Job seemed to have no understanding of why his life was being SEVERELY TRIED as it was. He seemed oblivious of the satanic conflict that was raging against him. He was unaware that the decision he made in relationship to His TRUST IN GOD, would be used to encourage countless saints that were to come after him. Nor did Job understand that REMAINING FIRM in his unwavering trust in God would be to the praise and honor of His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Job’s trust in the LORD NEVER FALTERED, as God fashioned him – until finally Job was brought into a closer understanding of Who God was and EXPERIENCED A DEEPNESS OF INTIMACY with His Father that he would not have imagined. While Job’s “friends” continued to accuse and discourage him, Job proclaimed, “I know that MY REDEEMER LIVES, and that in the end He will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I WILL SEE GOD; I myself will see Him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27) Paul stated it like this, “…according to Christ’s own purpose and grace by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who brought life and immortality…I am not ashamed, for I know whom I HAVE BELIEVED and AM PERSUADED that He is able to KEEP what I HAVE COMMITTED TO HIM until that Day.” (2 Tim. 1:9-12)
As Christians WE KNOW GOD. Of course Christians know about God. We know about Him from what God shows us EVERY DAY in creation, in the sunset and the evening star, in the many birds as they come in to roost by the hundreds. The heavens speak to us and they say, ISN’T GOD THE CREATOR GLORIOUS? Look at His godhead as the maker of the universe. All this did not come about by a lucky chance, by a big bang. We are surrounded by such BEAUTY, MAGNIFICENCE, AWE, ORDER AND DESIGN every day of our lives. We know God and yet MANY ARE BACKING OFF on that knowledge and are determined to do things THEIR WAY and NOT GOD’S WAY.
This is what happened to Job’s three “friends” Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, the Lord said, “…to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for 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 COMMANDED THEM; for the LORD had accepted Job. Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning…” (Job 42:7, 9, 12)
-Bill Stockham