Chronological Reading Plan for Jan 15
As ch 40 opens, we hear the reason Job is being refined. Even though God calls Job blameless, he is a faultfinder (Job 40:1-2). He has found fault in his friends and in God as well. This revelation silences Job. He knows it is true. He stops accusing and starts listening intently (Job 40:3-4), saying, "I lay my hand on my mouth." This is something he had seen other people do in his presence (Job 21:25; 29:9). Job indignantly defended his righteousness against the blatant accusations of his friends. He has no defense against the truth of God. Job is humbled and ready to hear all God has to say to him.
God questions Job for evaluating the meaning of his suffering in relation to God's sovereign rule over His creation (Job 40:6-9). While Job is blameless, his demands for justice are misplaced and show that he is in something that is over his head and beyond his control and understanding (Job 40:10-14). To illustrate His point, God turns back to His dominance over all creation and Job's inability to influence or control it. Not only is Job intimidated and outmatched by the giant beasts God has created, he is equally powerless to establish his righteousness before the Lord.
In ch 42, Job contritely and completely repents. He now sees his struggle and his problem, and bows down to worship his Creator.
It is significant that God says, in Job 42:7-9, that Job has spoken rightly about God while the three friends have not. Job has spoken out of his frustration and pain, but the friends spoke out of anger and judgment. There was truth to some of what was said by all four, but the partial truths of Job's counselors were tainted by their judgment and eventual anger at Job. God then tells Job to pray for his friends. The truly amazing thing about all this is that God's grace abounds for all of them, even though each of them have missed the mark.
Note the flow between Genesis and Job here. We saw Noah, a blameless man who stumbled badly after the flood. Then we heard of Job, another blameless and upright man. They are two of the most righteous men ever created. Two men who loved God and obeyed His commandments. But they are two men who still needed refinement, two godly but imperfect men. God blesses both of them mightily.
From Noah, we learn of our own imperfections. We can easily get comfortable in our blessing and slip into sin. From Job, we learn that our suffering can reveal things in us God wants to refine. But, we learn another lesson more powerful than the first, we need an arbiter, an advocate to plead our case in heaven. Job recognizes we don't have one (Job 9:33). By His grace, God will provide one, a blameless man that will need no refining, Jesus Christ.
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This is the first time I noticed that God spoke to Eliphaz, telling him what he and his friends were to do – – to take sacrifices to Job. And they obeyed!!
ReplyDeleteGod told Eliphaz that Job would pray for him.
This is the first time I noticed that God did not command Job to pray for his friends, but God, knowing the character of his servant Job, shared with Eliphaz what Job (His servant) would do.
Job essentially prayed for GRACE for Eliphaz and his friends!
Job, in the beginning of the book begins praying for his children in this way and the book finishes with Job again standing in as a priest, like Christ, interceding for his friends.
Wow! Excellent observations! I'm always amazed at how deep and nuanced Scripture can be. The lessons we learn never and! this is why it is the "living word".
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