Job's Perseverance and Prosperity

Lesson nine in the Job series.

God's speech in chapters 38-41 has thoroughly vindicated Job, but it has done much more that that. Do you remember Job's prayers? The first prayer was that Job would be kept from sinning, from denying the words of the Holy One. The second prayer was that God would provide an advocate who would be God himself, but who would argue the case like a man. We have already seen God answer the second prayer in his speech. But what about the first prayer? Did Job find the comfort he was so longing for? Let's look at chapter 42:1-6. 

Then Job answered the LORD and said:

"I know that you can do all things,

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

'Here and I will speak;

I will question you and you make it known to me. 

~Job 42:1-4

In the above verses Job is saying that even he had underestimated what God could and would do to bring about his own purposes. Job imagined how it would have to play out, but it turned out way better than Job had imagined. Job knew God would provide an upright man to argue his case for him, but he had no idea it would be God Himself! No wonder he says, "I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." This was the situation of all the Old Testament prophets. They saw things through a glass darkly, not knowing how everything would actually come to pass. God didn't hold that against them and He didn't hold it against Job. Job acted on what he knew and that was what counted. His faith was rewarded. Job goes on to say:

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear

but now my eye sees you;

therefore I despise myself,

and am comforted (repent) in dust and ashes.

~Job 4:5-6

If you feel confused here, you are not alone. On the surface, it looks like Job is confessing to some great sin. So now we have to go back to the Hebrew again. Job is not "despising himself" because he has sinned, but because he has seen God!  Do you remember the final bet that Satan made with God? He said basically, "Job doesn't love you as much as he loves himself. If you touch his flesh and bones, he will curse you to your face." So now, when Job says that he sees God and (by comparison) despises himself, he pretty much puts the nail in Satan's coffin. There is no question that Job loves God more than he loves himself. I lost track of the score here, but in the end God takes all and Satan scores a big fat zero.

Does Job repent? No. Not in the way you are probably thinking. Remember the Hebrew word nacham? The word means comfort. That is the Hebrew word that is infrequently translated in English as repent. It means that Job was comforted. (The Hebrew word for repent as in turning away from sin is shub.  It is a completely different word with a completely different meaning.) 

Now we have to go back and look at Job's prayer in chapter 6. Job said the only thing that would bring him comfort is getting through this trial without sinning. If he is comforted now, it is because God has granted his request.That is the importance of the next line "in dust and ashes." Job is not comforted because God has healed him. He is comforted before any change takes place in his circumstances. He is comforted because he persevered during the trial without resorting to sin--without denying the words of the Holy One. Job has indeed come forth as pure gold as he predicted he would. God has done this for him, just like he does for you and me. 

There is more evidence that Job did not sin during the course of this trial. God's final verdict comes in verses 7 and 8. "After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has." 

Job has never lost his status as God's servant and we really can't argue with God can we? If God says Job did not sin, then Job did not sin. Job did not have to make an offering for himself for that very reason. Once Job prayed for his friends, God restored Job's health--a miracle like the raising of the dead--as decayed flesh and rotting teeth became like new. He also restored Job's family and friends and wealth. Job had double what he had before. He started out in chapter 42 surrounded by ashes and by the end of the chapter, he was surrounded by beauty in the form of three beautiful daughters. We know that God does not always promise great wealth and prosperity to believers. Some believers will suffer until the day they die and some will be martyrs. But vindication will come for all God's people and it will come in the flesh, when at the Second Coming we are all raised from the dead with glorious new bodies. 

What happened to Elihu? Stay tuned for part ten as we conclude this study.