God Blesses Job

It's good to have you with us tonight as we spend some time in the Word of the Lord together. Hopefully, your heart's ready to receive that which God has for you as we begin to understand Job chapter 42, 29 weeks ago today, well, 29 sermons ago today. We started Job chapter 1, verse number 1, and now we're at the very end of Job chapter 42. But we're not at the end of our study for next week we have one more as we go back and look at what the Lord has taught us in our study of Job.

And so we'll look at that next week as we go back and look at the book itself and see what are those main principles that God has taught us through our study of the book of Job.

But tonight, we're looking at how God blesses Job. Let me remind you of the words of James in James chapter 5, verse number 11.

It says, we count those blessed who endure. You have heard of the endurance of Job. Now usually we just stop right there. We think, oh yeah, we've heard of the endurance of Job. We've heard of the patience of Job. We've heard how Job has been able to bear up under all that pressure. But as you read on, it says, and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings that the Lord is full of compassion and merciful. Now you read that and you think, okay, I must have missed something in the book of Job. Where was the Lord's compassion and where was the Lord's mercy in Job's life?

He waited forever to speak to Job and once he finally spoke to him, he rebuked him. So where is the compassion? Where is the mercy? Or did I read it and miss God's compassion and mercy demonstrated in the life of Job? Well that's a good question. Tonight we'll be able to help you see that as we understand that our Lord did a great and mighty work in Job's life. Let me read to you the chapter.

It's only 17 verses. We'll set it in your mind and then we'll look at it together. Job chapter 42, verse number one, then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know. Hear now and I will speak. I will ask you and you instruct me. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you. Therefore I retract and I repent in dust and ashes. It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, my wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends because you have not spoken to me what is right as my servant Job has.

Now therefore take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves and my servant Job will pray for you for I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly because you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord told them and the Lord accepted Job. Then the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.

Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him and they ate bread with him in his house and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him and each one gave him one piece of money and each a ring of gold. The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginnings and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jemima and the second Keziah and the third Karen Habuk.

In all the land no woman were found so fair as Job's daughters and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. After this Job lived 140 years and saw his sons and his grandsons for generations and Job died an old man and full of days. It's always a great story when the main character dies. So it always works and Job dies at the end. But think about this, think of Job. If you and I were writing the end of Job we probably would have written it differently but that's why we're not God and God is God.

We would have somehow tried to sit Job down and say let me explain to you what really happened so you would know so you have some kind of understanding as to how things are really really working in the celestial.

So you would come to grips with what Satan had done, what God had allowed Satan to do and permitted him to do. We want you to get a full grasp of the conversation that took place before any of this ever happened so that you know Job, so you can be forewarned about future temptations and future trials and future difficulties. So you can tell them to your children and to your grandchildren and to your grandchildren's children and be able to explain it from generation to generation. I mean that's what I would have done but God never did that.

God never explained to Job why. Job will live the next 140 years not knowing why it happened the way it did. But Job's good with that. Why? Why is Job good with that? Because he didn't need an explanation. He just needed a revelation of his God. Once he received that he needed nothing else because that was enough. The problem with us is that it's never enough. We have to know the reason why. We have to have an answer. But when you come to see God with the spiritual eye the only answer you need is that God is Creator and Lord of the universe.

That's all the answer you need. That's all the answer Job needed because he learned to live in silence. He learned submission and God brought him to that place. And so the text begins with a response. Job's response. It moves from that response to Job's realization. From Job's realization to Job's repentance. From Job's repentance to God's rebuke of Job's friends and then Job's reward. All of it's very insightful. But let's first of all look at Job's response.

Because the real blessing for Job is not in the material things that he would receive. Nor is it even in the health that he received back. The real blessing for Job is that he finally and fully comes to understand the greatness and majesty of his God.

That's where the real joy for Job is. And that's how you know that your relationship with the Lord is is more than what you ever dreamed it would be. Because it would be dependent upon your interaction with your God and the intimate relationship you have with your God. That is enough. For Job it was more than enough. Job had no idea that God was going to bless him. In fact, as far as Job knew, he was going to be this way forever. He'd have no kids, no business, no animals, no servants, bad health.

That's all he knew. Because God never promised him a blessing. God never said, if you just listen long enough, Job, and you repent the right way, I'll bless you. God never said that. And yet, in all of it, Job, in his repentance, made no demands upon his God, had no agenda with his God. He just would respond in a humble, contrite, broken manner. God had demonstrated how he powerfully controls all of creation, how he providentially cares for all of creation, how he preeminently commands all of creation.

And he even gave him an illustration of two of the most prominent creatures he ever created. And then Job's response was simply, you're way beyond me. He said, I know that you can do all things. Have you ever said that to God? Well, I know you can do all things. Job got to a place where he realized God can do whatever he wants. He can do anything, everything, whenever he wants to. And that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. There's no way I can thwart the purposes of God. There's no way I can manipulate God.

There's no way I can control God. There's no way I can try to turn the hand of God. God's hand just runs on schedule. And God's going to do what God's going to do because he's all powerful. He's the creator of all things. He's the creator of me. He admits, no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I've declared that which I did not understand. He quotes God. God said that. And you're right, Lord. It's way beyond my understanding. In fact, over in Psalm 139, remember what it says?

Oh, Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up, you understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue. Behold, oh Lord, you know it all. You have enclosed me behind them before and laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is too high. I cannot attain it. That was a psalmist assessment of God knowing everything about him.

Job now is at this point. No purpose of yours can be thwarted. I can't instruct you. I can't say anything. I should have never opened my mouth to begin with. This is Job's response. He acknowledges that God is omnipotent. That God is omniscient. And he admits that his knowledge has such limitations. From his response, you see in verses four and five, Job's realization. He says here now and I will speak. I will ask you and you instruct me. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear. But now my eye sees you.

What a statement. Now did God show himself in the whirlwind? No. What did God do? He spoke to Job. But he says I have heard of you with the hearing of my ear. But now, now my eyes have seen you. That's a very important statement. How does one see God? Oh you know you can't see him with the physical eye because you can't look upon the Lord and live. He dwells in unapproachable light. So if you go back to Moses and Moses says show me your glory. I want to see your beauty. I want to see all that you are.

God says I can't let you see me or I'll have to kill you. So I'll hide you in the cleft of the rock. I'll pass by you and I will proclaim all my goodness to you. And in proclaiming, that's what God does, his goodness to Moses. Moses would bow down and worship his God. Why? Simply because proclamation of truth leads to the perception of the God of truth. Very important to understand that. How do you perceive God? You perceive him in the proclamation of truth. And so here's the Lord speaking out of a whirlwind.

Job can't look upon him and live, but God is speaking. And because God is speaking, he now begins to perceive the beauty and majesty and sovereignty of his God. The Bible says in Matthew 5 verse number 8, Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Ephesians chapter 1 verse number 18, Paul says, I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened. In other words, your heart needs to be able to see the power and beauty of God. So I pray that your eyes will be opened, that they might be enlightened to the truth of God. Your heart has eyes to see the beauty of God. The Bible says over in 2 Corinthians 3, verse number 18, these words, We all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Paul says that we behold in a mirror, this book, this Bible, this truth, the glory of the Lord. So when you read about the word inspired, you're able to see the word incarnate. When you read the word inspired, you see the word incarnate because you're being transformed from one level of glory to the next level of glory, even as by the Lord, you're beholding the glory of the Lord, the beauty of the Lord, the splendor of the Lord. You see it when you read the text. Why? Because the proclamation of the truth helps you perceive the God of truth.

The word inspired helps you to see the word incarnate because you see him with a spiritual eye. That's why the Lord says in John 14, these words, John 14, verse number 21, he who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my father and I will love him and will disclose myself to him or manifest myself to him. If you keep my commandments, you prove that you love me. If you love me, my father will manifest himself to you. He will disclose everything you need to know, everything you need to see about who he is, because you see him with a spiritual eye, not a physical eye.

See, as you come to know Christ, you come to see him for who he is. That's why Paul had that deep desire, oh, that I may know him in the power of his resurrection, in the fellowship of his sufferings. Paul, he wrote 13 epistles. How much more do you need to know? In 2 Timothy chapter 4, he's about to die. He's in the Mamertine prison in Rome. He knows death is imminent. He writes his last epistle to 2 Timothy. He says, Timothy, come before winter. And when you come, bring the cloak and bring the books and the parchments.

Why? Job, you're going to die. I mean, Paul, you're going to die and you're going to see God face to face. Why do you need to read more about your God when you're soon going to die anyway? And when you see him, you're going to be like him for you'll see him as he is. What's the big deal? Just die and go see him. Because you see, when you get a glimpse of the glory of God, you never get enough. And that was the apostle Paul. So, Timothy, you come before winter. You bring the books. You bring the parchments.

You bring the scrolls. I'm not done studying about my God. I want to see all I can about my God. That was Job saying, I've heard of you with the hearing of my ear. But for the very first time, I've seen your majesty.

I've seen your sovereignty. How has he seen it? Because God spoke to him through a whirlwind. And when God speaks, you're able to see the glory of the Lord. That's why God's word is so important to us. It's the living and abiding word of God. This is not some book you pick up off the shelf at Barnes and Noble's and begin to read it and think, OK, this is a great novel. No, this is the living and abiding word of God. It's a living book because it's authored by a living God. Who gives you a living hope to trust him and believe in him.

That's why we preach the word. That's why we teach the word. That's why we encourage you to be in the word, to memorize the word, to study the word. Why? Because it is your life. That's what Moses said in Deuteronomy chapter 32. These words are not vain words, not empty words. These words are your life because they're life giving words. And Job, Job's response and realization was that, I've heard of you, but now, now I've seen. What's that to Job's repentance? That's point number three, Job's repentance.

What's he saying? Therefore, I retract and I repent in dust and ashes. This is his repentance. This is his turning from his selfish desires. This is him realizing that he is wrong. Why is it we have such a high view of ourselves? It's because we have a low view of God. The higher view you have of God, the lower your view of yourself. But if you have a low view of God, the more you have a higher view, an overinflated view of yourself and who you are. Because when Isaiah saw the Lord, he knew he was a man of unclean lips and dwelt among the people with unclean lips.

When Peter saw the Lord, he asked the Lord to depart from him because he was a sinful man. When you see the holiness of God, you see your sinfulness. That's why Paul said he was the chief of all sinners. He was the master sinner, the greatest of all sinners. Because the more he saw God, the more he came to realize how far short he fell from the glory of God. And so Joe begins to repent and say, look, the more I see you, the more I recognize my depravity. The more I should have never even opened my mouth.

I should never even questioned anything about what you were doing. I should not have never ever demanded an audience with the great and awesome God. What was I thinking? Who do I think I am that I can do that? Just because you say I'm the greatest man in the planet doesn't mean I have the right to do that. So he realized how wrong he was. And so he repents in dust and ashes. And all along, God's merciful. All along, God is compassionate to Job. Now, if the story ended right here, right here, it doesn't, but it could.

God has to rebuke Job's friends. And it's good that God puts us in here. Because in the rebuking of Job's friends, it tells us how genuine Job's repentance really was. So when you come to verse number seven, you have God's rebuke of Job's friends. And it says that it came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job that the Lord said to Eliphaz the demonite, my wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends. Wow. Now think about this. My guess is they're hearing the same thing Job's hearing when God's speaking from the whirlwind.

They're still right there. They haven't left. They've been in the same spot all this time. They're hearing the same things Job's hearing. And now God says, hey, Eliphaz, let me tell you something.

My wrath is kindled against you. You don't want to be in that position. The question is, why is God's wrath kindled against Eliphaz? I thought these were the friends of Job. I thought that some of the things they said were pretty spot on. Why is God's wrath kindled against Eliphaz, against Zophar, and against Bildad? He tells us, because you have not spoken to me what is right. You have not said the right thing to Job about me. You have not represented me accurately. Listen, it's a bad place to be when you don't represent God accurately.

Ask Moses. Sharing this with the men on Monday night. Ask Moses. God says to Moses, listen, second time around, don't strike the rock.

I want you to speak to the rock, Moses. And Moses is angry. And so what does he do? He strikes the rock out of anger. And water comes gushing forth. And what does God say? Moses, no promised land for you. And all he did was strike the rock. Why is that such a big deal? Well, the first time around, God said, strike the rock.

So he did. He struck the rock. Water came forth. Second time, God says, speak to the rock. But he didn't speak to the rock. He strikes the rock. Out of the mercy and grace of God, water gushes forth. And then God says to Moses, you're done.

There's no promised land for you. What? Just because he struck the rock, what's the big deal about that? It's a huge deal because he misrepresented God. He dishonored God. Why? First Corinthians 10 tells us Christ is the rock.

And the rock was to be smitten once, not twice. And when Moses smote the rock the second time, he misrepresented Christ.

He misrepresented the cross of Calvary, that the rock would be stricken once. So he misconstrued the gospel to the nation of Israel. And God says, that's it, you're done.

No promised land for you. It's a bad place to be in a position where you misrepresent God to God's people. It's going to cost you. That's why the Bible says, don't many of you seek to be teachers for with it comes what?

A stricter condemnation. Next time somebody asks you to be a teacher, say, time out. With that comes a stricter condemnation. I think I'll back off until I know that God's called me to do that. Don't just jump at a teaching position. Why? Because if you begin to teach something inaccurately, if you begin to misrepresent God to the people you're teaching, God's wrath is kindled against you. So how do they misrepresent God? Well, number one, they slandered Job.

They called him a hypocrite. And God says that Job is a blameless, God-fearing, upright man turning away from evil.

Yet they called him a hypocrite and they slandered his name. In so doing, they speak against what God has said concerning the testimony of Job. On top of that, if you study it through, you realize that they completely ignored the mercy of God. They completely ignored the patience of God. They had a theory that if you are sinful, you are punished. If you are righteous, you are rewarded. And that's how they lived their lives. And yet that's not how God is. Because sometimes you do the wrong thing and guess what?

You get blessed anyway. Because you see, what you do or don't do is going to determine how God's going to bless you. God's going to decide to bless you no matter what. You can't manipulate God into doing good things. You know, when I was growing up and playing baseball, I wore the same socks. If I went three for three at the plate, I wouldn't wash my uniform. Why? Because let me tell you something.

God blessed my life. And so I'm going to wear the same uniform, same smelly socks, same sticky shirts. I'm going to go out there and say, you know, I go all for three. I say, wait a minute, God, I thought I honored you. You know, I went three for three. I shared Christ with people at work and at school. And now I go all for three. How can that possibly be? Because God is not dependent upon me for his blessing to come. It's all dependent upon his grace and upon his mercy and upon his favor. That's why.

But they had this theology that that's the way it was. They limited God's sovereignty. And God says, you misrepresented my sovereign grace.

You misrepresented my providential care. You didn't speak rightly concerning me. My wrath is kindled against anyone who will not represent me accurately. That's why the Bible says, study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Wow. The greatest fear I have is somehow saying something that's going to misrepresent God to you as the people of God. That's the greatest fear I have. This side of eternity. I don't want to do that. I want to make sure I speak correctly about our God. So you understand truly who he is. So here's Zophar and here's Zelathaz. Here's Bildad. They think they're representing God to Job. Notice Elihu's not mentioned.

I think the reason for that is because when Elihu spoke, and we talked to you about when Elihu spoke, they spoke the words of God. He spoke under divine inspiration so that he would prepare Job for the day that God would speak to him. But Elihu's not numbered with the other three guys. So the Lord, his anger is kindled against them. Did that speak well? The patience of God. The long-suffering of God. They just pigeonholed Job and demanded they believe what they taught about God. And God says twice, you have not spoken of me what is right.

Verse number seven, as well as verse number eight. So he reiterates it. So they know that they were wrong. This had to be a monumental blow to their egos. Really. Because they come with a pompous attitude thinking, hey, we're going to tell you what's wrong, Job. We know. Just listen to us and we can tell you where you went wrong. And the longer the conversation went, the longer Job did not recant. And they began saying, hey, Job, you are so wrong. And they slandered his name. They accused him of all kinds of things that were not true.

But they thought they were representing God. But they weren't. They dishonored God. They didn't speak rightly about him. But it says, you have not spoken to me what is right, as my servant Job has. This is so good. He calls Job my servant four times. Four times. If you go back to chapter one and chapter two, guess what? He called Job my servant then too. Job was still a servant. What marks a servant? Loyalty, dignity, faithfulness, commitment. Job's my servant. He does what I tell him to do. He follows me.

He calls Job his servant. He doesn't call those men his servant. He calls Job my servant. He didn't misrepresent me to you guys. But you misrepresented me to him. You dishonored me in misrepresenting me to Job. So you guys have got to get seven bullocks and seven rams. And you have got to go where? To Job. He is going to vindicate Job. God is vindicating Job. They have to take these seven bulls and these seven rams, take them to Job to offer a sacrifice that Job will pray on their behalf. How humiliating is this?

Because now everybody knows that they were wrong. And Job was not. And so he moves them to do this. Take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job. And offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job, you know what he's going to do? He's going to pray for you. Now think, think about this. Nothing's changing Job's life. Job's still covered in boils. Puss is still oozing from all of his open sores. He still doesn't have a house. He still doesn't have animals. He doesn't have any servants.

He doesn't have anything. His wife's not even with him. He's all by himself. But you take everything to Job and Job's going to pray for you. Wow. Joker said, I'm not praying for those guys. You want the offended to pray for the offenders? I'm not doing that, Lord. Ah, he didn't do that. Why? Because a broken and contrite heart has no agenda and makes no demands. He's going to do exactly what God says.

Without question. He's already questioned God. He learned from that lesson. He's not doing that again. He's going to do exactly what God says.

He's going to pray for his friends. Wouldn't you have loved to heard the prayer? What did he say? How did he say it? I don't know. God doesn't give us that. But could you imagine being there and listening to Job pray for his friends? Talk about a forgiving spirit. Talk about a contrite heart. Talk about erasing all grudges. Talk about how it is you come alongside of someone who's offended you and pray for them. Like the Lord say, when your enemies offend you, you pray for them in Matthew chapter 5.

Right? That's what he does. He prays for his enemies and intercedes on their behalf. Here's Job asking for someone to intercede on his behalf. And God now is going to use him to intercede on behalf of all of his enemies. That's God's humor on life. And Job doesn't argue with that. Doesn't get upset with that. Nope. Just Job does what he's told to do by God. Because that's what servants do. You understand that, right? Servants just do what they're told. They don't argue with their master. They don't debate with their master.

They don't kick and scream and holler because their master asked them to do something they don't want to do. They just simply obey. Remember what our Lord said in Luke 17? He said to his disciples, it is inevitable that some of your blocks will come. But woe to him through whom they come. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck. Which thrown to the sea. Then that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.

If he sins against you seven times a day and returns to you seven times saying, I repent, forgive him. The apostle said to the Lord, oh God, increase our faith. We need more faith. We can't forgive somebody if they offend us seven times in a day. We can't. Lord, we need more faith to do that. Give us some more faith. Grant us more faith. The Lord said, get faith like a mustard seed. You would say that this mulberry tree be uprooted and planted in the sea and it would obey you. And he says this, listen very carefully.

Which of you having a slave plowing or tending sheep will say to him when he has come in from the field, come immediately and sit down to eat. But will he not say to him, prepare something for me to eat and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink. And afterwards you may eat and drink. He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too. When you do all the things which are committed, you say we are unworthy slaves. We have done only that which we ought to have done.

You understand that? No master says to a slave, it's a hot day. I am so sorry. You had to be out there in the hot sun all day. Come on and let me fix you something to eat.

Let me give you a nice cool drink of iced tea. Sit down, put up your feet, relax. Let me as your master serve you.

No, no. When you come in from a hot day and you are tired and you are worn out and you are dragging your feet, the master says, fix me something to eat. Do it now.

And when I am done eating and drinking and resting, then you can eat and drink. But not before then. Do it now.

What does the slave do? He does it. Because that's what slaves do. They do what they're told to do. That's it. And when it's all said and done, Christ says, let me tell you something about forgiveness.

I told you you need to forgive. You are my servants. I am your master. If I say forgive, you forgive. And when you have forgiven someone, no matter what the sin is, when you have forgiven them, all you can say is, I am still an unworthy slave. I am an unprofitable slave. I've only done that which is commanded me to do. He says, you deserve no medal to pin on your chest. You deserve no plaque because you forgave somebody. I'm the master. You're the slave. You forgive because I said so. That's it. Nothing else.

Case closed. That's Job. God says, you pray for your enemies. Job says, okay. God says, you take care of those who sinned against you.

Job says, okay. Why? Because Job is God's servant. Job is a truly, genuinely repentant man. He knows he's unworthy. See, the problem with us is we think we're worthy. And God says, you are unworthy slaves when you do that which has been commanded you to do.

So Job forgives. He prays. He intercedes on their behalf without complaint, without question, without saying, come on in, fellas. I'm going to intercede on your behalf because you're sinners. No, he just does what he's been required to do. Doesn't mock them. Doesn't laugh at them. Doesn't tell them, I told you so. You guys are wrong and I was right. No. A repentant spirit doesn't do that. A broken heart doesn't do that. You just pray. And the Lord says, when he prays, I will accept. I will accept your sacrifice because I will accept his prayer and I've accepted Job.

So when Job intercedes on your behalf, guess what? You win. Because of Job, not because of you, but because of Job. So he does exactly as God says.

And the story could have ended there, but it doesn't. It says in verse number 10, then the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends. Job didn't say, I'll pray for them, but you got to give me a house. I'll pray for them, but these boils, they got to go. I'll pray, but I need some new servants. I need some new camels. I got to have something in return. I'll pray, but no, no, no, no, no, no, no. He's got nothing. He's interceding on their behalf. Still having lost everything, covered in boils, still in pain, still his mouth parched.

Nothing's changed for Job. Why? Because when you're a slave, nothing has to change. When you're a servant of the living God, circumstances don't have to change because all you want to do is obey. You see, once you've seen God, nothing else matters. You just obey God. That's Job. Just obeys. Those who have trouble obeying haven't seen God. Don't understand their God. Those who gripe and bellyache and complain about what God commands them to do, they haven't seen God. They've heard of God. But they haven't seen Him.

Job saw. Why? Because the Word inspired is the Word incarnate. When the proclamation of truth comes, you're able to perceive properly and correctly the glory of God. Now it says in verse 10, Job's reward, the Lord restored the fortune to Job when he prayed for his friends. Notice he doesn't pray for himself.

That's what he'd be doing. Praying for the boys to go away. Praying for the Lord to restore. Praying for something to happen in my life. Lord, take care of me. Job's not doing that. Job's just doing what he's told to do. He's praying for his friends. And lo and behold, Job prays for his friends and the Lord turns the captivity of Job. Job has no idea this is coming. He's completely caught off guard. He does not know that God's going to restore his fortunes, that God's going to take away his boils, going to give him great health, and that he's going to live for another 140 years.

He doesn't know any of that. Didn't have to know that. Why? Because he's seen God. That's all he needs. He has seen enough. And so God turns the captivity of Job when he prays for his friends. Could you imagine what would have happened if God said, okay, Job, we're going to bring the seven bulls and the seven rams to you, and you're going to pray for them. I'm not doing that. I'm not doing that. He'd have boils to this very day. He'd still have nothing. Or maybe nothing. Maybe not. We don't know.

All we know is the text tells us that God turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. Now read on. Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him. Now wait a minute. Where have they been all this time? Why weren't they in the ash heap with him? What kind of brothers and sisters are these? I mean, come on. The Lord turns the captivity of Job. He has now twice as much as what he had before. And guess who shows up? Family. They want a piece of the action.

They want a little bit of the camel, a little bit of the donkey, a little bit of the land, a little bit of something. But now the family shows up. The family wasn't there in crisis. But boy, all of a sudden, when Job was blessed, Job, my long lost brother, how are you? It's so good to see you. Oh, let me give you a hug.

Where were all those hugs when he was filled with boils? No hugs. Where was all the love when he lost everything? None. Where was his family when he was all alone? They weren't there. Where was his family when his friends came to give him counsel, but in their counsel, they slandered his name. Where were his family then? But now they show up. But here's the beauty of this. Job doesn't say, time out, guys. Get lost. You're not touching any of this stuff. You weren't here when I was in bad condition, in bad shape.

You're not going to be here when I'm in good shape. Get lost. I don't care whether you're family or not. Get out of here. No, because a broken and constipated heart has no demands and makes no agenda. He's truly a broken man. He's truly a genuinely repentant man. See? This is amazing. I'd be saying, get lost. That's me. I'd be saying, get out of my house. I don't want you guys here. But not these people. They came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house, and they consoled him and comforted him.

Wait a minute. Where was the consolation and the comfort when he was in bad turmoil? Where were they then? It's easy to comfort him now.

He's got everything back. His health is back. He's got a house. How long did it take him to get a house? I don't know. But he's in his house. They consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. Each one gave him one piece of money. Oh, that's so nice of them. In each a ring of gold. Wow. How generous could you possibly be? What a great family. I'm just glad they're not my family. That's all I got to say. God gave him twice as much as he had before. He had seven sons and three daughters.

Ah, this is so good. And he names the three daughters, but not the seven sons. We don't know what the names are. But we have the names of the daughters. Why? It's always a great question to ask. Why? What is God trying to tell us? Very important. Because God's going to give Jeb 140 years. 140. He's 70. Okay. He's 70 at the time this happens. Now he's going to get 140 years of living. He's going to see four generations born. God gives him 10 children. He had 10 at the beginning. Gives him 10 towards the last week.

Doesn't give him 20 children because he's already got 10 that are already alive. Where? In glory. Right? So those 10 are already living. He's just not with them. So he gives them 10 more. So for the next 25 years, Jeb's wife's having children. Presumably she's in her 70s as well. So she's having children up to the age of 100. Taking care of those kids. Growing those kids. God is filling his quiver over and over and over again. But he has three daughters. He names them. Jemima. Names means little dove.

Dove is the symbolic of peace and tranquility. So the very first daughter that's named is named because of Job's present condition.

He's completely at peace with his God. No more turmoil. He is settled and resting in his God. The second daughter, Kaziah.

Kaziah, unique name. Kaziah means fragrance. It's taken from the cassia tree. The cassia tree was known for an herb of cinnamon. An herbal smell of cinnamon. And that cinnamon became a spice used in holy anointing as well as in burials. Psalm 45 tells us that when Messiah comes to obtain his bride, he's clothed with the fragrance of cassia. The smell. The odor that comes because he's not only the holy anointed, but he would be embalmed with spices, wrapped in spices upon his death. Job names this second daughter, Kaziah, simply because the tree itself is one of strength, stability, and durability.

Job's life gives off a fragrance of strength and durability because he's at peace with his God. When someone is at peace with their God, they are at the strongest point of their life. And when you are at the strongest point of your life, your life smells of the sweet fragrance of God. Of the cassia tree. There's something beautiful about your life that makes you smell the way you do. Strength, stability, durability is the fragrance of those who are at peace with God. Third daughter, Karen Habuk.

Her name means horn of adornment. Horn of adornment. In other words, the horn would be the casing in which they would keep that which they adorn themselves with. And the adornment was a powder-like material that women would use as eye shadow on their eyes to adorn their outward appearance. So that when you looked upon them, you saw their beauty. They were adorned with that which made them beautiful. So, Job's whole life is about being at peace with God. So the fragrance he emanates is one of strength, stability, and durability.

And in so doing, people are able to see in an outward adornment the beauty of the God he serves. That's why I believe the three daughters are named the way they are because that's the way Job's life now is for the next 140 years. Job dies. At the age of 210, if my memory is correct, Abraham lived to be 175. Isaac 180, Jacob 147, Joseph 110. Job lived to be 210 years of age. Job is gone. He dies. Full of days, full of strength. Satisfied because he's truly at peace with his God. He has met his Redeemer face-to-face.

He knew that his Redeemer lived. He knew that one day his Redeemer would stand on the earth. But now that he's dead, he really is alive. And he's seen his Redeemer face-to-face. And while he's gone, what he has left behind is so incredible that you'll have to come back next week just to see what he's left behind. Let's pray. Father, we thank you, Lord, for today and the opportunity you give us to be in your Word. We are truly a blessed people. What a study of this man, Job, which really is a study of our God and how you work in the lives of man because you are sovereign over all.

Our prayers, our lives would be changed because of our study in the Word of the living God. And pray, Father, that, Lord, we would learn from this man. As we come back next week, if you, Terry, you allow us to live one more week, we will gather again one more time to look at the lessons that Job's life gives us, that we might live from this day forward giving glory to the beautiful name of our God.

We pray this in Jesus' name, amen.