Job Repents; God Restores
(Restoration Begins with Repentance)

In this lesson, we come to the conclusion of the story about Job. Satan tested the faith of Job with the evil intention of provoking him to renounce God. However, Job did not renounce God, and God did not forsake Job. By his faithfulness to God, Job proved that he did not serve God for material gain, for the joy of having a family, or even for physical health. Job served God because he had a reverence for God that caused him to trust and obey God. After receiving a clearer vision of God, Job repented, not of willful sins, but for not knowing God as well as he should have. Then, God restored and blessed Job in a greater measure than before his ordeal.

Golden Text: Job 42:5-6
5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

JOB SEES GOD AND REPENTS

A. JOB SEES HIMSELF

42:1 Then Job answered the Lord, and said,

**How amazing is this verse? In the chapters directly before this is where we find the beginning of the conversation between God and Job. Think of everything that Job has been through and the situation he is currently in; still he has kept an open line of communication with the Father.

2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

**Again, in the chapters directly before chapter 42 God is reminding Job, through questions of how powerful and mighty that God is. Now, Job is admitting that he does remember the things that he has learned about God.

**This confession (“I know that thou canst do every thing) could suggest that during the test of his faith, Job was tempted to think that God could not deliver him from his troubles. While Job did not give in to this temptation and renounce God, now he knew beyond any doubt that God was (and is) able to do whatever He wills to do, and “no thought (purpose) can be with-held from Him”.

3 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 is now admitting that, before his trial, he know about God, but through this trial he is now realizing how little he understood about Him. During this trial Job stated that the ways of God were not just, but I believe he now understands, without the hand of God on his life, his life could have been taken as well. At times, we may feel like we are at our lowest point and things could not get any worse, but when we take a step back and realize how good the Lord has been to us, then we will see how much worse things could have been.

B. JOB SEES GOD

4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

**Matthew Henry’s commentary says that Job is now requesting the opportunity to speak his heart, not as a defendant, but as a humble petitioner. Job is past the place of complaining and is coming before the Lord with a heart of repentance, again, not for willful sins, but for not knowing God as well as he should have.

5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

**How many people in the church are in this exact place. Job had likely been taught about God all of His life, but now, for the first time, he is experiencing the power of God in his life. We take pride in the knowledge that we have of the scripture, but nothing can be compared to experiencing His touch. Hearing about God kept Job from cursing God, but seeing and feeling the hand of God made Job realize how little he really understood about the Father.

6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

**Abhor- regard with disgust or hatred. Remember, Job did not commit any willful sin against God, but his lack of understanding of the ways of God during his tough times brought him to the place where he was disgusted with himself. This is exactly what truly being in the presence of God will do. Even when I may feel like I am “living right” and doing the things I am supposed to do, when I enter into His presence it drives me to repentance because it is then that I realize how great He is and how much more that I could be doing for Him.

GOD JUDGES JOB’S FRIENDS

A. GOD’S ANGER

7 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.

**God now begins to address Job’s “friends”.

**Why was the wrath of God “kindled” against these three people?

**We must be careful of thinking we know the reason why people are going through certain situations. During Job’s darkest days, his FRIENDS, were guilty of falsely accusing him, and telling Job that this trial must be a result of a sin that he had committed. Their false accusations brought the wrath of God upon their life. When we see someone going through something, let us not think we are God and act like we know the reason for their trial, but let us bind together with them in prayer and seek for the understanding of the purpose of the circumstance.

8 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.

**Now the roles have reversed. Throughout Job’s trial, his friends were there watching him. Now, they are experiencing the wrath of God and Job is given the opportunity to minister to them. I believe this is one of the main reasons that we have to face different things. It will allow us to be able to encourage someone else when they are going through their toughest trials.

9 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.

GOD HONORS JOB’S INTEGRITY

A. GOD RESTORES JOB

10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

**I believe that we often hear the outcome of Job’s story, but fail to realize that it was not just because he never sinned in the midst of the trial. God did not bless Job because that he did not curse God when his wife told him to. God blessed Job because of his repentant heart for his lack of understanding and because of the compassion and love he showed to his friends.

11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

**When we allow the Lord to work things out the way that He desires to, instead of trying to fix it ourselves, He will put everything back into the place where they belong. The ones who had shunned him before are now the ones that are celebrating with him and the ones that are bringing him comfort.

B. GOD BLESSES JOB

12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.
15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.

**While the restoration of Job began immediately, when he prayed for his three friends, some time tased before he had twice the material possessions he had before his losses. First, Job gained back his good reputation, his relatives, and his friends. Then, eventually, God doubled for Job the number of sheep, camels, oxen and donkeys he owned. Often, gain is not a sign of godliness on the part of the one who gains wealth, but in Job’s case, his material possessions were evidence of his godliness, and God’s favor toward him.

17 So Job died, being old and full of days.