12/9/2011 9:43:31 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Job’s second response
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Job 42:1-6
Message of the verses: “1 ¶ Then Job answered the LORD and said, 2 "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours 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 You, and You instruct me.’ 5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; 6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.’” (NASB)
1 ¶ Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. 3 You asked, ’Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I-and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. 4 You said, ’Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ 5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.’” (NLT)
We have come to the last chapter in the book of Job and therefore the last SD in this wonderful book. God has shown to me new and different things from the book of Job that I had not seen before. God has given me a “Job Moment” while studying this book, helping me to get a small glimpse perhaps of what Job was feeling. This happened a little over a month ago and even though it was not pleasant for me it did help me in my study of this book and for that I am thankful.
We see in this paragraph from Job 42 that Job confesses to the Lord that he had not said things that were true about God. He even quotes from what the Lord had spoken to him in verses 3-4. Job realizes that he had spoken words about the Lord that he knew nothing about. Job also knew that when he spoke that God was not fair that this too was in error. I think the most important thing that Job learned and we too need to learn is that whatever God does is right and man must accept it by faith.
Job had only heard things about God before and now he has seen God and has a more personal understanding of who God is, and also who he is for he repents in dust and ashes after all we are only made of dust. Job had thought that God was indirect and impersonal, but now he knows better.
Dr. Wiersbe quotes Charles Spurgeon who said: “The door of repentance opens into the hall of joy,” and this was indeed true for Job. We see in verses 7-9 that Job the sinner became Job the servant of God. “7 ¶ 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) We can see in this short paragraph that the Lord called Job “My servant,” a prominent OT title.
Dr. Wiersbe writes how Job served God: “By enduring suffering and not cursing God, and thereby silencing the devil! Suffering in the will of God is a ministry that God gives to a chosen few.
“Bu Job the servant became Job the intercessor. God was angry with Job’s three friends because they hadn’t told the truth about Him (42:7), and they had to be reconciled to Job so he could pray for them. Job became the umpire between God and his three friends! By forgiving his friends and praying for them, Job brought back the blessing to his own life (v-10). We only hurt ourselves when we refuse to forgive others.”
Job ended up with twice as much as before the suffering began. Twice as many children, money, livestock, and if he was seventy years old when this began and the twice as much was for his long life as well then he lived to 140, a very long life and a very rich life. He died old and full of years just like Abraham and Isaac and also King David did.
“10 ¶ 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 adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold. 12 The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land no women were found so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man and full of days.” (NASB)
I wish to end this study of Job in the same way that Dr. Wiersbe ended his commentary as I will quote his Postlude: “You must not misinterpret this final chapter and conclude that every trial will end with all problems solved, all hard feelings forgiven, and everybody ‘living happily ever after.’ It just doesn’t always happen that way! This chapter assures us that, no matter what happens to us, God always writes the last chapter. Therefore, we don’t have to be afraid. We can trust God to do what is right, no matter how painful our situation might be.
“But Job’s greatest blessing was not the regaining of his health and wealth or the rebuilding of his family and circle of friends. His greatest blessing was knowing God better and understand His working in a deeper way. James wrote ‘You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the purpose of the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.’ (James 5:11 NKJB)V). And Hebrews 12:11 reminds us: ‘Now, no chastening seems to be joyous for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.’ (NKJV)
‘In the whole story of Job, wrote G. Campbell Morgan, ‘we see the patience of God and endurance of man. When these act in fellowship, the issue is certain. It is that of the coming forth from the fire as gold, that of receiving the crown of life.’ (The Answers of Jesus to Job, Baker, p. 117).
“No matter what God permits to come into our lives, He always has His ‘afterward.’ He writes the last chapter—and that makes it worth it all.
“Therefore, BE PATIENT!”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: What I seen in this last chapter that is important for me to see is that “things” are not nearly as important as my relationship with the Lord. In doing what the Lord desires me to do for the cause of Christ. To worship the Giver of the gifts and not the gifts, and to trust the Lord in any and all circumstances that He brings into my life.
I have to say that I am thankful to the Lord for this small ministry that He has given to me in placing these Spiritual Diaries onto the internet where others have taken some of their valuable time up to read them. My prayer has always been when I felt that it was time to follow the encouragement of my daughter and a friend of mine to do this was that God would be glorified through these SD’s. I also pray that the Lord will convict others to begin some kind of Bible Study on their own. It doesn’t have to be using the format that I use, but it is so important to not just read the Word each day, but to invest one’s time in the study of God’s Word each day. I am thankful to the Lord for the opportunity He has given me to have time to study His Word each day.
Now we move onto the book of Psalms. Dr. Wiersbe entitles his commentary on Psalms “Be Worshipful,” and his commentary covers every Psalm, so that is something to get excited about. I can’t tell you how much I am indebted to the sound teaching of Warren Wiersbe. I wrote to him about the use of his commentaries on this blog and he graciously replied to me encouraging me in this ministry of which I am thankful.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Job has taught me more about my quest to learn contentment.
2. Give myself to the Lord for worship and for service.
3. Proverbs 3:5-6.
4. Psalm 139:23-24.
5. Luke 22:40b & 46b.
6. My prayer life will be better.
12/9/2011 10:52:50 AM
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