April 27, 2009
To know, know, know him IS to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him
Job 42
Ben Pinto
Central Truth
God loves us too much to be satisfied with our only knowing Him factually. He will go to any lengths necessary to pursue a relationship with us so that we might experience Him spiritually, intimately, and eternally.
Key Verse | Job 42:5
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye has seen you. (Job 42:5)
Job 42
Job's Confession and Repentance
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2
“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3
‘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.
4
‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6
therefore I despise myself,
and repent
1
42:6
Or and am comforted
in dust and ashes.”
The LORD Rebukes Job's Friends
7 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. 8 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.” 9 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 evil 2 42:11 Or disaster that the LORD had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money 3 42:11 Hebrew a qesitah; a unit of money of unknown value 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.
Dive Deeper | Job 42
I'm an adult who never experienced Disney World until just a few years ago. Countless people told me how incredible it is, but I thought, “Yeah, right! It’s just another theme park.” Wrong! I'd heard about Disney World, but now I've seen it with my own eyes!
Job knew God--at least, he thought he did. He had heard of God’s creation, greatness, and mercy. But he had yet to see or experience His power. God uses the teaching of His Word to reveal His Son to us, but He uses the teaching of His Spirit to reveal His Son in us. Through difficult circumstances and a series of debates between God and Satan, Job and his friends, and God and Job, God revealed His majesty and Job's self-righteousness and pride, leading to Job's repentance and a deeper relationship with God.
Like Job, I am enrolled in a spiritual experiment in which God is revealing His Son in me. My wife and I are navigating through tough, emotional times, preparing to send our oldest to college, leading our youngest through difficult teen years, and providing care to our own aging parents. With tough times at work and past poor leadership of my family, we recently felt the need to sell our home in the Park Cities.
The strain of these events revealed cracks in a marriage considered rock-solid. In response, I began isolating myself and struggling with feelings of anger, anxiety, self-pity, self-righteousness, and bitterness. People challenged me to drill below the events/feelings level and into the issues and values that reveal the sin in my life. For example, drilling below the event "anxiety" revealed that I placed financial security above everything else in my life. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this, I have not yet fully "seen" God in this, but I am confident that "the one who began a good work in [me] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6) Perhaps when you're reading this, I may know "the rest of the story." So please ask if you see me.
Discussion Questions
1. What events (financial stress, marriage problems, pornography addiction, etc.) are you going through right now, and what are the real underlying issues or values (people pleasing, selfishness, low self-worth) that are manifesting themselves in these events and emotions (anxiety, anger, isolation)?
2. How are you dealing with these events, issues, and values? Are you processing them with others in biblical community or are you isolating yourself?
3. Most importantly, what does your time with Jesus look like right now? Is it surface-level, one-way interaction (you talking to Him)? Or is it a deeper, mutual interaction with times of stillness and silence?