Ray of Light

OPENING PRAYER:

Father God, my heart is your home, your dwelling place. Enable me to make it a house of prayer.

READ: Job 42

42 Then Job replied to the Lord:

2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

Epilogue

7 After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

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[a] 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.

Footnotes

[a] Job 42:11 Hebrew him a kesitah; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.

Job 42

REFLECT:

‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28).

God’s majesty drives Job to repentance and humility (vs 5,6). Satan’s wager is lost; the kingdom will not be his. One frail man who will not curse his creator wins the day for the Lord. Satan’s only way back is to do what Job did; repent utterly. Instead, Satan will try again, this time against Jesus. The stakes will include God’s own self, and death, Satan’s last stronghold. But Satan will again be defeated – utterly (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Job’s story is also God’s story. It was never so at the beginning, but since the Fall (Genesis 3) suffering has been an abnormality in our world. But still ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (John 1:5). God is merciful to those who repent and are put right with him (see vs 7–9). Job’s fortunes are restored to him and indeed doubled in measure for family, wealth and lifespan (vs 12–16).

What is revealed here is the sovereign might, majesty and glory of God seen in the just, generous and steadfast love of the Lord toward those who love him. Such is the reward for saints.

APPLY:

‘He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ (Micah 6:8). Now all we need is to do it.

I WILL STATEMENT:

I Will pray at least once this week with my spouse.

CLOSING PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, once again I affirm you as the Lord of my life. You have authority over me and I always desire to be your servant.

WORSHIP:

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