Happy Endings

Job 42

I.  Repentance

1)     Job is Silenced by God (40:3-5)

1. God’s first speech in chapters 38-39 prompts Job to quit speaking out of ignorance
2. Job’s first response to God in 40:3-5 stops short of genuine repentance

2)     Job Repents before God (42:1-6)

1. Job is not repenting for sins committed before the trial (accusation of Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar)
2. Job repents for sins committed during the trial
   1. His repentance is specific
   2. His repentance is without any excuse or justification
   3. His repentance reflects accurate knowledge of himself and of God
   4. His repentance is demonstrated by its fruit

• True contrition of the heart
• More profound knowledge of God
• Willingness to forgive others in response to God’s forgiveness (cf. Matthew 6:12;  18:21-35)
  

Application:

– Repentance is evidence of God’s grace and kindness in our lives.   (cf. Romans 2:4;  2 Timothy 2:25;  Acts 11:18)

– Peace with God is not possible apart from repentance.  Turning to God in faith requires a turning away from sin

– Repentance is not just the beginning of the Christian life – it is an ongoing part of your sanctification

– Genuine repentance comes from the Holy Spirit and is demonstrated by its fruit.   Remorse and/or regret are human emotions that result from getting caught in sin.

II.  Rebuke

1)     God Rebukes Job (chapters 38-41)

2)     God Rebukes Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar (ch. 42)

1. No word of rebuke for Elihu – an indication that he has spoken to Job with wisdom
2. God’s anger burns against sin
3. Sin of misrepresenting God
   1. Job has spoken wrongly about God, but in a different way than his friends
   2. Job’s friends misrepresented God through the misapplication of theology.  In their speeches they have presented God as a ‘pagan’ deity that can be manipulated for His blessing (ie. ‘Retribution Theology’)
4. Forgiveness of Sin Requires a Sacrifice
   1. God’s justice for sin must be satisfied
   2. Sinful man requires a mediator/ priest
      

Application:

– God cares very deeply about theology and despises any theological position that minimizes His glory

– We who teach others about God need to take our responsibility very seriously and to ensure that our doctrine is firmly rooted in God’s self-revelation  (cf. 1 Timothy 4:16; James 3:1)

– Animal sacrifice and the need for a mediator points forward to the crucifixion and Priesthood of Jesus.

III.  Restoration

1)       Job’s Restoration is an Expression of God’s Grace

1. God does not owe us anything (cf. 1:20-22, 2:10)
   1. Job rightly rejected the ‘retribution theology’ of his three friends
   2. Job understood the meaning of grace – God’s undeserved favour
2. The greatest blessing for Job comes in 42:5

2)     Happy Endings???

1. Not every story of ‘innocent suffering’ will have a happy ending here on earth
2. Job’s restoration did not eliminate the painful memory of loss, nor was it permanent
   

Application:   The ultimate ‘happy ending’ for Job and for every other believer is yet to come in the future!