The Restoration of Job - Part 3

       THE RESTORATION OF JOB - PART 3

 (Please follow the links to get the other parts of this study

How to study the Book of Job?

The Restoration of Job (Part - I)

The Restoration of Job (Part - II)

God’s dealings with Job: (Continued from the Previous Post)

Chapter 40

Job 40:2, 7, 8, 9- “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.” “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: “Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?

(To understand why God said this to Job, read Job 10^th chapter)

Job 40:11-14

There are many commentaries which state that God was reminding Job about his inability to save himself from the wicked and the proud and he had to depend on God for his salvation. But that would be incorrect. We have to understand this passage in the context of this book.

1.      God’s Hand – Satan wanted God to stretch forth his hand and afflict Job, which God did not do (1:11, 2:5); But God removed His hand from Job and placed him on satan’s hands (Job 2:6)

2.   Satan’s Hand – All over the book of Job, where Job was telling God’s hand was oppressing him, it was actually satan’s hand that was oppressing him, which Job could not recognize (6:9,10; 19:6-11)

3.   Job’s Hand – Since God had removed his hand from Job, at this point, God could not save Job with his hand. But God had to strengthen Job’s hand against satan’s hand. Otherwise how could a man who was waiting for the day of his death could have got the strength to rise up from the ashes, change his sack cloth, face his adversaries, build up his family again and earn back his wealth?

God exhorts Job that his own right hand can save him (40:14)

What did God mean by that?

1.      God told Job to adorn himself with majesty and splendor, and array himself with glory and beauty (Verse 10). Until this time, Job was sitting on the ashes and scraping himself with a potsherd. God told him to get up from his ashes, to go back to his home and adorn himself like a noble man, as he had done before his illness.

2.     God told Job to take revenge on two groups of people (Remember he was not healed yet, with the strength he had, God asked him to do that).

·        Everyone who is proud (Verse 11)

·        Wicked (Verse 12)

 These two group of people had distressed Job greatly. Job described about the proud people (Job 19: 5 onwards) and about the wicked people (Job 21) in these chapters.

Until that time, Job thought nothing could be done about these people (Job 21:30,31) but God told him to rise up from the ashes, strengthen himself and take revenge on the wicked and the proud. God promised that he would appreciate and commend Job when he does that (Verse 40:14). Doesn’t it mirror the exhortation given in Hebrews 12:1 to Christian believers?

Behemoth & Leviathan (Chapter 40: 15 – 41:34)

Celestial Non-natural Beings or Natural Beings?

There is no evidence or reference to suggest that these are celestial non-natural beings that are referred to in the book of Job. It is possible that there are celestial beings that exist with the same name, however there is nothing to suggest those are referred here. I would like to give the following reasons for that.

1.      In chapter 39 all the animals that were mentioned were those which Job could relate and understand easily (In chapter 38 some supernatural elements and processes were mentioned, but that is to remind Job that he did not have control over God’s creations)

2.     While speaking about Behemoth and Leviathan, God specifically mentions their natural habitats, their diet and the interactions humans have had with them previously, which Job understood easily as God was narrating to him. There is nothing non-natural or celestial about their physical life.

3.     The most important aspect to remember while reading these passages are with respect to the time, place and situation where this happened. Just because Behemoth and Leviathan were untamable in Job’s time doesn’t mean they still remain untamed. God speaks to each one of us in the language which we can understand. For some God speaks through nature, for others through art, music etc. Our mind has to be tuned with God to listen to what he is telling us. To us people in this century if God had to take an example, perhaps he would use covid-19. (In the future it may be brought under control, but for us now it is an example that could be related to and understood).

4.    I don’t know what exactly these two creatures are. They may be some dinosaurs that are extinct now or they may be creatures that are alive now and known by some other name.

5.     In the middle east, there is at least one place where Job was supposed to have lived, which has different types of natural habitation and lush green vegetation, mountainous region with lots of water spots around and sea nearby to support such huge creatures.

 Lesson from Behemoth and Leviathan:

I would like to split God’s lectures on Behemoth and leviathan into two parts based on the final message he gives from these two creatures

First Message: Chapter 41:1-10 - No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up Who then is able to stand against Me?

Second Message: Chapter 40:15-23 - Indeed the river may rage, Yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth; Chapter 41:12 - 34 - On earth there is nothing like him, Which is made without fear. He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.”

First Message: Chapter 41:1-10 - No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up Who then is able to stand against Me?

The first message of God seems to be an answer to Job’s invocation of people with some mystic forces who could stir up Leviathan and who could curse a day (Job 3:8). In many of the Eastern countries there are still traces of those mystics who claim that they have power over nature and could tame nature at their will. During Job’s days it is possible there could have been a belief about people with such mystic forces who had tremendous power to arouse Leviathan, which could not be subdued by normal human beings with natural power; and also had the power to curse and darken a day. In Acts 8:9 we read about Simon, the sorcerer who practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, and they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” But God made Job realise that there is no one with such great power to stir up Leviathan and no one had the power to stand against Him also.

Second Message: Chapter 40:15-23; Indeed the river may rage, Yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth; Chapter 41:12 - 34 - On earth there is nothing like him, Which is made without fear. He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.”

The second message of God is also clear. I want to mention Job 41:12 where God says “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs, its strength and its graceful form”. I am referring to NIV, since this version is closest to Tamil translation. After God corrected Job of his misconception about mystic forces, God wanted to reveal more about Leviathan. It is about it’s strength and how it faces various challenges and overcomes them.

In the second message from both Behemoth and Leviathan, God speaks about how he has created them with the physical structure, strength, agility and attitude to face all the challenges and courageously face those who try to hunt them. There could be a separate study on the challenges faced by Behemoth and Leviathan and the mechanism they have to overcome it.

God’s speech on Behemoth and Leviathan would have given Job revelation that God had already endowed him with innate strength and mechanisms to overcome his physical challenges; ideas and plans to maneuver various situations to face difficulties, oppositions and afflictions.

Restoration of Job – Job’s Two-fold Blessings

Although the Holy Bible does not describe Job’s exact response to God’s exhortation.  Job would have changed his sackcloth and worn his rich robes as God instructed him, took revenge on the wicked, offered sacrifice for his friends (for offering sacrifice he would not have gone on his sackcloth). God restored his fortune double-fold. (Job 42: 7-17). Job could once again say what he had said earlier, “My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand” (Job 29:20).

It was the Sabeans who took the oxen and the donkeys and the Chaldeans who took his camels. If Job had waited for the Sabeans and Chaldeans to repent, acknowledge their mistakes and bring back his cattle, Job would still be sitting on the ashes, scraping his skin with a potsherd. But Job had to realise, ultimate good comes from God and ultimate evil arises from satan. Since Job depended on God alone for his restoration, God restored everything he lost double-fold.

The lesson from the book of Job can be summarized using two verses from the New Testament

 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18)”.

“And also Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37)”. 

                                                    GOD BLESS YOU!

The Restoration of Job - Part 2

                  THE RESTORATION OF JOB - PART 2

 (Please follow the links to get the other parts of this study

How to study the Book of Job?

The Restoration of Job (Part - I)

The Restoration of Job (Part - III)

Was there God’s direct intervention during Job’s trials or any miraculous work in Job’s life to restore him back again?

There could not have been God’s direct intervention during Job’s trials, because that was the challenge between satan and God.

If God could not have intervened directly during Job’s trials, how did God answered Job’s questions, cleared his doubts and helped him to overcome his trials?

Imagine Job with his body covered in sores, with dirty clothes on him, sitting on ashes, mocked and scorned by everyone. At what point did he get the strength to getup, walk away from where he was sitting, clean himself, put on his rich robes and face everyone with his old confidence, honour and vigour?

We cannot find God in the form of man visiting, counselling or comforting him. We also don’t find any miraculous events that happened that could have changed Job. So what was that, that gave the strength to Job?

The answer might lie in God’s words to Job.

God’s Words to Job:

Job's shift towards his restoration happens in the four chapters between 38 – 41. I have read many commentaries for these chapters and I see that most commentators have portrayed as though Job needed a lot of soul searching for his questioning of God. Job was over righteous, so God had to put him in his place by teaching about his omnipotence and his power and majesty. When I read such commentaries, I feel we too are standing alongside Job’s friends accusing him of things which he did not do!

1. Job never questioned God about his omnipotence or about what he can or cannot do (26:6_14). Job never questioned God’s power or any other divine attributes. Job never questioned God about the way he cared for his other creations. The only question Job had for God was about God’s dealings with him! God who had taken care of him until then, why did he abandon him suddenly? Even if he had done some mistake, why should God punish him so severely? These were some of the questions asked by Job.

Job’s questions to God:

First Question (Chapter 6:11-13)

“What strength do I have, that I should hope? And what is my end, that I should prolong my life? Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh bronze? Is my help not within me? And is success driven from me?

Second Question (Chapter 7:12)

Am I a sea, or a sea serpent, That You set a guard over me?

Third Question (Chapter 7:17 – 21)

“What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him, That You should visit him every morning, and test him every moment? How long? Will You not look away from me, and let me alone till I swallow my saliva? Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, so that I am a burden to myself? Why then do You not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity?

Fourth Question (Chapter 10:4-7)

Do You have eyes of flesh? Or do You see as man sees? Are Your days like the days of a mortal man? Are Your years like the days of a mighty man, That You should seek for my iniquity and search out my sin, Although You know that I am not wicked, and there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?

Fifth Question (Chapter 13: 22 – 25)

How many are my iniquities and sins? Why do You hide Your face, And regard me as Your enemy? Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry stubble?

Sixth Question (Chapter 14:3, 10, 14)

And do You open Your eyes on such a one, and bring me to judgment with Yourself? Indeed he breathes his last and where is he? If a man dies, shall he live again?

Seventh Question (Chapter 21:7)

Why do the wicked live and become old, Yes, become mighty in power?

(This is a question for which Job knew the answer. As he said in 21:16, For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom; They shall be brought out on the day of wrath)

From these questions we can understand that, these questions arose out of genuine incomprehensibility of Job about his suffering and not because of any arrogance or disbelief.

Job’s entire miswordings about God was only because he didn’t know that it was satan who had touched him and not God. Eventhough Job had questioned God a lot with regard to his sufferings, it was because he had no way of knowing it was satan’s test.

 2.Job neither acted over righteous or nor did he think too much about himself. Job refused to accept his friends’ accusations of him (27:5,6). Although he was a righteous man, even testified by God, he did not dare to hoist his righteousness in front of God (9:14-21)

3. Job felt utterly hopeless and he thought he was at the point of no return. He did not have any hope that his life could be restored back, eventhough he wished to have it restored back to it’s former glory. The entire 14^th chapter of Job talks about that, especially verses 7-10.

God’s dealings with Job:

Eventhough satan had stopped God’s direct intervention with Job, God could still communicate with Job through his creations. That might be the reason why God would have communicated with Job through the whirlwind at first. After that, through other God’s creations, God was speaking to him. Psalm 19: 1-4 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world”. Romans 1: 20 also tells the same thing, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead”

Chapter 38: 1-38

Chapter 38 seems to be the response to Job’s curse on the day of his birth. Job invoked darkness, shadow, clouds, stars etc. as though they are at his will. God had to correct Job and tell him that, he did not have control over any of these. Job knew very well that he did not have any control over the creator. But God had to remind Job that he did not have any control over God’s creations also.

Job 38:2 - “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? (Even though, this sounds very harsh, we can understand that God did not speak it out of anger, but just to remind Job that nothing of nature is under Job’s control. Remember Job had spoken as though he could darken the days and summon the nature to convey his anger and displeasure) 

1.     Job: May the day perish on which I was born (3:3)

God: Have you commanded the morning since your days began (Job 38:12)

2.   Job: Nor the light shine upon it (3:4

God: “Where is the way to the dwelling of light? (38:19)

3.   Job: May darkness and the shadow of death claim it (3:5)

God: Have you seen the doors of the shadow of death (38:17)

4.    Job: May a cloud settle on it (3:5)

God: I made the clouds as a garment for the sea (38:9)

5.     Job: May the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, may darkness seize it (3:5,6)

God: And darkness, where is its place, that you may take it to its territory, that you may know the paths to its home? Do you know it, because you were born then, or because the number of your days is great? (38:19,20,21)

6.    Job: May it not rejoice among the days of the year, May it not come into the number of the months. Oh, may that night be barren! May no joyful shout come into it! (3:6,7)

God: Who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (38:6,7)

7.     Job: May the stars of its morning be dark (3:9)

God: Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth? (38: 33)

8.    Job: And not see the dawning of the day; Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, Nor hide sorrow from my eyes. (3:9,10)

God: “Have you commanded the morning since your days began,

And caused the dawn to know its place, That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? (38:12,13)

Chapter 38:39 – 39:30

Between these 33 verses, God takes the example of 9 animals / birds and their young ones ( Lion (38:39, 40), Raven (38:41), Wild mountain goats (39:1 - 4), Wild donkey (39:5 – 8), Wild ox (39:9 - 12), Ostrich (39:13 – 18), Horse (39:19 – 25), Hawk  (39:26) & Eagle (39:27 – 30).

God asked Job whether he knew anything from their conception, birth, the way they take care of their young, how they live and die. Most of these questions seem to be a response to Job’s anguish about the circumstances of his birth. 

1.      Job: May the day perish on which I was born, and the night in which it was said, a male child is conceived. Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb? (3:3,11)

God: Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?  Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young? They bow down, They bring forth their young, They deliver their offspring. Their young ones are healthy, They grow strong with grain; They depart and do not return to them (39: 1-4)

2.       Job: Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse? (3:12)

God: Who provides food for the raven, When its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food? (38:41)

 Job failed to mention God as his creator or spoke as though God did not have anything to do with his conception, birth and his life. (It could have been simply because of his anguish and pain, that’s why God did not consider it as a sin). God had to remind Job that from the simplest of animals to the greatest even those that are roaming in the wild are taken care of by him. From birth till death, nothing happens without His knowledge. That seems to be the summary of the message given here.

                                                                                             - To be continued

The Restoration of Job - Part 1

THE RESTORATION OF JOB - PART 1

In the previous post, I had given a rough idea of how to read the book of Job. I want to elaborate more on the restoration of Job. Let us begin by looking at satan’s requests to God and Job’s afflictions!

 (Please follow the links to get the other parts of this study

How to study the Book of Job?

The Restoration of Job (Part - II)

The Restoration of Job (Part - III)

Satan’s Request to God:

What did satan want from God?

The only request satan placed before God was to, “Stretch out His hand and touch all that Job has” (1:11; 2:5). Satan wanted God Himself to afflict Job. Satan wanted God to act against Job. But, God did not grant satan’s request. Instead, God permitted satan to test Job. Thus God made his sovereignty known to satan, to let satan know that Job is still very much under His control.

What did satan want from Job?

Satan wanted two things from Job. Satan wanted Job to

1. Curse God

2. Die

God knew very well that it was satan’s intention to 1) Destroy Job’s righteousness 2) After making Job unrighteous, to make him die.

As soon as satan started his conversation about Job, God denied satan the permission to take Job’s life (1:12; 2:6). God did not place any condition there. Whether Job passes or fails the test, satan did not have the right to take Job’s life. This left satan with only one option, to oppress Job with such great trials that he would be bitter with his life and leave his righteous life and die. Later, it was suggested by satan through his wife. She told him to “Curse God and then die (2:9). (Was Job’s wife such a great blasphemer to suggest him to curse God? Job didn’t seem to think so. After his trials were over, they had a normal life. At that point, it seems satan used her to voice out what he wanted Job to do).

(Although Job groaned because of his loss, pain and agony, he did not do both the things which satan wanted him to do)

Job’s Afflictions:

 Job’s losses

-         Oxen (1:14,15)

-         Donkeys (1:14,15)

-         Sheep (1:16)

-         Camels (1:17)

-         Most of his servants (1:15, 16, 17)

-         Ten children (1:19)

-         Health (2:7)

Job’s Humiliation from his family and neighbours

Job’s wife: She responded by saying, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (2:9); Job’s breath was offensive to his wife (19:17)

Job’s Servants: Even his maidservants counted him as a stranger and an alien. When he called his servant, he did not give him an answer and he had to beg him with his mouth (19:15,16)

Job’s Relatives: His brothers were removed far from him (19:13); His acquaintances were completely estranged from him (19:13); His relatives failed him (19:14)

Job’s Neighbours: He was made a byword of the people, and men abhorred him (17:6); Even young children despised him and spoke against him (19:18); all those whom he loved turned against him (19:19); Young men mocked him (30:1); He became their taunting song and their byword (30:9); They abhorred him and kept far from him, and they did not hesitate to spit in his face (30:10);  They cast off restraint before him and young men pushed away his feet to make him fall and they destroyed his path to increase his calamity and difficulty (30:12,13);

Job’s Humiliation from friends

-         Rebuked him (6:26)

-         mocked him (12:4; 17:2)

-         forged lies about him (13:4)

-         scorned him (16:20)

-         Spoke deceptively about him (17:5)

-         Tormented his soul (19:2)

-         Broke him in pieces with words (19:2)

-         Reproached him (19:3)

-         His close friends had forgotten him (19:14)

Job’s humiliation from his enemies:

His adversaries sharpened their gaze on him, they gaped at him with their mouth, they struck him reproachfully on the cheek, they gathered together against him. (Job 16:9,10)

Job’s Physical State:

-         Job took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. (2:8)

-         He sewed a sackcloth and covered his skin and laid his head in the dust. His face was flushed from weeping (16:15)

-         His bones were pierced at night and his gnawing pains took no rest (30:27).

-         Even his garments became disfigured because of his disease (30:18)

-         His skin grew black and fell from him and his bones burned with fever (30:30).

How do you restore a man who has lost so much in life?

What did Job get back?

-         Restored friendship (42:9)

-         Restored Relationship: 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, Job 42:11.

-         Restored Wealth

·        Fourteen thousand sheep

·        Six thousand camels

·        One thousand yoke of oxen

·        One thousand female donkeys

-        Job got 10 more children. He had seven sons and three daughters (Some people think the death of the first 10 children is a loss, but for a righteous man death is not the end, and they were not lost)

How did Job get back his wealth?

The real miracle is not in how much Job got back, but in how he got that back! Let us ponder this with few questions!

Ø Did God do a creative miracle to give Job his children and animals back like in the days of creation? No, there is no evidence for that in the Holy Bible. Job got his blessings back through working for them.

Ø What amount of strength would have been required for a man who was few inches away from death, to get back to his normal life?

Ø What was the force that was behind Job getting back to the glory of his former life?

Ø How did he earn back the respect and reputation from his friends, neighbours and acquaintance?

Ø What made his wife and his servants to accept and treat him normally again?

Ø Was there God’s direct intervention during Job’s trials or any miraculous work in Job’s life to restore him back again?

                                                                                 - To be continued

How to Read the "Book of Job"?

HOW TO READ "THE BOOK OF JOB"?

 “The Book of Job” is a book from where we can learn about suffering and it’s overcoming. When I was young, I always felt that the Book of Job was mysterious. I knew there was something deeply special which I couldn’t grasp from the surface. The Book of Job is a maze as well as a mine. There are so many ways of reading this book. I enjoyed learning the book of Job in the following way, which I wanted to share.

 I.  ABOUT JOB (First read about Job with the help of the following references, which would help you understand this book better)

About his Earthly Life and Possessions:

1.    Who was Job? (Job 1:1)

2.  About his family (Job 1:2, 4, 5)

3.  About his riches (Job 1:3)

4.  More about his riches and life style (Job 29:2 - 11)

5.  God’s Protection on Job (Job 1:10)

              About his Righteous Life:

1.     God’s Testimony (Job 1:8; 2:3)

2.   His righteous life (Job 29:13 - 25; 31:1 - 40)

 II.           THE TEST OF JOB    

                Satan’s first test of Job

1.      Satan takes permission from God (Job 1:6 - 12)

2.   Job’s Trials (Job 1: 13 – 19)

3.   Job’s Response (Job 1:20 – 22)

Satan’s second test of Job

1.     Satan takes permission from God (Job 2:1 - 6)

2.   Job’s Trials (Job 2: 7)

3.   Job’s immediate Response (Job 2:9,10)

4.   Job’s friends mourn (Job 2:11 – 13)

5.    Job’s family and neighbours’ response after his prolonged trials (Job 19:13 – 20; 30^th chapter)

 

Till the 2^nd chapter, it is relatively easier to understand the Book of Job. From the 3^rd chapter it seems a bit confusing, especially to find continuity and correlation between chapters and verses.

To certain extent we can understand the situation around which these chapters were written.

Ø Job the richest man in town was going through severe trials in life

Ø Three of his friends visit him to offer him comfort (later they were joined by another fourth friend)

Ø For seven days everything was fine, no one spoke a word (Job 2:13)

Ø On the eighth day after his friends arrived, out of unbearable pain Job uttered curses on himself (Job 3) which triggered his friends.

Ø One by one his friends started to speak, trying to convince Job “using words which they thought were right”

Ø But Job was not ready to accept their views about him

Ø Finally, God intervenes and his situation is reversed and Job is honoured with double blessings.

 We usually have more difficulty in understanding exactly what Job’s friends spoke and why God told Job’s friends that his anger was aroused against them and what was that, they did not speak right about God and what did God want to convey through his lectures to Job.

To understand all these, first I studied “God’s response to Job’s Friends & Job, Chapters 38 – 42”

 III.      GOD’S RESPONSE TO JOB’S FRIENDS & JOB

The reason why I studied this first is because

1.     God’s reproved Job’s friends’ speech, so we can assume that they had a wrong understanding about God, so it would be difficult to understand this book, if we study their speech first

2.   God can never be wrong in his words or his response, so with the help of the light provided by God’s lectures to Job, it would be easier to understand the wrongs in Job and his friend’s speech

God’s Response

The response which God gave to Job and his friends were different.

Job’s Friends – God did not try to explain himself in any way to Job’s friends. God said he was angry with them. Job’s friends’ speech even amounted to sin, for which they had to offer a sacrifice to obtain mercy from God. On the surface, no fault can be found with their speech which would make us wonder what made God to be so angry with them. But if you study their speech, you would find that it was a skewed speech. (Is explained in the next topic)

Job – God tried to make Job understand many things through series of lectures. When we read Job’s speech, for our human mind some of it may seem like Job was questioning God. But God did not get angry with that nor did he consider it as a sin warranting a sacrifice.

 So based on this I tried to understand what God wanted to convey to Job through his lectures. We can be sure that every single word which God spoke was meaningful and it would have provided answers to Job’s doubts and Questions. Based on this understanding, I studied “God’s Lectures to Job from Chapter 38 – 41).

IV.        GOD’S LECTURES TO JOB

God’s lectures to Job can be mainly split into two major topics (2 subtopics), so 4 lectures in total.

1.     God’s questioning of Job

 Ø Chapter 38: 1- 38 – God questioned Job about many of nature’s elements (First Lecture)

Ø Chapter 38:39 – 39:30 – God questioned Job about animals and birds (Second Lecture)

                        2.   God’s Exhortation 

Ø Chapter 40: 7 – 14 – God exhorts Job that his own right hand can save him (40:14), Explanation later (Third Lecture) 

Ø Chapter 40: 15 – 41: 34 – God talks about the strength of two of his creatures which were made along with Job or just like Job (40:15) Fourth Lecture

 Expanding on these titles:

                 (I have reordered the lectures, to make the study easier)

1.    GOD’S QUESTIONING OF JOB

CHAPTER 38:39 – 39:30  

God questioned Job about animals and birds

Between these 33 verses, God takes the example of 9 animals / birds and their young ones ( Lion (38:39, 40), Raven (38:41), Wild mountain goats (39:1 - 4), Wild donkey (39:5 – 8), Wild ox (39:9 - 12), Ostrich (39:13 – 18), Horse (39:19 – 25), Hawk  (39:26) & Eagle (39:27 – 30).

God asked Job whether he knew anything from their conception, birth, the way they take care of their young, how they live and die. Most of these questions seem to be a response to Job’s anguish in Chapter 3 about the circumstances of his birth.

Job failed to mention God as his creator or spoke as though God did not have anything to do with his conception, birth and his life. (It could have been simply because of his anguish and pain, that’s why God did not consider it as a sin). God had to remind Job that from the simplest of animals to the greatest even those that are roaming in the wild are taken care of by him. From birth till death, nothing happens without His knowledge. That seems to be the summary of the message given here.

CHAPTER 38: 1- 38

God questioned Job about many of nature’s elements.

Throughout Job’s speech, he had mentioned many of nature’s elements. So God was asking Job whether he was there when all of these were created or formed. Few examples would be

1.      Stars of the morning – Job (3:9; God (38:33)

2.     Dawning of the day – Job (3:9); God (38:12)

3.     Man and his work on earth – Job (28:1-11); God (38:4-30)

Here God seemed to tell Job that he spoke about things that were little bit beyond his understanding. But God did not consider it as a fault or sin.

 

2.  GOD’S EXHORTATION (Let me confess this is the best portion in this book)

CHAPTER 40: 7 – 14

God exhorts Job that his own right hand can save him (40:14)

What did God mean by that?

1.     God told Job to adorn himself with majesty and splendor, and array himself with glory and beauty (Verse 10). Until this time, Job was sitting on the ashes and scraping himself with a potsherd. God told him to getup from his ashes, to go back to his home and adorn himself as he had done, before his illness.

 

2.     God told Job to take revenge on two groups of people (Remember he was not healed yet, with the strength he had, God asked him to do that).

·        Everyone who is proud (Verse 11)

·        Wicked (Verse 12)

    These two group of people had distressed Job greatly. Job described about the proud people (Job 19: 5 onwards) and about the wicked people (Job 21) in these chapters.

Until that time, Job thought nothing could be done about these people (Job 21:30,31) but God told him to rise up from the ashes, strengthen himself and take revenge on the wicked and the proud. God promised that he would appreciate and commend Job when he does that (Verse 40:14). Doesn’t it mirror the exhortation given in Hebrews 12:1 to Christian believers?

 

CHAPTER 40: 15 – 41: 34

 God talks about the strength of two of his creatures which were made along with Job or just like Job (40:15)

Job had earlier said that he didn’t have any strength left in him. Job said, “Would you terrify a leaf blown by the wind? Would you chase dry straw?” (Job 13:25). Job had also wondered, “But I don’t have the strength to endure. I have nothing to live for. Do I have the strength of a stone? Is my body made of bronze?” (Job 6:11,12). God brought to Job’s attention two creatures which he had created just like Job (40:15). God told Job that he had endowed their body with every kind of protection and strength that is needed for them to be strong, fearless and successful eventhough constantly there are hunters and others trying to subdue them. What can stop Job from being strong, fearless and successful?

Finally Job understood his mistake and he said, 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 (42:3, 4). He realized that God can do everything, And that no purpose of His can be withheld from Him (42:2). With the help of God, Job can do anything. This too mirrors the verse in the New Testament “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

 God granted Job’s desire to see him (Job 19:26,27). We don’t know in what manner Job’s eyes saw God (Job 42:5).

 Why should God exhort Job?

God did not test Job. He did not want satan to test or harm Job either. But satan had challenged God saying that, Job was faithful to God only because of God’s blessings. But God knew Job would be faithful even without any of these blessings. But Job’s physical pain, family and friend’s insult, mental agony, cruel accusations were causing lot of anguish for Job. God would have wanted to strengthen and support Job so that he could come out of the trial victoriously.

The Strength of Behemoth and Leviathan

Difficulties in understanding Biblical passages arise, because sometimes when some incident or messages are given in a direct manner and elaborately, we understand them easily. But if they are not explained adequately, we don’t take the time to understand. In the Book of Job, the time frame of the talk between Job and his friends and God’s response seems lengthier. But we have to understand that the last few verses of the Book of Job involves a much lengthier time frame. It speaks about the years during which Job earned double the amount of his wealth and brought forth 10 children into the world.

 Did God do a creative miracle to give Job his children and animals back? No. Job got his blessings back through working for them. We have to remember that in the beginning also, it was God’s blessings that gave him the riches. But now God’s blessings helped him to earn double the amount of wealth. (Go back and read Job’s family and neighbours’ response after his prolonged trials in Job 19:13 – 20; 30th chapter once again) Now imagine the strength needed for Job to overcome this. Job thought restoration is impossible in his situation (Job 7:6 – 11; 10:21, 22; 14:1-13) but after God revealed the strength of few of his creatures, Job would have got the strength to overcome his situation.

 V.             GOD’S RESPONSE TO JOB’S FRIENDS

I had mentioned earlier that God was angry with Job’s friends. Job’s friends’ speech even amounted to sin, for which they had to offer a sacrifice to obtain mercy from God. On the surface, no fault can be found with their speech which would make us wonder what made God to be so angry with them. But if you study their speech, you would find that it was a skewed speech. Job’s friends spoke correctly about the righteousness and justice of God. But they did not have a clue about the long suffering, patience, kindness, goodness and the grace of God. They saw God only as a righteous judge. They did not see him as a creator with a loving and caring relationship with his creation. I give few samples of this

1.      Job 4:18, 19

2.     Job 11:6

3.     Job 15:15,16

4.    Job 22:2,3

5.     Job 35:6,7

 

Job’s friends had a wrong understanding about God which led to them having a wrong understanding of Job. Because they did not understand the patience, kindness and goodness of God, they thought Job’s suffering was the result of some sin. They started to accuse Job of things he did not do which added to his sufferings. God counted that as sin and they had to offer sacrifice and Job had to pray for them to be delivered.

 VI.        JOB RECEIVES TWO-FOLD BLESSINGS

Although the Holy Bible does not describe Job’s response to God’s exhortation, it is evident that Job changed his sackcloth and he wore his rich robes as God instructed him, took revenge on the wicked, offered sacrifice for his friends (for offering sacrifice he would not have gone on his sackcloth) and God restored his fortune double-fold. (Job 42: 7-17). Job could once again say what he had said earlier, “My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand” (Job 29:20).

 Please follow the links to get the other parts of this study

The Restoration of Job (Part - I)

The Restoration of Job (Part - II)

The Restoration of Job (Part - III)

The lesson from the book of Job can be summarized using two verses from the New Testament

 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18)”.

“And also Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37)”.

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