Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Job 42: All's Well That Ends Well?

Job's story draws to a rapid conclusion in chapter 42.
The first 6 verses detail Job's final statement on his experience.  After his encounter with God, he is a humbled man.  His spirit is satisfied and his heart is repentant.  Job may still not understand the "whys" of everything that happened to him, but he now knows he can trust the One in whose hand his life rests. 

The next order of business is dealing with Job's "friends."  The wrath of the Lord is kindled against them, because it turns out that they were the ones slandering God, not Job!  They spoke without knowledge, attempting to justify God and placing the responsibility upon Him for what was inflicted on Job.  In a turn of very poetic justice, God instructed them to seek Job's prayer in order for them to be excused.

It's a good thing that Job is a forgiving man, because the Bible tells us that he does, indeed, pray for Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar (vs. 10).  It is precisely at that point, "when he had prayed for his friends," that the Lord restores the fortunes of Job.  Satan's challenge is finally over, his accusation broken, and Job has passed the test (more or less!)  Job has persevered through all of the trials and losses, the pain and sufferings, coming out with his righteousness and integrity intact.  He remains a kind and godly man.  He will go down in history as being the very first to have "the patience of Job."

And as for Job's fortunes?  They are returned in full, and doubled!  From the first chapter of Job to the last, we find that his possessions are multiplied by a factor of two.  Except, tellingly, for his children.  Since people are unlike cattle and cannot be truly considered expendable, Job's restoration of children is not a doubling, but a new set in numbers equal to what he had lost before.  It may not be the same, but it is undoubtedly a source of comfort for Job.

The end of the book reveals that Job saw his great-great-grandchildren, and that he lived another 140 years after his time of extreme testing ended. Job died, "old and full of days" (vs. 17).

Some find the ending of the Book of Job unsatisfying.  How can the pain and sorrow, the extreme losses - especially of his children - ever be made up for?  It is not uncommon to hear people protest that Job got an extremely raw deal.  Perhaps.  But I think the important thing is that Job was satisfied.  That's what really counts.  It seems that, as far as he was concerned, truly all's well that ends well.  And, thanks be to God, it ended well for Job.

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