121. Now My Eyes Seeth Thee (4)

Posted on Posted in Sermon Notes Tagged with , , , ,

Hymns: RHC 319 It Is Well With My Soul 393 Deeper, Deeper 394 Deeper and Deeper

Job 42:10-17

Now My Eyes Seeth Thee (4)

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. 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. 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, Keren-happuch. 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 a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. 17 So Job died, being old and full of days.

OUTLINE

  • Experiential Knowledge of God Through Trials (v1-6)
    • Humility and Submission to God (v6)
  • Expressions of Forgiveness (v7-9)
    • Offering for Sins 
  • Exaltation for God’s Glory (v10-17)
  • Exaltation for God’s Glory (v10-17)

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.

Notice the LORD turned the captivity of Job. It is in His plan that Job would experience a turn of events and the healing that he will experience bodily and the restoration of what he had lost.

It is the LORD that giveth and it is He that taketh away! It is also the LORD that restoreth! Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Job is a very different person after going through the fiery furnace. His perspective about life will be very different before and after his trial. There is for one no presumption that all things are “given” in this life. Although the LORD will not try Job as severely as He did this time, and he will live another 140 years with the blessing of seeing his sons’ sons even four generations, Job’s relationship with God was on a very different plane than it was before his trial.

He has met God as it were face to face and understood the Person of His LORD more profoundly as a result of his trial.

He understood better the intimate care of God for His creation and he was humbled to the dust in the sight of God. He dared not lift himself out of the dust, as it were, all the days of his life, having been there, he would endeavour his utmost to remain there!

Humility is complete dependence upon God and his submission to His Creator in all things has reached a whole new level! He is as it were one raised from the dead. He cherished his life deeply.

It also gives him a different perspective concerning the suffering of others. He will be even more sympathetic and compassionate having been there!

His trial also exposed him to know himself better, his weakness and his sense of his own shortcomings that comes up during the time of his trial.

His love for God and His Word must have greatly increased after his intimate spiritual encounter with God. If he would rise up early to prayer and devotion, he would be strengthened to rise up earlier.

Our reading of his life after the trial does not tell us of any slackness as was recorded in Noah’s life who became drunkened a time after he disembarked from the ark.

Genesis 9:17-21 (KJV) And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

Job prayed for his friends. God accepted Job’s offering on behalf of his friends. God vindicated Job in the sight of his friend that Job was indeed a righteous man, one who fears God and eschewed evil. We will say that Job learned to esteemed the spiritual more than the physical.

Job 28:12-28 (KJV)  But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. 

Job perspective of his wealth will be very much understood in terms of being a steward for the Lord. 

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.

We see the boils now disappeared from his body and he is no longer feverish and weak. God strengthened him bodily. His friends, acquaintence and all his sisters appeared before him again to comfort and cheer him, and sup with him.

For Job, all he did was to pray for his friends, the men who had wronged him, he prayed for them. He forgave them. God restored him.

His wealth doubled, and he saw every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. When the Israelites left Egypt, God instructed them to borrow from the Egyptians who willing gave them their jewels as a parting gift or as renumerations for their years of slave work.

The Lord was pleased to honour Job, he would receive double of all that he lost.

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.

Job 1:3 (KJV) His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

What is missing here at the close of the book? Satan! Satan was silent! 

Job 1:9-11 (KJV) Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Satan was no more challenging God for Job’s integrity was established. He has passed the test. God was right concerning Job’s loyalty to Him.

Job 1:8 (KJV) And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

When did we learn from Job’s trial that we have Experiential Knowledge of God Through Trials and learning, humility and submission to God. We learn to confess our sins before God and not raise our head in His sight but humbly bow in adoration and praise.

We learn about forgiveness, offering up of prayers for others who ahev wronged us. We learn that God is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His justice. He will make all wrong things right! And we learn to patiently wait upon Him. Indeed, He is indeed just!

We see God’s Name being highly exalted in the restoration of Job. Satan proven wrong and silenced. 

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, Keren-happuch. 

God gave him children, another seven sons and three daughters. Job did not lose the ten children that died, they are safely with the Lord. As such, God doubled his posterity too!

14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch. 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.

The names of his daughters were named and the daughters were each given an inheritance from their father. 

He called the first Jemima–The day (whence perhaps Diana had her name), because of the shining forth of his prosperity after a dark night of affliction. The next Kezia, a spice of a very fragrant smell, because (says bishop Patrick) God had healed his ulcers, the smell of which was offensive. The third Keren-happuch (that is Plenty restored, or A horn of paint), because (says he) God had wiped away the tears which fouled his face (Job 16:16). [Matthew Henry]

Matthew Henry also said well, “His family was built up again and he had great comfort in his children.”

The psalmist rightly said in Psalm 128:1-6 (KJV) A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.

Godliness and Fruitfulness

  • Fear God (v1a, 4)
  • Follow Him (v1b, 2)
  • Overall Fruitfulness Through Him (v3, 5-6)

Spurgeon said well, “The fear of God is the corner-stone of all blessedness.” What is the fear of God? The fear of God is disposition to give utmost reverence and regard to God in one’s life. This is a man to live a life of holiness.

And the blessing or the fruitfulness of a God fearer is received by faith not by measured by our feeble senses. Spurgeon again said well, “The blessedness may not always be seen by carnal reason, but it is always a fact, for God Himself declares that it is so, and we know that those whom He blesses are blessed indeed.”

Again, I must quote Spurgeon, “And so, to enjoy the divine blessing we must be active and walk; we must be methodical, and walk in certain ways; and we must be godly, and walk in the Lord’s days. God’s ways are blessed ways; they are cast up by the Blessed One, they were trodden by Him in whom we are blessed, they are frequented by the blessed, they are provided with means of blessing, they are paved with present blessings. And they lead to eternal blessedness: who would not desire to walk in them?”

This is the image of abundance and divine blessings that is extended here to children and wife. Both wife and children are thriving spiritually. Fruit as an image of abundance – Abundant fruit is symbolic of the richness and creativity of God. The world as created by God was prolific in its fruitfulness in Genesis 1:11-12 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” 

The wife is described here as a fruitful vine. Both the vine and the olive tree were symbols of economic prosperity of Israel. The vine provided wine and the olive tree supply fruit and oil. The use of olive plants for children signifies their spiritual blessings and prosperity. Psalms 52:8 “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.” Olive trees take a long time to mature and become profitable. It needs to be patiently cultivated, but they become very precious and profitable crop for hundreds of years, longer than any other fruit producing tree or plant. A good father, a God-fearing father takes responsibility for the spiritual welfare and nurture of his family. Nor does he neglect the children’s physical welfare.” 

The images of vines and olive plants are biblical symbols of abundant life, symbolizing rich blessing as opposed to other crops like wheat or corn. 

Job’s future blessing was well attested and recorded for our blessing.

16 After this lived Job a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. 17 So Job died, being old and full of days.

He lived till he was satisfied, for he died full of days, at a ripe old age, not in affliction but piously so (Matthew Henry).

CONCLUSION

Indeed, we learn from Job’s trial the need to be courageous and not to lose that courageous heart to trust the Lord in the times of trial though it may be prolonged. 

Hebrews 10:35-36 (KJV) Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

The recompense of reward for faith is not only for eternity but for now too!

Mark 10:29-31 (KJV) And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. 31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

We learn the need of patience and to endure with a joyful spirit even in the midst of trials as James said James 5:11 (KJV) Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

We learn to wait upon our God and to trust Him in times of trial. He will see us through and He did and He will! Amen.