Job 42:10 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

Navigator

Job 42:10

Comments

Moderns tend to interpret here: ‘The Lord restored Job’s prosperity.’ Yes, this did happen, but original refers to captivity. Job was in such a wretched state. There is no indication that he was in great poverty despite his material losses, but he had a terrible battle. The real trouble which he suffered was not really poverty sickness or depression, but his captivity. These things unnecessarily brought him into a state of spiritual captivity. Job remembered the past. ‘I had influence, respect, service for God.’ He is stunned by what the friends say to him, had great desire for vindication. He rises to justify himself, and until this point it is all he wants. He lacked prayer also. You can’t pray for others if you are too busy demanding justice from God. Job’s restoration was evidently conditional on his obeying the Lord in praying for his friends. Although the prolonged antagonism between them must have developed a strong distaste for them in Job’s heart – for he had been uttered strong words against them – yet he must accept their repentance on the terms laid down by the Lord. If God accepted them then Job must also accept them. If they had offended the Lord and he had forgiven them, at least outwardly, then Job must also forgive them and carry out this vital service on their behalf. His consolation was that God had now renewed his favour towards him and publicly vindicated him before all; this was all that he needed to know. Job therefore cheerfully carried out this duty, recognising that they had not truly harmed him, and that he had every good gift that he could ask for from God. It is because we think that others can actually take away what we have that we are unwilling to let go of debts owed to us, including debts of wrongs done against us. But if God has made up to us all that we thought we would lose from the evil acts of others towards us, then we suffer no real harm and are invulnerable to their malice. Job’s forgiving them was of course conditional on their repentance, but that was evident – at least, outwardly – from their coming to him with their sacrifices.

Application

Job was in captivity because it was so important to understand everything that happened to him. Why this, why that? He said, ‘I must know all the answers.’ We too can get into this state, but we have no right to demand answers. This prevents us witnessing and worshipping. There are certain things we cannot now, and do not need to know. He did not have resources and riches to solve his problems. He was gripped by this. God has brought him low so he couldn’t solve his own problems, therefore he considered all lost. We also may lose ability to deal with certain things, and we must still trust God to look after those things. We may be frustrated – ‘How can we reach the great crowds?’ This should be our desire, but then there are spiritual rules, and if our frustration causes us to cut corners and do things for the Lord in our own way, then we are in captivity to our zeal. It has begun to justify us in doing anything. We see it in Christian service also. People work things out for themselves. It is a constant problem.

Not to make us smug, but we must look at him to learn. He suffered because he left out certain remedies. If he fell how much more may we! He made no progress or movement and lost his witness. Our circumstances may not be so terrible, yet they knock us down; they bind us up. We indulge in self-pity, despondency.

When he prays for his friends his trials are ended, and he is released from his plagues. Maybe we remain under discipline because we are only concerned for ourselves. We need to be all out for the Lord God and God will bless us and use us. His self-concern was lifted from his soul so that he prayed for his friends like a true evangelical.

Job could be safely restored. The latter experience of Job was far better than the first. We remember that in Job’s case, his trials specifically involved the loss of his children, the destruction of his property, and the breakdown of his health. The losses he had experienced had been interpreted as a sign of the Lord’s disfavour, but now the return of his wealth will show in terms that an unbelieving world can understand that he is loved by God. In proving that God can reverse all trials, and all their ill effects on us, the Lord chose in Job’s case to restore all these things. The book does not teach that God will always restore our physical blessings after a trial. He may do so, but far more important is our spiritual advance. Nothing that Satan does to believers results in any real loss. ‘The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us’ (Romans 8:18).

Questions

This marked also the end of the Lord’s dispute with Satan and there was no question that Satan was proved to be utterly wrong. He was wrong about the character of Job and why he served the Lord. Believers are not self-serving, but they have put God first in their lives and they will follow him come what may. He was wrong about the nature of the Spirit’s work in the heart. He was wrong in thinking that he could get a true child of God to turn away from the Lord by piling suffering upon suffering on them. This argument was brought out into the open and won by the Lord early on in the history of the world so that Satan could not pursue this line of attack with anything like the same confidence in later generations. He was exposed as ignorant, out of his depth, and a cruel liar, but God was vindicated as true, wise, patient, perfect in knowledge, able to bring his will to pass against any amount of opposition.

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

Job 42:10 Commentary and Bible Study