Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Job 42:1 says, Then Job answered the LORD, and said,  Though Job had said he would speak no more in argument against God, he now spoke in agreement with God.  If we feel that we have a reason to question God, we need to first listen to what God has to say to us.  As long as we are attempting to justify ourselves, we may easily miss what God is saying to us.  Verse two states, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.  Job acknowledged the power of God.  God not only hears our words, but He knows our thoughts as well.  There really was no reason for Job to speak about what he thought was God's unfair treatment.  God already knew Job's thoughts before he expressed them.  Likewise, we may not actually speak badly about God, but may question Him in our thoughts.  As followers of Christ, our every thought needs to be ruled by the Holy Spirit.  Verse three says, Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.  Job confessed to speaking about God without understanding.  When we attribute any act to being the will of God, we better have a true, personal relationship to Him and be speaking under His leadership.  Like Job, if we begin to accuse God of being unfair to us, we will be speaking without understanding.  Verse four says, Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.  Job did not go to God demanding that God hear Him.  Making demands on God was what had led Job to being out of God's will to begin with.  Job asked God to hear him, as He really always had, and that he would declare himself to God.  When we go to God in repentance, we must submit totally to His will.  We cannot go based on self-righteous demands.  Verse five states, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.  Job had known God and had served Him faithfully until extreme adversity came to him.  I believe that Job was saying that he now saw God more clearly.  When God speaks to us, we need to hear what He is saying, and that should lead us to see God more clearly.  In verse six Job declares, Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.  We know that Job was already sitting in dust and ashes, but he had been claiming that God was being unfair to him.  He really had not remained true to God, placing his life in God's care no matter what.  Job now said he abhorred, or despised himself, for his attitude.  When we really repent of our sins, going through the motions is not enough.  We can spend every minute on our knees or fast every day, or whatever other action implies repentance, but if we are still trying to justify ourselves before God, then nothing will ever help.  Until we truly abhor our action of questioning God we can never be fully in His will.  Verse seven says, 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.  Somehow, I think that if Job's friends heard God speaking to Job that they were thinking they had been right and Job had been wrong.  Just because one person is mistaken in their attitude toward God does not mean that someone else is correct.  God told Eliphaz and his two friends that they had not spoken right about Him as Job had.  We need to be careful about judging others, especially based on material blessings.  Verse eight says, 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.  I would imagine that having to go to offer up sacrifices and asking Job to pray for them was quite a lesson in humility for these three.  They had spoken at length telling Job that he was guilty of some sin, but God told them that they did not represent Him.  We do not have to go to someone else to ask God's forgiveness today, since we do not go through an earthly priest, but through the eternal Priest, Jesus Christ.  Still, if we have been condemning others falsely, we need to seek their forgiveness.  Verse nine states, 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.  At least these three friends of Job listened to God.  Notice also that Elihu was not included, since what he had said was true of God.  God accepted their repentance, as well as that of Job.  Whenever we repent honestly before God, He will be quick to forgive us.

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