Remember Job’s vindication from last week? Not only did God vindicate Job before his friends, but He also restored his health and replaced his family and property. I couldn’t find in the Bible where it specifically stated God healed Job, but other details imply he was healed. For instance, people weren’t to offer sacrifices until after their leprosy, disease or other “uncleanness” was healed and a period of cleansing had taken place. So, it seems God healed Job when He came and spoke to Job and his three friends because at the end God asked Job to pray and make sacrifices for his three friends. Plus, Job resumed and enjoyed life like he had before.
Job 42:10-17 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.
Not only did God replace all that Job lost (to the exact number of sons and daughters), but God gave back double his fortune and livestock! If you remember from Job 1:2-3 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
I would guess that when it says in Job 42:12 “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part” that it includes Job’s spiritual relationship with God. If Job was so trusting of and loyal to God before, how much more rich his relationship must have been after! He certainly had no doubt that EVERYTHING comes from God. God is the only All-knowing, Almighty, Sovereign Creator and sustainer of the universe!!!!!
How might truly believing that also affect your and my life? I think that if I truly believe everything comes from God, then I’ll be humble in seasons of ease and plenty and I’ll be content to trust God in seasons of hardship.
I pray we’ve all grown in a deeper understanding
of God as we’ve watched Job these last 16 weeks! May the truths encourage and comfort
you and me as we go through the highs and lows in life.
