God’s Answer to Job’s Perplexity

GOLDEN TEXT: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” —Psalm 46:10

JOB 38:1-7; 42:1-6,10

JOB argued zealously and sincerely with his “comforters” in an effort to prove to them that he was not a hypocrite, that he was not hiding secret sins for which he was being punished. In his earnestness to justify his position to some extent, he overlooked the fact that by nature he was a sinner, and even though he had not willfully opposed God, or deliberately sinned in other ways, nevertheless he was far from being worthy of God’s favor, and his former favorable status had been merely an expression of God’s grace.

During the controversy between Job and his three comforters a young man named Elihu apparently was listening, and finally when the comforters could present no further arguments to Job, and Job had nothing more to say, Elihu spoke. He recognized that Job’s friends had failed to give him the proper answers, and that Job, in his desire to justify himself, had gone too far, so this young man spoke out against all four.

His thesis was that God was too great to be criticized. In chapter 33, verses 13 to 30, Elihu points out that while God permits man to suffer and die, he has made provision for his recovery from death, through a ransom—margin, an “atonement.” In verses 27 and 28 he says of those who acknowledge their sin that God will deliver them from going down into the pit of death. While Elihu was endeavoring to induce Job to acknowledge his sin, he was also speaking under inspiration of a corning future deliverance of all mankind from death, through the atonement which is in Christ Jesus.

In part of Elihu’s speech (ch. 37:1-11) he sets forth the mighty wisdom and power of God as revealed through the phenomena of lightning, thunder, rain, and snow. These everyday displays of God’s power in the atmosphere around us go far beyond our ability to understand, much less to produce, or hinder.

Through chapters 38 and 39 God speaks to Job, presenting a series of questions relative to the marvels of creation, and asking Job if he can answer them. God does not accuse Job of being a sinner, but when Job realizes how weak and helpless he is in comparison to the mighty power and wisdom of the Creator, he says, “I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.”—ch. 40:4

Then for two more chapters (40, 41) the Lord continues to impress upon Job the miracles of creation, and by implication his own greatness as the Creator. And then Job answered, “I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.” (ch. 42:2) In verse 5 Job states, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”

Thus Job experienced the fulfillment of an earlier expression of his faith. When stricken with boils, he said, “Though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” (Job 19:26) He had heard of God, and believed in him; but his understanding of God was limited, so limited that when affliction came upon him he was bewildered and confuse d, not knowing why God permitted it. But he had faith to believe that eventually he would “see” God, that he would understand this mystery; and after God spoke to him his faith was rewarded, for he said, “Now mine eye seeth thee.”—Job 42:5

But this will be true of Job in a still more wonderful way when he is raised from the dead. Then, still a human being—in his “flesh”—he will “see” God more clearly than ever, for then the knowledge of God’s glory will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.

After Job acknowledged his own sin, and manifested the proper spirit toward his tormenting “comforters,” he experienced complete restitution, not only of his health, but of his flocks and herds, and a family of lovely children—his daughters becoming famed for their beauty. In fact, he received more than he had lost. Many think, and reasonably so, that in this experience of Job there is an illustration of the experience of the entire human race in losing the original riches of paradise, and having those earthly blessings restored to them through the provision of the Redeemer.

By virtue of the experience, including the wonderful manner in which God revealed himself to Job, he was caused to acknowledge the greatness of his Creator, and to “be still” before him. This also will be the experience of all mankind, Gentiles and Jews alike, when, as a result of the final “great tribulation” now coming upon the world, they will be prostrated before the Lord, and will hear him say, as in our Golden Text, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen [Gentiles], I will be exalted in the earth.”

QUESTIONS

What did Job overlook in seeking to justify himself?

What was Elihu’s position in the controversy?

What finally caused Job to realize that he was a sinner?

How did Job “see” God, and will this be still more true of him in the future?

What is illustrated by Job’s experience of suffering and restitution?

When will the nations hear the Lord saying, “Be still, and know that I am God”?

| Home Page | Table of Contents |