TO CHEW ON: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.... Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” Job 42:2,3
After Job and his friends had spoken, God talked. He asked Job questions.
- “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4 Simplified Living Bible)
- “Have you found the springs from which the seas come?” (38:16 SLB)
- “Do you know where the gates of death are”? (38:18 SLB)
- “Where does the light come from and how do you get there?” (38:19 SLB)
- “Who gave the heart wisdom? Who gave knowledge to the mind?” (38:36 SLB)
...and on and on.
Do you know the answers to these questions? What would you have said if you were Job?
Actually, Job didn’t have much to say. “I am nothing,” he said. “How could I ever find the answers?” (Job 40:4 SLB).
By questioning Job this way God wasn’t asking him questions because He didn’t know these things. He was showing Job (and us) that as the creator of the world, He sees the big picture of beginnings and endings. He understands more than we do.
God didn’t tell Job (and He often doesn’t tell us) the reason for his suffering. But He did help Job understand he could trust an all-wise God to have plans that are good, and to make them happen in the best way.
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that You know all things and can do all things. Amen
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| Job--recovered and wealthy again - Artist unknown |
What finally happened to Job? Read the end of Job’s story in Job 42:10-17. Which things are not true?
1. Job’s brothers, sisters and friends came to visit and brought gifts.
2. Job never got better.
3. Job had more children.
4. Job became rich again with more sheep, camels, oxen and donkeys.
5. Job lived 140 more years.
6. Job was never a grandfather
Answers
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