JOB 42

1 Then Job answered Yahweh, and said,

2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

Job a type

Both were "made perfect by suffering." This is a deep and important aspect in both cases. Christ, though of unblemished righteousness, was not "perfect" until he had, in loving and all-trusting obedience, passed through the required suffering and sacrificial death.

6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

The whole lesson of God's self-manifestation to Job is the limitless greatness of God, and the utter littleness of man. If God had stooped to explain Himself to Job before totally humbling him in the recognition of his nothingness, then God would have been conceding man's right to judge God and demand an answer for His ways. And this right, man must be made to fully realise, that he just does not have.

It is absurd and unthinkable that puny little ignorant created man should for one moment question God, Who effortlessly maintains the numberless stars and galaxies in their myriad courses throughout the universe. What is weak, brief-lived, earth crawling man to question his Creator?

But when Job humbled himself, and cast away all self-importance, God graciously went much further to set Job's mind at perfect rest, and doubly compensated him for all his faithfully-borne suffering and shame. He totally vindicated and honored him before his self-righteous friends, and gave Job the joyful, forgiving privilege of being their mediator.

Bro Growcott - Doth Job Fear God for Nought

"I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

Here we have one of the first principles of the kingdom of heaven. Remember who Job was. God said of him,

"There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil."

Yet he says, "I abhor myself in dust and ashes." He had just had a glimpse of the divine majesty, and as in the similar case of Daniel (10:8), all his beauty in him turned to corruption. He was overpowered by the sense of the inferiority and uncleanness of human nature created within him by his vision of the glory of the divine nature. Now, though we are not permitted to see this glory with the eye, we have so much recorded pertaining to it, that with due attention to what is written, we may easily attain the same profound sense of worthlessness and insignificance.

We must attain to this if we are to enter the kingdom of God. It is one of the first things exacted of such.

"Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity ... to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word."

It is written, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". The fear of the Lord produces a strong sense of self-abasement where it is effectual. It is a logical result; for where a man adequately apprehends the greatness and majesty of God as the SELF-EXISTENT and the Creator of all, he will easily realize how little he is in himself, and how inferior as a piece of earthly defiled animal mechanism.

The mind that is equal to the grasping of the glory of God will readily feel the dishonour of man. This sentiment is the first characteristic of the family of God. It is enunciated with emphasis in every part of the Scriptures. Jesus declares that except a man humble himself as a little child, he shall in no case enter into the kingdom of God.

Peter and James both quote Solomon's declaration that the Lord resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. It is written many times, that He knoweth the proud afar off; that those who walk in pride, He will abase; that he that exalteth himself shall be brought down; that the meek and the lowly, and the modest, and the child-like, and the humble He will receive, approve, bless, honour, and exalt.

7 And it was so, that after Yahweh had spoken these words unto Job, Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

8 Therefore take unto you now 7 bullocks and 7 rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

Him will I accept

"He is angry with the wicked." (Ps. 7:11). "He cannot look on iniquity."-(Heb. 1:13.) "He is of purer eyes than to behold evil."-(Ibid.) "He will by no means clear the guilty."

This hostile disposition toward rebellion of every kind (a hostility, be it at the same time observed, which has its foundation in benevolence, for its objects and operation are the extirpation of the root of misery) finds shape and expression in the fact that the wages of sin is death; and is palpably illustrated in the flood and the destruction of Sodom.

God will not tolerate sin; death and sin are eternally linked, and with sinners He will hold no intercourse. "He heareth not sinners."-(John 9:31.) This is the immutable law of the divine government: and this fact we shall find at the basis of the institution of priesthood.

Priesthood was an early institution in the relations of God to man. It existed before the Mosaic constitution of things, as evidenced by the case of Melchizedec in the days of Abraham, and probably was of antediluvian origin. Its existence embodies a principle which is practically illustrated more than once in the course of Bible history-viz.: that God will not hear or deal directly with offenders, but will be entreated concerning them by those whom He regards with pleasure.

The plagues of Egypt were restrained at the request of Moses. Rebellious Israel were on the point of being devoured, like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, when the intercession of Moses averted the outburst of divine vengeance. Job acted as intercessor for his offending friends. 

...Jeremiah was told not to intercede for Israel.

"Therefore, pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me, for I will not bear thee."-(7:16).

This implies that had Israel's offences been less grievous, Jeremiah's imploration would have been of some avail: but the nation's wickedness had reached such a pitch that God said to him,

"Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be towards this people." (15:1.)

Now, with regard to Christ, we have the same principle but in relation to a different matter. The intercessions of Old Testament record had reference to the limited penalties of the time then present. They were instrumental in securing immunity from the temporary evils of mortal life. They had no effect as regards the dispensation of eternal results. It was not in the power of any arrangement in force before the appearance of Christ, to secure everlasting life.

The high priesthood of the law, under which, the successor of Aaron, once a year, entered the Holiest to supplicate the blessing of Yahweh upon an offending generation, was only a type of the true mediation. As regards eternal life, the high priest was no more in a position to be heard, than any of the people. He was equally under condemnation with them and carried the token of this fact in the blood of the slain lamb which he offered

"first for his own sins and then for the people."-(Heb. 7:27.)

But though ineligible as an intercessor for life everlasting, he typified the Great Priest, through whom mortal man might obtain a standing and a hearing in the presence of God, with reference to the forfeited gift of life for evermore. The whole arrangement, of which the high priesthood was a part, was of this typical character. Paul says that "the first tabernacle" was "a figure for the time then present."-(Heb. 9:9). It allegorically pre-figured the literal method by which human salvation was to be worked out.

This literal method is presented in Christ. He was a spotless Son of God, wearing the condemned nature of Adam. He suffered death, and thus met the demands of the righteous law that constituted man a mortal in the garden of Eden.

Ambassador of the Coming Age, Jan 1896

9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as Yahweh commanded them: Yahweh also accepted Job.

10 And Yahweh turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also Yahweh gave Job twice as much as he had before.

11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that Yahweh had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

12 So Yahweh blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had 14 000 sheep, and 6 000 camels, and 1 000 yoke of oxen, and 1 000 she asses.

And then He justified Job before his whole community, and made him twice as rich as he had been before. After what Job had bitterly learned of the fickle respect and fellowship of men (who fled when he needed them, and came back shamelessly seeking his favour when he was restored), and had gloriously learned of the companionship of God, the riches and honour would mean little to him, except as an even greater opportunity to resume his former course of goodness and guidance and charity to others, succoring the needy and defending the oppressed.

Some have felt that the restoration of the temporal riches and honour detracts from the spiritual force of the story, which is otherwise played out on a wholly spiritual plane. Such think incorrectly, again unwisely judging God's ways. It was fitting and necessary -- for the instruction of all Job's associates, and all since -- to complete the picture by the double restoration of all he had lost.

And it brings the closing picture fully into harmony with the antitype. Job, in well-deserved riches and honour -- after passing triumphantly through all his trials for the inspirational and instructional benefit of the race -- rejoiced to see his sons and his sons' sons, in peace and prosperity.

So Christ, in eternal riches and honour, shall see his redeemed Seed: a holy, perfected "generation of the race" --

"HE SHALL SEE OF THE TRAVAIL OF HIS SOUL, AND BE SATISFIED."

"How unsearchable are God's judgments and His ways past finding out!"

Bro Growcott - Doth Job fear Yahweh for nought

13 He had also 7 sons and 3 daughters.

14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.

15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

16 After this lived Job 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.

17 So Job died, being old and full of days.