13 June Job 38:1-42:17

13 June. God speaks to Job and restores his wealth

“Then the LORD answered Job from the storm. He said, ‘Who is this that makes my purpose unclear by saying things that are not true? Be strong like a man! I will ask you questions, and you must answer me. Where were you when I made the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off how big it should be? Surely you know! …’”

“’Job, are you the one who gives the horse its strength or puts the flowing mane on its neck? Do you make the horse jump like a locust? … Is it through your wisdom that the hawk flies and spreads its wings towards the south? … Will the person who argues with the Almighty correct him? Let the person who accuses God answer him.’”

“Then Job answered the LORD, ‘I am not worthy; I cannot answer you anything, so I will put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I will not answer again: I even spoke twice, but I will say nothing more.’”

“Then the LORD spoke to Job from the storm: ‘Be strong, like a man! I will ask you questions, and you must answer me. Would you say that I am unfair? Would you blame me to make yourself look right? Are you as strong as God? … Can you catch the leviathan on a fish-hook or tie its tongue down with a rope? …’”

“Then Job answered the LORD: ‘I know that you can do all things and that no plan of yours can be ruined… Surely I spoke of things I did not understand; I talked of things too wonderful for me to know… So now I hate myself; I will change my heart and life. I will sit in the dust and ashes.’”

“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 said what is right about me, as my servant Job did. Now take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will listen to his prayer. Then I will not punish you for being foolish…’”

“After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD gave him success again. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had owned before. Job’s brothers and sisters came to his house, along with everyone who had known him before, and they all ate with him there. They comforted him and made him feel better about the trouble the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave Job a piece of silver and a gold ring.”

“The LORD blessed the last part of Job’s life even more than the first part. Job had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. Job also had seven sons and three daughters… There were no other women in all the land as beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father Job gave them land to own along with their brothers.”

“After this, Job lived 140 years. He lived to see his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Then Job died; he was old and had lived many years.”

          (Job 38:1-5; 39:19-20, 26; 40:2; 42:1-2, 3, 6-8, 10-17)

 


 

At the end of the story of Job, God speaks personally to him. He asks Job a series of questions which are designed to ask Job to contemplate God’s mighty power and omnipotence: Who created the world? Who enables a horse to gallop? Who makes a hawk soar in the wind?

As a result, Job acknowledges God’s divine power and majesty and he’s sorry for questioning God’s wisdom. He accepts that, despite his financial ruin and his unpleasant illnesses, God loves him and is in control of his life – whatever the outcome may be.

God then rebukes Job’s friends for failing to understand the message behind Job’s suffering: God wasn’t punishing Job for his sin; merely testing his faithfulness.

Finally, God restores Job to his former position with twice as much wealth as before. Job has another ten children and he lives to a ripe old age.

The photo shows a scroll of the Book of Job in Hebrew (by Pete Unseth).

You can read the whole story of Job @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/28-the-israelites-face-continuing-opposition/job-is-faced-with-adversity/

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