Daily Devotional Thursday 30th September 2021

by William Moody

Job 42

Job’s Confession and Repentance

42:1 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.
  ‘Hear, and I will speak;
    I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
  I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees you;
  therefore I despise myself,
    and repent1 in dust and ashes.”

The Lord Rebukes Job’s Friends

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.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.

The Lord Restores Job’s Fortunes

10 And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil2 that the LORD had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money3 and a ring of gold.

12 And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days.

Footnotes

[1] 42:6 Or and am comforted
[2] 42:11 Or disaster
[3] 42:11 Hebrew a qesitah; a unit of money of unknown value

(ESV)

There is a wonderful end to the book of Job. First of all Job acknowledges God’s greatness and his foolishness for speaking without proper knowledge (v1-6). In coming to know the Lord in a deeper way he despises himself for doing this and repents (v6). Have you come to such a knowledge of God that has caused you to despise yourself, your sinfulness and it has caused you to humbly repent?

Next the Lord rebukes Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar (not Elihu) for not speaking properly about God (v7). This reminds us all to take great care when speaking of God and what is dear to Him.

Eliphaz and his friends are called to offer sacrifices for their sin and to ask Job to pray for them (8-9). The Lord is seeking not only for these men to be contrite, He wants them to have a right regard for His servant Job.

The final thing we read about is Job being restored in regards his relationships (v10-11), his possessions (v12) and his family (v13-14).

We see that in the end God is no man’s debtor. In regards the unsaved God will act justly, in regards the saved God acts with abundant grace. This is the God to be worshipped.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®),
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.