In The Word
Read: Job 42:7-17
God Is Displeased with Job’s Friends
7 It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is trustworthy, as My servant Job has. 8 Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so as not to do with you as yourfoolishness deserves, because you have not spoken of Me what is trustworthy, as My servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job.
God Restores Job’s Fortunes
10 The Lord also restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased double all that Job had. 11 Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they sympathized with him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him a piece of money, and each a ring of gold. 12 The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land no women were found as beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritances among their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations.17 And Job died, an old man and full of days.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
The last words of Job’s confession from yesterday’s reading, opens the door to reconciliation with God and restoration of all that was taken from him. He admitted to God that, “I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know (Job 42:3).” His moment of repentance was filled with sorrow and regret for the words he had spoken – he cursed the day of his birth, saying it would be better to die than live, he uttered words of despair, and he complained against and challenged God. Gratefully, he did not have to repent of cursing God since he never did, even though satan had said Job would (Job 1:11, 2:5) and his wife encouraged him to (Job 2:9).
Once Job is reconciled to God through repentance, God then turns His attention to Job’s three friends that wrongly accused Job of being a sinner. They said that Job deserved the adversity that was placed upon him. God had them bring a burnt offering of bulls and rams to admit their sin and remove their guilt. God also had Job pray for them so that His wrath against them would be spared.
Are you doing anything in your life that you know displeases and grieves God? If so, take time right now to confess your sins to God and be “sorrowful to the point of repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9).” Do what it takes to get those things out of your life so that they are no longer an issue, and do not return to them again.