ChristadelphianBooksOnline
David Baird
The Education of Job

Chapter 42:7-17 - The Restoration of Job

	42:7-9	Yahweh's verdict
	42:10-11	Job's rehabilitation
	42:12-15	God blesses Job
	42:16-17	After this, "full of days"

The speeches have finished and the poetical section, which began way back in chapter 3, has ended. The drama has reached its conclusion and all that remains is for the narrative to satisfactorily wind up the loose ends. In reality, the education of Job and the confirmation of the righteousness of Yahweh has been accomplished. The salvation of Job from his affliction need not have occurred until his resurrection to judgment and immortality. He could have died, a repentant man devoid of the restoration of his health, wealth or family. But this was not the case. Instead we have a happy ending that almost seems too good to be true.

However, this was entirely necessary. The restoration of Job was essential to silence the Satan. He had been proven totally wrong in his assessments of Yahweh's dealings with Job and of Job's integrity. And while we are not told if the Satan even knew the outcome of the experiment he had so cruelly initiated, the outcome had to be declared. Secondly, Job's three friends had persistently clung onto a false perception of the operations of the Almighty with His servants. Yahweh, having finished addressing Job, publicly rebuked the three for their error. Finally, a number of powerful divine principles were proclaimed, not the least being that found in 42:10, "And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends". As we will see, the principle contained in that verse was perfected in the Lord Jesus Christ and is the lodestar that leads "dust and ashes" out of selfishness and towards salvation.

42:7-9 Yahweh's verdict

It is only after Yahweh had settled the issue of His righteousness with Job that He turned His attention to the three friends. His wrath was kindled against them (an expression attached to Elihu in 32:2,3,5) because they had not spoken that which was right about God as Job had (42:7). The three had accepted the tradition of the elders and were unshaken in their adherence to it. This was despite the drubbing they had received from Job in their debate with him.

Eliphaz was directly addressed by Yahweh as he was the leading advocate of the theory of exact retribution and possibly because he was the oldest. Eliphaz was responsible for introducing the theory into the dialogue (4:7) and thereby established the pattern that was readily adopted by Bildad (8:4) and Zophar (11:5-6).

Was Job right in what he said? While it was clear that Job was not blameless, his general appreciation of God's ways, and especially his rejection of the theory of exact retribution (1:21, 2:10, 9:22, 21:22-26), placed him above his fellows in the estimation of God. Job was right in his consistent denial of the viewpoint that affliction was always a punishment for sin. Furthermore, while Job's understanding had, at times, been faulty, the absence of deliberate rebellion against God coupled with a full expression of penitence had placed him in harmony with the Almighty.

It was because of his allegiance to that which is correct, both expressed and enacted, that God was willing to accept Job and the prayer he uttered for his former antagonists (42:8). The understanding of right doctrine, along with genuine selflessness before God and for the spiritual advancement of others are keys to the receipt of divine favour. Yahweh called Job "my servant" four times in 42:7-8; an indication that God had not diminished the observation of Job that He had made back in 1:8.

Yahweh's positive verdict of Job was made public with the supreme irony that followed being that the three friends became dependent on Job. They had to secure Job's patronage to escape the execution of divine displeasure. None of them would have anticipated this. At no time, in their speeches, had they even vaguely speculated that they would be the subject of Yahweh's wrath. They were instructed to offer seven bullocks and seven rams in the presence of Job and to rely on the prayer of Yahweh's servant. Only then would God not deal with them according to their folly. In other words, God would not apply their theory of exact retribution to them. The irony for Job was that he had to use his tongue for the redemption of his friends rather than the vanquishing of his friends.

The model of seven bullocks and seven rams is mirrored by David when he brought the Ark to Jerusalem (1Chron 15:26), by Hezekiah when he restored temple worship in Jerusalem (2Chron 29:21), and by the priests in the New Jerusalem (Ezek 45:23). In their number and format, these offerings speak of complete renunciation and rededication. They are linked with true worship and understanding. They have no alignment with the false worship of Balaam (Num 23:1) but speak of that greater time when the antitype of Job offered the perfect sacrifice that saves all who correctly associate with it (Heb 10:10-14).

Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar did as Yahweh required and Yahweh "lifted up the face of Job" (42:9 Green). It was Job who was accepted. The friends shared in Job's acceptance. The rendition, "the LORD accepted Job's prayer" (RSV, NIV), is not literally supported by the Hebrew. While, to some degree, it reflects what happened, it dilutes the message. Their actions, in seeking Job's intervention, involved offerings whereby they renounced their former ideologies and perceptions, and pledged themselves to a newness of life. It was not just Job's prayer but the totality of the actions demanded by God that contributed to their salvation.

Their salvation required the grace of God ("lest I deal with you after your folly"), the work of a mediator ("Job shall pray for you") and a display of genuine personal dedication ("went, and did according as the LORD commanded them"). This arrangement has never changed. It is still required of all who wish to be a partaker of divine nature in the New Jerusalem.

42:10-11 Job's rehabilitation

The rehabilitation of Job was twofold. Firstly, with God (42:10) and, secondly, with all his fellows (42:11). His restoration by Yahweh was based on a wonderful principle that was perfected in the Lord Jesus Christ. His return to his brethren indicated that Job fully comprehended this principle.

Job's reinstatement was not the result of his repentance in 42:6, but of his intercession in 42:8-9. It was when Job prayed for his friends that God restored Job's fortunes (42:10). It was not because of Job's personal righteousness so that Job had earned his salvation. It was not because Job had been sorely afflicted and was therefore restored out of pity. It was not because Yahweh had made a mistake and thus Job's rehabilitation was righting a wrong. It was because he was willing to put aside all the antagonism generated by his friends' incorrect and hurtful reasoning and pray for their salvation. Job's interest was the salvation of others, even if it included those who had aggravated his suffering.

Why should Job pray for them? Because their need for repentance remained. It was as if they would suffer the more for their earlier intransigence unless somebody intervened on their behalf. Yet, in working for their salvation, Job opened himself to God for a magnificent blessing. His captivity was turned. He was like the Zion of the Psalmist - "When the LORD turned the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream" (Psa 126:1). It was a remarkable turnaround. His incurable disease was miraculously cured. Only Yahweh can do that, just as it is only He who can remove the terminal mortality that afflicts all mankind.

The principle espoused in 42:10 is that Yahweh saves those whose business is centred around their selfless efforts to enhance the salvation of others. Their focus is not themselves. Jonah was saved from the belly of the whale when he declared "Salvation is of the LORD" (Jon 2:9). The proudly chauvinistic prophet became willing to preach repentance to Israel's hated enemies; the Assyrians. The Apostle Paul's unnatural selflessness was proclaimed in his final letter when he wrote as a prisoner awaiting execution:

"Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2Tim 2:10).

For this life, dedicated to the salvation of others, God had laid up for the Apostle Paul a crown of righteousness which will be given to him at that future day (2Tim 4:8).

The greatest example of all is that of the Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose of his existence on earth was clearly enunciated by the Apostle Paul when he wrote, "Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners" (1Tim 1:15). That was his objective, given to him by his Father (John 3:17), and because Jesus did all that was required of him, God could rightly raise him from the dead and grant him immortality (Acts 2:24).

Job's selfless act of praying for his friends proved that he understood the lesson of the Book. Righteousness is sourced in God. As Brother Tennant writes, "All stand in need of God's mercy and to pray for others shows our understanding of this." Job was actively beneficent. He prayed for his friends while still horribly afflicted by his disease. He did not know, at that point in time, if he would ever be relieved of it. His thoughts were centred on his friends' recovery rather than his own.

"And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." This was a wonderful outcome for Job, both in what it was and what it represented. God, in doing this, declared that Job was God's firstborn in his generation (Deut 21:17). His joy will be paralleled by that to be experienced by the rejuvenated and elevated Israel in the age to come (Isa 61:7); when they will be recognised as first among the nations (Isa 61:8-9).

Job's rehabilitation among his fellows (42:11) both moves and astounds. The astonishment is not that they returned to Job but that Job accepted them without malice or recrimination. They had deserted him when he most needed them. Job's catalogue of former acquaintances who abhorred, avoided, forgot, mocked and turned against him is heart-rending (19:13-19). It included his wife, brethren, acquaintances, kinsfolk, sojourning guests who had received his hospitality, his personal attendant, those of his family clan, and closest friends. Even young children, not old enough to understand, despised him as they mirrored the attitude of their parents. Yet, with his apparent return to divine favour (he had never left it, despite appearances), "all his brothers, all his sisters, and all who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house" (42:11 NKJV; Prov 16:7). They had returned to be in fellowship with Job who, in turn, accepted them without questioning their motivation or their conduct during his affliction.

The original intention of the visit of the three friends to the afflicted Job (2:11) was finally acted out by all, with the restored, Job as they "bemoaned (nud) and comforted (nacham) him." What the three had failed to do, they now accomplished as it is highly likely they were still present. Job as a type of Christ is unmistakable here. Jesus, in his affliction, was rejected by his countrymen, but they will, in contrition, return to him when he is glorified among them (Zech 12:10). 42:11 also declared that Job's fellows accepted the restored Job, fully aware that Yahweh was responsible for his horrible suffering. This applies to all who would attempt to fellowship with Jesus Christ. They do so in full appreciation that his gory public execution was an act of God's love (John 3:14-16).

We, in gratitude to Jesus, should give the little that we have. In a material sense, what we give is inadequate compared to the enormous blessings that can be extended to us because of the work of the Saviour (1Pet 1:3-4). The type of this is perceived in the gifts that were brought to Job. They were trifling compared to the double portion Job had received from Yahweh. The pieces of money and golden rings were but tokens of their recognition that God had honoured Job and that they should never have rejected him (Zech 13:6; Acts 2:23, 3:17-18). As the Apostle Paul writes:

"And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it"

(1Cor 12:26 - see also Rom 12:15; Heb 13:3).

42:12-15 God blesses Job

God's blessing to Job of a double portion is outlined in 42:12. Job received exactly twice the wealth (1:3) that had been stripped away from him. This ironically fulfilled the prediction of Bildad (8:7) and proclaimed the value of patient endurance to all generations (Jas 5:11). It is probable that Ecclesiastes 7:8 is based on this blessing -

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."

He also gained ten more children; seven sons and three daughters (42:13), but this was not double what he had originally lost (1:2). This has led to a number of observations that are interesting without being conclusive. They include:

(1)	That the previous ten children will be restored to Job at the resurrection and Job will be reunited with his twenty children. This opinion is feasible as Job was aware of and pinned his hope on the resurrection (14:13-15, 19:25-27).

(2)	That the previous ten were actually raised and restored to Job. This would provide a wonderful ending to the Book and soften the blow of their dramatic demise but, unfortunately, the text is silent on this.

(3)	That as no lost child can be effectively replaced (2Sam 12:23), Job, in reality, had twenty children. This point of view claims it is improper to classify the second ten as substitutes for the first ten. The loss of people in our lives is considerably different to the loss of material possessions.

While I favour the first suggestion, the other two are not without merit. However, the following two verses focus on the daughters of Job. They are named in 42:14, and mentioned for their beauty and inheritance in 42:15. The text is muted in regard to his seven sons as it was not unusual for them to have received an inheritance. Clearly, Job's three daughters were exceptional women of both spiritual and physical beauty. As such, they symbolised the true ecclesia; the Bride of Christ (2Cor 11:2; Rev 19:7-8). The meanings of their names contribute to this conclusion.

Jemima probably means "dove" (Delitzsch, Soncino, IDB). This bird is used in the Song of Solomon in reference to the Bride of the Beloved (Song 1:15, 4:1, 6:9). Kezia means "cassia" which is the base of an aromatic substance. Its only other use in Scripture is Psalm 45:8 where it is mingled in the garments worn by the Messiah when he meets his Bride. Keren-happuch is derived from two Hebrew words, qeren ("horn") and puk ("antimony, eye shadow"). While two usages of puk are overtly negative (2King 9:30; Jer 4:30), the other two are far more uplifting. Puk is associated with the precious items prepared by David for incorporation into the Temple to be built by his son (1Chron 29:2 - AV "glistering"). In Isaiah 54:11 (AV "fair colours") it is linked to a once barren bride being blessed by her divine husband (Isa 54:5-6).

These three daughters, in receiving an inheritance to which they were not entitled (Num 27:3-4), were representative of the recipients of God's unmerited favour. While their beauty was unchallenged, it was because of the love of their father that they were granted their inheritance. It was not something they had received through legislation or entitlement. Job's understanding of God's overwhelming love was undiminished as he outworked it among his family. 1:4 places the emphasis on the seven sons. They all had houses while his daughters did not. They seem to be almost an afterthought in the overall panorama that opened the Book. In 42:14-15 Job's daughters gained what they had not earned nor were expected to receive. It was a gift from their father, just as eternal life is the gift of the Father (Rom 6:23) to those who are part of the Bride of Christ.

42:16-17 After this, "full of days"

The last words to describe Job's mortal existence are simple, dignified and speak of the peace of mind that comes from being in harmony with God. He lived 140 years beyond his restoration (42:16) and, should we adopt the "double portion" analogy, this could indicate that he was 70 years old when the bulk of the action in the Book of Job took place. The 140 years alone places Job in patriarchal times. This is reinforced by the closing words of the Book. He died "old (zaqen) and full (sabea) of days" (42:17). The only other Scriptural identities this epitaph is attributed to are Abraham (Gen 25:8) and Isaac (Gen 35:29).

Sabea means "satisfied, sated, abounding in" (TWOT). It is only found elsewhere in the Book of Job when he described himself as "full of confusion" (10:15), and the lot of man as "full of trouble" (14:1). Life had certainly changed for Job! His satisfaction comes not only from his exceptional longevity but also from the wonderful blessing of seeing his descendants to the fourth generation (42:16; Prov 17:6). 140 years earlier, the line of Job lay crushed to death in a flattened building.

Job had first-hand experience of the salvation of Yahweh and is set on high for our instruction in the ways of God's righteousness. As the Psalmist writes:

"Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation"
(Psalm 91:14-16).

He, along with Abraham and Isaac, died an old man, full of days. As much as long life is a gift of God, it is neither His greatest nor His final gift. Job's initial rehabilitation was like the resurrection of Lazarus. He was still bound in the graveclothes of mortality (John 11:44). The perfection of Job's restoration will not take place until after the grand resurrection to judgment and immortality that is still to occur. It is an event that is available not just to Job, but to all who have longed for the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ (2Tim 4:8).