JULY
13, 2013
·
There
are two speeches by Jehovah (38:1-40:2 and 40:6-41:34) and two responses by Job
(40:3-5 and 42:1-6).
·
In
a general way, the content of the two speeches varies.
·
The
first is concerned with the wisdom of God in creation, while the second
emphasizes the Creator's power over great forces in the created order.
·
The
responses of Job also differ.
·
The
first (40:3-5) is more submissive while the second (42:1-6) is more affirmative.
·
Job's
silence before the wisdom of God in the first response becomes a confession of
faith in the second.
1.
LISTEN TO GOD
(JOB 38:1-4)
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind
and said,
2 "Who is this that darkens counsel By words
without knowledge?
3 "Now gird up your loins like a man, And I
will ask you, and you instruct Me!
4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of
the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, NASB
Verse 1:
·
The
"whirlwind" is a phenomena which is intended to represent
God's absolute sovereignty over the universe and the self-manifestation of the
Creator.
·
The
root word of “LORD” here according to Strong’s dictionary is the
self-existing one.
Verse 2:
·
Job
has obscured the "counsel" of God by his talking of God's actions and
purposes with inadequate knowledge.
·
The
word counsel in this context denotes God's purpose in and control of the world.
·
By
talking without due regard for the limitations of his knowledge, Job has
concealed the true nature of God's design for the world.
·
This
is an awful sin.
·
We
have a far too much of it today.
·
Those
talk programs on television (including many Christian talk shows) not only
commit this sin but most of them contain the most asinine subjects imaginable.
Verse 3:
·
Get
ready Job, you are about to get the chance you asked for.
·
Gird
yourself up for action.
Verse 4:
“A
sublime series of questions is now addressed to him, not by a God of judgment
and wrath, but by a Father arguing and pleading with His child and pointing out
two things: first, the inability of mortal man to understand the ways of God;
and second, the minuteness and tenderness of God’s providence. Job had thought
of Him as remote, but He is near and is ordering all things wisely and lovingly.”
‘Through the Bible Day by Day’ by F.B. Meyer
“How
presumptuous, therefore, it was in one so short-lived to sit in judgment on the
doings of him who had formed the world!”
Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
2.
SUBMIT TO GOD
(JOB 42:1-6)
1 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
2 "I know that Thou canst do all things, And
that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted.
3'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'
"Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too
wonderful for me, which I did not know."
4'Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask Thee, and
do Thou instruct me.'
5 "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the
ear; But now my eye sees Thee;
6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and
ashes. " NASB
Verses 1-3:
·
Job
accepts his failure and admits that he has been talking about things he doesn't
know anything about. Some would say that he is without the discipline of a real
wise man.
·
For,
they would argue, that a genuinely wise man would be careful not to speak until
he has the ability to understand.
Verse 5:
·
This
seems to indicate two different sources of knowledge.
·
The
hearing denotes knowledge which is secondhand, having come as the report of
another's experience. But now Job has "seen" for himself; he has
personal experience of which he can testify.
·
Job
now has a new conception of God.
·
He
is not in a position to question God in anything that He does. Job is to trust
Him in a new relationship.
Verse 6:
·
Job
saw himself as he really was, and he came into a new relationship with himself.
·
He
saw himself as vile.
·
Job
recognized the sovereignty of God.
·
He
confessed his sin and repents.
·
God
has accomplished His purpose in the life of Job.
3.
INTERCEDE BEFORE
GOD (JOB 42:7-9)
7 And it came about after the LORD had spoken these
words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is
kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken
of Me what is right as My servant Job has.
8 "Now therefore, take for yourselves seven
bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering
for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so
that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken
of Me what is right, as My servant Job has." 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and
Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD told
them; and the LORD accepted Job. NASB
Verse 7:
·
The
three friends’ (Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the
Naamathite) speeches were attempts at supporting their own beliefs.
·
They
were more self-centered than God centered.
Verse 8-9:
·
The
normal sacrifice (Leviticus 1) for a "burnt offering" was a single
male animal.
·
The
sin of the three friends was so great the sacrifice "offering"
required these large numbers of animals.
·
Job
has a new relationship with himself, with God, and with his friends.
·
The
meaning may be that they would not be exposed and punished as fools.
4.
RELY ON GOD (JOB
42:10-12a)
10 And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he
prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold. 11
Then all his brothers, and all his sisters, and all who had known him before,
came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him
and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought on him. And each
one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold. 12 And the LORD
blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning, NASB
Verse 10:
·
Although
there is no special mention of healing Job's illness and pain, it is obviously
implied as having taken place.
·
The
friends’ doctrine that suffering was based on sin now must be abolished in Job's
case.
·
Job
made no change his manner of life, as the friends suggested, yet he was
restored.
·
What
was changed was Job’s spiritual perception of God which also changed his
relationship with God.
Verse 11:
·
This
indicates that Job’s social status and his position as honored host had been
restored.
·
There
were tokens of respect, honor, and community position given to Job.
·
Odd
Note: Nothing here is mentioned about Elihu.
·
Elihu
means: “He is (my) God,” or “my God is He”
Job 32:2-3
2
But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram
burned; against Job his anger burned, because he justified himself before
God. NASB
“They had all tried in vain to convince Job, but my
God is he that can and will do it, and did it at last: he only can open the
understanding.” …
“He
justified himself more than God, that is, took more care and pains to clear
himself from the imputation of unrighteousness in being thus afflicted than to
clear God from the imputation of unrighteousness in afflicting him, as if he
were more concerned for his own honour than for God's; whereas he should, in
the first place, have justified God and cleared his glory, and then he might
well enough have left his own reputation to shift for itself.”
Matthew
Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible
“Righteousness in a man is excellent but when one becomes too much
aware of their own goodness, it reveals deep darkness as to their own real
condition before God. If we really know God, we will be humble. If we really
know ourselves, we cannot be proud.” …
“The godly suffer that they might come to self-knowledge, Job_42:3; and self-judgment, Job_42:6; that they might repent, Job_42:6; and have greater fruitfulness, Job_42:7-17; and escape condemnation with the
world. 1Co_11:32. “
Summarized
Bible
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