Examining Job's Final Test

The book of Job is my probably my favorite book of the bible. Every time I read it I feel like I’m watching a reality show. I find myself going “Oh no he didn’t just say that! or “Oh snap! He’s throwing it down!” It is just a very honest book with people saying what they honestly think. Now, not all honesty is truth. Those can be two totally different things. I may be honest and still be honestly wrong. This was the case with Job’s friends and their judgement of him and misaligned views of God.

Job is a book about many things, but in its basic form, is looking at a man being tested by God. Remember God tests and satan tempts. He has literally lost almost everything, but his faith and trust in God. He goes through each chapter defending himself to his friends that came to comfort him, that he did not sin. This concept is not a new one. If something bad is happening to you, you must have done something to deserve it. The book of Job annihilates this concept. Rain falls on the righteous and unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45) Trouble comes to everyone.

At the end of this book God steps in and has the final final words. I think of God patiently listening to His creation just saying wrong thing after wrong thing. He finally says “Enough!” and steps in with truth. Starting in Job 38, God asks Job a series of questions. He asks Job where he was when He created everything and goes into detail of many aspects of that creation. Job has the correct response to all of God’s questions which is humility. In Job 40:3-5 says “Then Job replied to the Lord, “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.”

God again lays out more questions for Job in the following verses again challenging what Job’s creation role was. Job 42:1-6 has Job’s next response to God and it is just so full of truth that I had to sit and dwell on it for a while. “Then Job replied to the Lord: “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. You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” In Job’s defense of himself to his friends he realized he took his interpretation and challenging of God too far.

Next I sat wondering why God spent several chapters calling out Job, but only spends a small portion of a chapter reprimanding Job’s friends. This is my thought on it. Job represents a true believer and his friends unbelievers. The friends think they know God, but really just were relaying things they’ve heard or think about God absent of a true relationship with Him. I don’t think it’s accidental the bible takes the time to point out Job’s walk with God and his faith. (Job 1) So, Job being the believer, was held to a higher standard. That is true for every Christian. Christians who know the truth are responsible for how they represent God in the light of unbelievers because they are what the world sees, and in turn shape their views on God.

My final thought on Job’s testing was, was there a final test we don’t normally hear about? In the final chapter verses 7-9 talk about God telling Job’s friends to offer sacrifices of repentance and have Job pray for them to be restored. Verse 10 I feel is crucial. “When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!” The key being Job first prayed for his friends and then God blessed him. It makes me think of Matthew 5:23-24 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” We can’t expect God to hear us and restore us when we have bitterness or offense in our hearts. Job could seem justified to refuse to pray for his friends. They spent a long time berating him and trying to point out faults. We have to take this in context that Job not only lost riches, he lost his children too. Imagine your friends coming to comfort you only to tell you your children’s deaths were your fault and why won’t you just admit it. It is easy to see how bitterness could creep in. In Job’s final test, Job extended forgiveness rather than judgement. God had just extended an olive branch to him and Job learned from that and passed it on to his friends. If we are looking for God to restore us or help us, we should make sure we are willing to examine our own hearts and release others from offenses. There are many times I have had to forgive the same person the same issue in my heart.

Part of satan’s tactic is replay. He wants you to keep replaying what happened in your mind and keep it fresh. Each time you replay and relieve that trauma it is keeping the wound open. True forgiveness does not seek to eradicate the wound, but to close it and leave just the scar. That scar is a reminder to us to be wiser in our choices and/or be cautious of what we allow in our lives. However in cases where we truly bare no part in the wrong that happened, that scar is a testimony for others to also gain freedom when they are wronged.

The book of Job is rich in life applications. It is worth the time to read and reread. The book of Job let’s us know that God is always on our side. We may never get an explanation for the bad things that happen to us, but we can rest in the assurance that God will never leave us. Even when we take things too far by our words or actions, God will always takes us back and aims to restore us. Job is a book of restoration.