JOB AND THE END OF HIS LIFE

Our text:

Job 42:7-17

Jas 5:11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

My Pastor Sam Duncan has told a story of Maze Jackson many times. Maze Jackson was a tremendous Evangelist who has gone on to be with the Lord. But it seems that when Maze would get ready to go somewhere to preach he would always go to the passenger side of his car and open the door. He would then get in on the drivers side. When asked about this he would say “I was letting the Lord in so He could go with me”. What Job had forgotten was the God had never left him during this time when he thought he had lost everything and had buried all his children. These things had broken Job to the point where he just didn’t want to live anymore. He was in a real need for comfort but that comfort never came from those around him. Comfort can only come from the Lord!

In typology Job is a type of Christ. Christ gave up Heaven’s throne and Heaven’s riches to come down to this Earth and put on some flesh so He could pay my sin debt and your sin debt and all the sin debt of this world forever.

You see God had not answered Job because Job had not prayed and asked. Job was truly a righteous man who had done nothing wrong even in the eyes of God. God has said this many times. There was not a more moral man in the land where Job dwelled. There was not a more loving father than Job was to his family. Do you see the comparison to Christ Jesus.

Yet Job had not prayed. Not praying is a sin unto God:

Samuel prayed:

1Sa 12:23  Moreover as for me, God forbid [that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you]: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

Not praying for the lost, not praying for our leaders, not praying for each other is worse than murder, than adultery, than every other sin. Prayerlessness is the greater sin!

Jesus Christ prayed for us over 2000 years ago:

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, [but for them also which shall believe on me through their word];

I may not have gotten saved without this prayer of Jesus nor anyone else. If we are to be followers of Christ, true Christians then we must pray. When we know what to do and refuse to do it then we have the greater sin.

Jas 4:17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

The Bible says:

Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Let’s be solid in our prayer life and be more like Christ Jesus.

Jesus Christ was innocent of all guilt. He was free from guilt. He had not violated any law. He was pure and upright. He had done no evil action or crime.

Even Judas the betrayer realized this:

Mat 27:3  Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Mat 27:4  Saying, [I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood]. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

You see Job was innocent yet these men had tried to convince him of guilt. We can see the work of Satan behind these things of Job and we can see the work of Satan behind the destruction of Christ Jesus on that cross. We can see that God does things that we may not understand but they were necessary in order that we have eternal life. So why do the Christians have to suffer.

1.) We suffer because Christ suffered. Jesus said:

Luk 9:22  Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 9:24  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Luk 9:25  For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

The Bible says:

Act 13:28  And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

God is not the cause of this suffering but there is one called the Devil that is to blame:

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

1Jn 3:7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1Jn 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1Jn 3:10  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

There are some other reasons we should consider:

2.) We suffer so that Satan can be silenced:

1Pe 2:15  For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
1Pe 2:16  As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

3.) We suffer that we might put God first again in our lives:

Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

4.) We suffer sometimes because we just do not see ourselves properly: (He has to wake us up)

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

5.) We suffer because we judge others: (Job was innocent of this but not his friends)

Mat 7:1  Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Mat 7:3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

6.) We suffer because we do not pray properly: (Job lashed out when he should have prayed)

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

7.) We suffer sometimes to prove that God’s plan is always the right plan:

Gen 50:19  And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
Gen 50:20  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but God meant it unto good], to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Gen 50:21  Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

WE MUST LEARN AND GROW FROM EVERY THING GOD BRINGS INTO OUR LIVES!

They will come and they will pass.

Psa 25:12  What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
Psa 25:13  His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
Psa 25:14  The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
Psa 25:15  Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Psa 25:16  Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
Psa 25:17  The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
Psa 25:18  Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
Psa 25:19  Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
Psa 25:20  O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
Psa 25:21  Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

*****Our Text:

Job 42:7  And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
Job 42:8  Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
Job 42:9  So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.

1.) What we immediately see in this verse is that again God says that Job spoke of things that were right.

Look at those words (My servant). The Lord knows who His children are.

The Bible says:

Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

2.) We see that Eliphaz and his(HIS) two friends would now see the mercy of God and not His wrath.

It was these three that gotten together before they came to Job. They may have had good intentions but because they did not know God they did not know how to comfort Job.

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

We can see the influence of Satan on these that are called friends of Job.

The Bible says:

1Ti 3:7  Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

What we do not see: We do not see anything of Elihu. God does not acknowledge him. When the serpent went after Eve, God rebuke the serpent. I am sure God knew what Satan was doing at that time but the animal(the snake) belonged to God. Elihu could have been a manifestation of Satan or some human being used of Satan but he also will have his day.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: [for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night].

The sacrifice:

From this it appears that Job was considered as a priest, not only to his own family, but also to others. For his children he offered burnt offerings Job 1:5, and now he is to make the same kind of offerings, accompanied with intercession, in behalf of his three friends. This is a full proof of the innocence and integrity of Job.

These men had seen a manifestation of the Lord God Almighty, they would see His “grace” on this occasion but only through the Blood.

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

And God accepted Job:

Pro 3:11  My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Pro 3:12  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Pro 3:13  Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Pro 3:14  For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

Ecc 9:7  Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

*****Our Text:

Job 42:10  And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Job 42:11  Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
Job 42:12  So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
Job 42:13  He had also seven sons and three daughters.
Job 42:14  And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.
Job 42:15  And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

We can see that with all that had happened to Job, he was still better off than those that were around him. No matter what we are going through, every soul we come in contact with should see us as a witness for the love of God. A “Born Again” child of God will never loose his or her salvation but we are always around those that are lost and will spend an eternity in hell. When we do not show a good witness to them we may have condemned them to death. God places us everyone where we are at to be missionaries where we live. If we will not witness for Him where we live He will not ask us to go elsewhere to witness.

When Job prayed for his friends God place that hedge of protection back around Job and closed the door to Satan. Job received twice what he had had.

Prayer brings:

1.) Reconciliation:

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2.) Forgiveness:

Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

3.) Restoration:

Heb 13:18  Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
Heb 13:19  But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord God gave Job twice as much as he had had. It was the first born son of the family that usually got this honor. God would soon put this as a law to the children of Israel.

Birthright:  The advantages accruing to the eldest son. These were not definitely fixed in patriarchal times. Great respect was paid to him in the household, and, as the family widened into a tribe, this grew into a sustained authority, undefined save by custom, in all matters of common interest. Thus the “princes” of the congregation had probably rights of first born. Gradually, the rights of the eldest son came to be more definite:

(1) The functions of the priesthood in the family with the paternal blessing.
(2) A “double portion” of the paternal property was allotted by the Mosaic law.
(3) The eldest son succeeded to the official authority of the father.

We can see that Jesus Christ our Lord was the first born to our Father God who is in Heaven.

The first thing Job received was to have his family restored to him. True comfort finally came. It seems when we are in need of comfort, those that are closest to us can have a better understanding of what we are going through. Our Church family can learn much from this study of Job.

Satan was defeated and he will always be defeated by the child of God that remains steadfast in the word of God.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and [having done all, to stand].

Because:

1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: [because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world].

We might say that Job did not get twice as many children but Job’s first children were raised in a godly home where their father the priest of the family had performed the sacrifices continually for them. Job will be reunited with these first children at his death when he gets to Heaven.

2Co 5:5  Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
2Co 5:6  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and [willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord].
2Co 5:9  Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

Notice again in the Book of Job. We have already establish the location of Job. Basically where Syria, Iraq, Iran and Arabia. The females received the same respect as the men from the word of God. This does not take place in these areas now in our time.

The Bible says:

Gal 3:26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

This holds true no matter where we live. God teaches that man be head of the family but man is to love women as he loves himself.

Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives [as their own bodies]. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Eph 5:29  [For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it], even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and [they two shall be one flesh].

The three daughters:

1.) Jemima which means “warm and affectionate” The warmth of a Dove.

2.) Kezia which comes from the word Cassia. Cassia is made into an essential oil and used in therapy. Cassia is also aromatic that causes soothing and calming. It is called Cinnamon sometimes. This child had a pleasant aroma even therapeutic.

3.) Kerenhappuch which means cosmetics. This child had a natural complexion that you would think was painted on her.

*****Our Text:

Job 42:16  After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.
Job 42:17  So Job died, being old and full of days.

If we believe that Job even was blessed with double his years then Job would have been seventy years old when all this took place. If my aching bones can make it and the Lord has not come to take us home, I would not mind hanging around to see my grandchildren’s children. Life is beautiful to those that know the Lord as Savior. Job died in the Lord but he died satisfied. He died knowing he had done everything he morally could to be a witness to his family.

What we see as we end this short study in the Book of Job is that God does not offer to explain what has happened to Job. God does not owe us any explanation for watching out for us and doing the right things for us in order to serve Him better. Like I said earlier if you worked for Job you would have had great pleasure in your work. If you happen to have known Job as a friend it would have been a great pleasure to meet such a godly man.

I’m sure when Job came face to face with the Lord he heard these words:

Mat 25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

We are bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. He owns us yet it is a great pleasure to serve Him and to know Him and our glory will come when we get to Heaven and in His presence. I love you Jesus!

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

Let’s Pray!