As mentioned earlier, Job has often requested an opportunity to speak with God but the question still remains, why did God answer Job in this way? The answer is not easily found but it appears that clearly Job was satisfied with what God told him. Slowly but surely, Job has learnt along the way and understands God’s whole purpose, Job 42:1-2. The purpose was that man must learn to trust, love and in a devoted way serve the Almighty no matter what, Romans 8:28. If God has to arrest man’s attention by some means then He will do it.
Job humbly affirms that God is omnipotent, he is now saying he can realise that God can do all things. Job’s view that the Lord was unjust was not fair treatment. He has taken a big step closer to God because God’s omnipotence cannot exist apart from His righteousness, which is not separable.
Job goes to this penetrating question ‘who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Job 42:3 / Job 38:2. He has been thinking about it and stands up and admits it. He confesses he was very wrong to complain, Job 42:3. He thought his reasoning was clear but having listened to God, he has seen it wasn’t so clear, Job 42:4 / Job 38:3 / Job 40:4-5 / Job 40:7. All knowledge of God came from creation, Romans 1:20, and His revelation of Himself through the fathers of families, Hebrews 1:1-2.
Layman’s Bible Commentary, says the following.
‘He can now accept the fact that God and his government of man’s life, and even his distribution of rewards and retributions, are ultimately beyond man’s power to comprehend.’
The eye is a much better teacher than the ear, Job 42:5. What Job sees gives him a much fuller understanding and knowledge of God. Is he literally seeing God? Job 42:5. No. God answered out of the whirlwind and storm, Job 38:1. Job is using the Hebrew expression ‘see’ to mean discern or understand. In other words, his wish has been fulfilled,
Job 19:24-27.
Like Job, when the book is read, we can see that there is so much that man will never understand. Job doesn’t say he hates himself but that he loathes the things he has said in the past, Job 42:6. He has learned a tremendously valuable lesson, that the spiritual must always take precedence over the physical, Isaiah 6:5.
God now turns to Eliphaz, Job 42:7, and because he is always mentioned first in the book, this usually means that he was the oldest, Job 2:11 / Job 4:1 / Job 15:1 / Job 22:1, but the words are generally directed to all three, Job 42:7. In doing this there is tremendous encouragement, especially for Job. The encouragement is like what the Lord did with Peter, even though he denied Him, he was always encouraged by Him. God doesn’t forsake or slap Job around for his rash statements but He gives him encouragement.
God hasn’t liked what the friends have said about Him, Job 42:7, because they have made God an inflexible and predictable dictator. They have presented God as one who ruthlessly pursues man in order to punish him. Although Eliphaz and the friends are condemned by God, God does extend to them His mercy, which is something they were not willing to extend to Job. It was his friends with all their self-confessed wisdom who were the ones who were told to repent.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God’s anger was due to the consent of the three in becoming instruments of Satan in their efforts to force Job to renounce his integrity. If we may judge from the exceedingly large sacrifices that God required of each of them, God must have considered their sin to have been of the very greatest dimensions.’
Notice God calls Job ‘my servant’ three times, Job 42:7 / Job 42:8. This tells us that Job’s words were acceptable. God verifies this by saying what Job said about Him was right, Job 42:8. To think that Job even spoke more right than them and they had a lot of good to say but it was cancelled out by all their misconceptions. Job in more ways than one again became a priest. He had to offer up their sacrifices and make intercession, Job 42:8 / James 5:15-16.
International Critical Commentary, says the following.
‘It is significant here that, Ezekiel required as burnt-offerings for the entire nation of Israel, Ezekiel 45:22-25, seven bullocks and seven rams, whereas the expiatory sacrifices required by the Law for individuals were much smaller, Leviticus 4.’
God accepted Job’s prayer of intercession for the three and Job doesn’t hesitate in his prayer for them despite their behaviour earlier on, Job 42:8. It is a sign of his spiritual depth and explains why God chose Job. Job forgives others as he has been forgiven, Ephesians 4:32.
The friends had foolishly thought God had rejected Job and had accepted them. They also thought they were needed by God to correct Job. Now the truth is known. Job was the one who was right and they were the ones who were wrong. In addition, instead of Job needing them to correct him, they need Job to pray for them.
Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar did what the Lord commanded them to do but notice the words, ‘the LORD accepted Job’, Job 42:9. We would have thought the text would read the Lord accepted ‘them’ but accepting Job would mean accepting them because Job is going to pray for them.
Since Job is a righteous man, his prayer is heard by God, James 5:16. We must note that the restoration of Job’s fortunes didn’t come for any other reason than that he prayed for his friends. The friends consistently maintained God’s wrath does not turn away from the wicked but now the friends are learning that God’s wrath can be turned away from the wicked by the prayer of a righteous man, Genesis 18.
Notice that Job wouldn’t allow himself to be filled with bitterness, anger and hostility with the way they treated him, the way they crushed his spirit. Job is too great a man to hold grudges. It was customary for relatives to bring money to the person who is restored, Job 42:11 / Genesis 33:19 / Joshua 24:32. This is an unknown custom or tradition or perhaps an act of charity to help Job restore his estate.
The Lord blesses Job and Job works to restore his fortune. Job was the wealthiest man of his time before, Job 1:3, now he is even more so, Job 42:12. Before Job had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants, Job 1:3. Now he has fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys, Job 42:12.
Dummelow, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The prophets often allude to the double compensation in store for their afflicted people, Isaiah 61:7 / Jeremiah 16:14-18 / Zechariah 9:12.’
Before he had ten children, Job 1:2, and now Job is given ten more children, Job 42:13. He had twenty children in total, ten of which were now in heaven. Of all the twenty children, only three are named, Jemimah, Job 42:14, which means little dove, Song of Solomon 1:15.
Keziah, Job 42:14, which means sweet-smelling, that is, the pleasure of a good life, Psalms 45:8. Keren-Happuch, Job 42:14, which means horn of pigment, that is, something which is used as eyepaint to beautify, 2 Kings 9:30 / Jeremiah 4:30 / Ezekiel 23:40. The whole idea of the naming of his children is to show that Job has gained peace, happiness, and the good life again.
His daughters were the most beautiful in the land, Job 42:15. Notice that Job granted his daughters an inheritance along with their brothers, Job 42:15.
Dummelow, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This was an unusual privilege to women, Numbers 27:1-11.’
Job’s life could equally have been doubled too because Job lived a hundred and forty years, Job 42:16. This would mean that he was seventy years old when he was afflicted. Tradition suggests that he lived to a total age of two-hundred and ten.
The Alexandrian Septuagint contains an addition to Job 42:16, which says that Job died at the age of two-hundred and forty. The Bible does not give his specific age when he died but says that he lived to see the fourth generation of his new descendants, and that he was ‘an old man and full of years,’ Job 42:17. The words ‘full of years’ simply means having lived to a considerable age, Genesis 15:15 / Genesis 25:8 / Genesis 38:29 / Psalms 91:16. Satan is defeated and Job lives a full life, he was once craving to die and now he has things he could never even dream about in his depression.
It is not wrong to question our faith in God because never once does God condemn Job for asking questions. If you don’t question you will never learn. Job’s somewhat brash questioning came because of the position he was in. Until we die we should always question and always be students.
When Job was asking these questions, we need to remember we are not dealing with a man who when things go bad begins to blaspheme God or wants to give up. But we are dealing with a man who is struggling with his faith and struggling to hear more and learn more about what God wants us to do with our lives, or what God wants us to do. Nothing is too hard for God, so we should be impressed by His power. No one on the face of this earth can attain wisdom in any degree apart from God revealing it to us through His Word, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.
God is in control and no matter what people think or believe, God does notice the conduct of people whether Christians or not, Proverbs 15:3, so it is best if our conduct is pleasing to Him. Suffering is not just about the pain it can teach but also to discipline and strengthen, James 1:2-4. It should not be seen as just punishment.
We should not expect our questions answered immediately. The devil is our enemy, God is not. The devil seeks to destroy the whole of humankind, he doesn’t want hope and salvation for us, he wants to take us to him. No matter how bad things are we need to learn to trust uprightness wins in the end, 2 Timothy 4:7-8. Unlike Job’s family and friends God will not forsake us, Hebrews 13:5. Hold no grudges but pray for everyone. It is said people often act in bitterness in the face of adversity but we must root it out, Hebrews 12:15.