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Job's Reply to the Lord
No One Can Oppose You
1Job said:
2No one can oppose you,
because you have the power
to do what you want.
3 You asked why I talk so much
when I know so little.
I have talked about things
that are far beyond
my understanding.
4 You told me to listen
and answer your questions.
5I heard about you from others;
now I have seen you
with my own eyes.
6That's why I hate myself
and sit here in dust and ashes
to show my sorrow.
The Lord Corrects
7The Lord said to Eliphaz:
What my servant Job has said about me is true, but I am angry with you and your two friends for not telling the truth. 8So I want you to go over to Job and offer seven bulls and seven goats on an altar as a sacrifice to please me. After this, Job will pray, and I will agree not to punish you for your foolishness.
9Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar obeyed the Lord, and he answered Job's prayer.
A Happy Ending
10 After Job had prayed for his three friends, the Lord made Job twice as rich as he had been before. 11Then Job gave a feast for his brothers and sisters and for his old friends. They expressed their sorrow for the suffering the Lord had brought on him, and they each gave Job some silver and a gold ring.
12The Lord now blessed Job more than ever; he gave him 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 pair of oxen, and 1,000 donkeys.
13In addition to seven sons, Job had three daughters, 14whose names were Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren Happuch. 15They were the most beautiful women in that part of the world, and Job gave them shares of his property, along with their brothers.
16Job lived for another 140 years—long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own— 17and when he finally died, he was very old.
Reflect
Job has been making judgments with partial data and limited understanding. Here in the climax Job realizes he has spoken about things that simply transcend his ability to understand (v 3).
Even though Job is not given all the “answers” he does see the living God, which is more than enough for him. Crucially, Job realizes that God is so holy and transcendent that all questions fade away in his presence. Job cannot understand, but he knows God does. Job is not sinless, but God is. Job is helpless in the face of evil, but God is so great he even overrides evil to accomplish his purposes. This cannot be learned through human observation: it is only learned in a personal encounter with God.
The book ends with Job living under the hand of God and being blessed with twice the prosperity he had before. But the point is hardly the material blessing he receives. The point is that Job was in the hand of God before, during, and after his suffering. Satan was purposing to harm and destroy, but God was working all things together for good (compare Romans 8:28).
We cannot always expect that after a trial God will enrich us materially. Yet we can know that God will bless us richly through every trial of our lives, because of the blessings that are ours through Jesus Christ (compare Romans 8:32).We are under the hand of God, and his hands bear the scars of Calvary’s nails. As much as Job suffered Christ suffered more. No matter what we go through in this world, we can have confidence that in the end the blessings we receive will be more than worth it all. Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Respond
Lord, you are rich and bless us richly. Give us grace so that even when we go through painful trials we can trust you. Strengthen us so we can worship at all times. Reveal yourself to us and comfort us by your great presence. Thank you for Christ’s cross. Amen.
Steve West
Steve West is the Lead Pastor at Crestwicke Baptist Church in Guelph, Ontario, as well as an adjunct professor at Heritage College and Seminary (Cambridge) and Toronto Baptist Seminary.