THE BLESSINGS OF JOB

The Book of Job is a difficult book in the Bible and perhaps is also the oldest. In Job 42, the last chapter, gives the final statement from Job to the Lord after his three counselors and he had asked, questioned, doubted and made riddles of the wisdom of the Lord.

Job finally says: “I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.” (42:2-3)

As he repented the Lord gave him opportunity to restore his three counselors, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite through sacrifices and prayer. Then the Lord began to restore Job and his losses: “When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring. So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning.” (Job 42:10-12)

Having read Job many times through the years, it finally occurred to me that the double blessing (“twice as much” verse 10) is certainly a restoration of wealth, position and joy, but the great double blessings is that Job now knew the Lord as least twice as much as before. Or as N.T. Wright once said: “It’s not great faith you need; it is faith in a great God.”

“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” Jesus