Job Continues to Question God
1 “I made a covenant with my eyes
not to look lustfully at a young woman.
2 For what is our lot from God above,
our heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not ruin for the wicked,
disaster for those who do wrong?
4 Does he not see my ways
and count my every step?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood
or my foot has hurried after deceit—
6 let God weigh me in honest scales
and he will know that I am blameless—
7 if my steps have turned from the path,
if my heart has been led by my eyes,
or if my hands have been defiled,
8 then may others eat what I have sown,
and may my crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind another man’s grain,
and may other men sleep with her.
11 For that would have been wicked,
a sin to be judged.
12 It is a fire that burns to Destruction;
it would have uprooted my harvest.
13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,
whether male or female,
when they had a grievance against me,
14 what will I do when God confronts me?
What will I answer when called to account?
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?
16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor
or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
not sharing it with the fatherless—
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
and from my birth I guided the widow—
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,
or the needy without garments,
20 and their hearts did not bless me
for warming them with the fleece from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
knowing that I had influence in court,
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
let it be broken off at the joint.
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,
and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.
24 “If I have put my trust in gold
or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,
the fortune my hands had gained,
26 if I have regarded the sun in its radiance
or the moon moving in splendor,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed
and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,
for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.
29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune
or gloated over the trouble that came to him—
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin
by invoking a curse against their life—
31 if those of my household have never said,
‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’—
32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
for my door was always open to the traveler—
33 if I have concealed my sin as people do,
by hiding my guilt in my heart
34 because I so feared the crowd
and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
that I kept silent and would not go outside—
35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!
I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
let my accuser put his indictment in writing.
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,
I would put it on like a crown.
37 I would give him an account of my every step;
I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—
38 “if my land cries out against me
and all its furrows are wet with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment
or broken the spirit of its tenants,
40 then let briers come up instead of wheat
and stinkweed instead of barley.”
Job Sees the Presence of God
1 Then Job replied to the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”
Epilogue
7 After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
Job is a good man, a very good man...God even calls him blameless...And even though he is good and blameless (Job 1:8) he suffers greatly...God even allowed the evil one to come into his life...With the information the Book of Job gives us, God just allowed the evil one to step in Job's life...And when the evil one came into Job's life he creates havoc for the good man...Job seems not to know that the evil one is even involved...Job goes right to God for answers...God can intervene for us at any time...And He does (in time) for Job...Nothing man or Job can do allows us to be the one who holds even our own life together...Wealth, wisdom, success -being the best doctor, philosopher, or lawyer, does not cure all suffering...Being the wisest or the best or blameless, does not keep pain and suffering from happening in our lives...Only God can help us, and keep our lives together...God is in control...God is sovereign...God is the Only One with complete understanding and complete wisdom...
Job wants to know what he has done to deserve this suffering and pain...So Job has hard tough questions for God...And in Job's line of questions, He feels that God is the Judge and has judged him...He has wondered throughout his suffering, God where are You?...Why aren't You with me?...What have I done to deserve this?...But Job's questions seem to go deeper...Job is asking God why, what have I done wrong in Your Eyes?...Please tell me...I think I have followed Your rules, yet you have got me questioning my faith and You...So what have I done?...Job continues to tell God that he has not sinned...Job fears the LORD and would not sin...Job says that "For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things...He has trusted in the LORD, and this is what has happened to him....Great Suffering has came upon him....While Job's friends have continued to tell us and Job that he has sinned and Job is being punished for something he has done...Job does not believe this...He feels it is something else...And he knows only God has the wisdom to answer his questions...
Sometimes as we reflect on life, we can see that there are as many or more questions about life, than there are answers to life...For believers, in times of our worst troubles we have questions for God, and we want God's help...Job continues to believe in God, and he wants some answers from Him...The tragedies around Job has him asking questions, and these questions are directed at God...
While Job's friends continue to believe that he has sinned and is currently being punished for something he has done in his past...Job does not believe that is his case, and he argues it before the Great Judge...Job believes in God through all his anguish...Job believes in God, and stands firm in his belief...Job says what will I do when God confronts me?...What will I answer when called to account?...Even though Job has all these questions, and is suffering greatly -Job believes in His LORD and Savior...And Job endures through his suffering..
Job lost much family and his life with his health gone He needed to be restored...Job needs to be made new again for him to get on with his life...Many problems can weigh us down over time...The loss of family would weigh on Job, as would his sufferings...Only God could restore Job...God, while He could have intervened at anytime, would intervene in Job's life now...After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before...All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house...They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring...Only God can make all things new again for us...Job is alive and living again, because of God...
When we have lost family and are suffering greatly, we need comforting...It seems the deep discussions on theology and God, did not help Job...All the discussions from his friends and the questions seemingly did not help in his suffering...
Job through all of his questions, does not really know this but all He wants God and His Presence...He wants God there...Job had only heard about God and only knew Him from his ears...He has gotten to know God from what he has heard about Him...Job would get to see God and His Presence right up front -face to face...And when He gets God's Presence, he doesn't get to the hundreds of questions he has...But Job has gotten to feel God...And although his ears had heard of God, his eyes now has seen the LORD...And seeing Him and being with Him is everything...IT IS EVERYTHING for Job...God takes Job's sufferings away...Job restored Job's life, so he could live again...And in the end God says Job has spoken the Truth about Him...God knows all things...God can do all things, and no purpose of His can be thwarted...God is in control...Satan knows it...Job's friends know it...And Job knows it...