and able to hold up his hands in gracious and priestly
intercession. When had anything like this been seen in the east? No
wonder the story had to be written to find a place amongst the oracles
of God.
Let us not miss the application of all this to ourselves. Matters of
dispute arise among those who are brethren in Christ, and if out of the
presence of God, debate may be fierce and division ensue. Let the
presence of God be realized, let self be judged and abhorred, and a
totally different spirit prevails and a right solution is reached.
Job's prayer was effectual since he was now right with God, and not
only right with his friends. We have the definite statement, "The Lord
also accepted Job." The man who condemned and repudiated himself stands
in acceptance before God. This has ever been God's way. We find
testimonies to it in other Old Testament scriptures; for instance,
Isaiah 57: 15; Isaiah 66: 2. But we have to pass on to the New
Testament to find the basis on which the acceptance rests. The
character of the acceptance which is ours today is found in the words,
"accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1: 6). In Job's day this had not come
to light.
Thus far we have been noting what God wrought in Job, as the result
of all he had passed through; now we see God acting for him. Up to this
point he has been held in the grip of the awful disease produced by
Satan. Now, "the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for
his friends." Deliverance for his body took place, evidently with
dramatic suddenness, once the end of the Lord as to his spiritual state
was reached for with God the spiritual takes precedence over what is
physical or material. Satan himself was eliminated from the story by
the end of chapter 2. Now his cruel infliction was removed, having been
overruled to achieve God's purpose.
In this again we see illustrated a great principle of God's ways. He
makes the malevolence of the devil, as well as the wrath of man, to
work cut to His own praise as well as our good. The great example of
this, unapproached by all else, is of course the Cross. To accomplish
that, Satan entered into Judas Iscariot. Of such extreme importance was
it in his eyes that he allowed no lesser demon to deputize for him. Yet
he was helping on his own overthrow for referring to His Cross, the
Lord Jesus said, Now shall the prince of this world be cast out" (John
12: 31). A further example we see in 2 Corinthians 12, where the
"messenger of Satan" sent to buffet Paul, was overruled for Paul's
spiritual preservation. When afflictions come upon us, let us remember
these things, and profit by them.
As we observe "the end of the Lord," we can indeed say with the
Apostle James that, "the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." We
have noted at least five things: (1) that Job gained a first-hand
knowledge of God, such as he had never had before: (2) he knew and
abhorred himself, as he had never done before; (3) that in spirit and
character he was transformed, from anger and harshness to grace: (4)
that he was given the knowledge of his acceptance before God: and (5)
that he was delivered in his body from the grip that Satan had been
permitted to have upon him.
But now a sixth thing appears for, "the Lord gave Job twice as much
as he had before." Previously he had been a man of very large wealth,
as wealth was counted m those days, but now his possessions grew to
such proportions as would have befitted a king. God gave a mighty
increase to the animals he had, but there was also that which came to
him by the gifts of his brethren and acquaintance. He was restored to
the confidence and esteem of all who previously had known him: a great
point this, when we remember his sad complaint as to the treatment he
had received, recorded in Job 30.
In keeping with the day in which he lived, the blessings recorded
are of a material sort, which ensured earthly prosperity to the end of
his days. These were the positive blessings granted, just as the fifth
item, noted above, was blessing of a negative order-the removal of
bodily trouble. The first four items we noted were blessings of a
spiritual order, and of the very first importance, since once received
they abide for ever. Let us remember that as Christians all our
blessings are of a spiritual and heavenly order, as stated in Ephesians
1: 3.
Having passed through this unprecedented storm, Job lived to old age
under the smile of God, enriched spiritually and materially. He saw his
possessions, sheep, camels, oxen, asses, multiply until their number
was doubled. His seven sons and three very beautiful daughters grew up
around him, and so God gave him twice as much as he had before.
But what about the sons and daughters? They were not doubled. Should
they not have numbered fourteen and six? As the new family grew up
around him and then stopped at the number recorded, we wonder if it
raised an enquiry in his mind, as it certainly does in ours. Yes, after
all God did give Job twice as much as he had before, without exception.
The animals were visibly doubled for the earlier lot were irrevocably
lost, and he would never see them again. The earlier sons and three
daughters were not lost FOR EVER.
About these earlier sons and daughters Job had been continually
concerned as the first chapter of the book bears witness. Acting as
priest of his family he had continually offered sacrifices on their
behalf. They were outwardly God-fearing for Job did not fear that they
cursed God with their lips, but he thought they might have done so in
their hearts. Yet in spite of this all of them, and all together, they
had been swept out of life in a moment. So in this striking way it was
intimated that another world does exist into which their spirits had
entered, that the resurrection, as to which Job had reasoned and
debated in Job 14, would be reached in due season, and that Job would
meet them again.
We are not told in so many words that all this was plain to Job, but
we assume that God, who so kindly gave this intimation, gave him the
ability to perceive it. It must have confirmed his faith in
resurrection on the one hand and comforted his heart on the other. It
has, we trust brought comfort to many a heart beside Job's. When full
of days Job ended his long life, he must have looked back upon this
time of unparalleled testing, through which he had to pass, as being
but a dark tunnel leading into bright sunshine a time of outward
disaster but of inward enrichment. That it was so, such a scripture as
Ezekiel 14: 14 bears witness. He is held up as a shining example,
together with Noah and Daniel.
As we close our Bibles on the Book of Job, we may well do so with a
song of praise and thanksgiving in our hearts, and also having, we
trust, learned some needed lessons. We may not suffer in anything like
the degree that Job did, but none of us escapes the chastening hand of
our God and Father. When chastened ourselves let us be exercised
thereby; and when we observe chastening coming on others, let us be
careful how we interpret it.
In the light of the New Testament, chastening may be sent for
retribution, as we see in 1 Corinthians 11: 30. But on the other hand
it may not be, as we see in Paul's case-2 Corinthians 12: 7, -where the
thorn in the flesh was preventive; lest he should be puffed up and
fall. Yet again, it may be neither retributive nor preventive but
educational, as Hebrews 12 shows. The Father trains and disciplines His
children, and even scourges them; but all is in pursuance of His
objective - "that we might be partakers of His holiness."
In that direction Job was led, as we have seen. In that direction we
too are being led in all the Father's dealings with us. Let us ever
remember this, and praise God that it is so.