Job 42

Verses 1-17, “Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You 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. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” And 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. Now 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.” So 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. And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then 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. Now 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. He also had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days.”

Being in the presence of God and hearing Him speak gave Job a renewed faith in who God is... the great I AM. The same God who has authority over all creation, and even over Satan, can fulfill every plan and purpose He has for your life. There is no giant coming against you that is too big for God. While in the midst of his trial, Job had thought and spoken faithless words without a real understanding of the bigger picture, but now he stood corrected. In a trial of any length, you will notice a waivering of faith. There are times when you appear strong in faith, but other times when you doubt God’s presence and question His plan...maybe even your own salvation. But God wants to renew your strength, when you are ready to fully surrender to Him. It is only when you are weak in your own power and ability that the power of Christ can be upon you.  II Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 

Notice that Job's friends, who seemed to be in position of strength compared to him, would now actually be humbled by God. When we exalt ourselves in our own self worth, we are setting ourselves up to be humbled. Jesus taught the disciples this parable in Luke 14:8-11, “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Lord has the ability to set things right in His due timing. Job knew things were backwards when he was being rebuked by his friends who thought they were more righteous and wise, but he lost his trust in God at times. Having these types of trials reminds us of God's faithfulness and ability to deliver, no matter who or what comes against us. In the end, God restored Job while he was praying for mercy and restoration for his friends. I would imagine that after this, and receiving from God double of what he had before, he probably felt bad for ever doubting God in the first place. Plus, Job's brothers and sisters and friends would come alongside to provide the consolation and comfort he so badly desired during his trial of affliction. The Lord knows exactly what we need, which is exactly why we can seek Him first and trust that He will take care of the rest!