Case Dismissed!

It has been a joy to assemble these materials over the past several months.  They have now been made available in book form (both in Kindle and in Paperback) at:

Case Dismissed: The Hearing of Job's Complaint

[Sound of Gavel]

Case Dismissed!

Week 11 - Justice is Served - Job 42:7-17

After God dismissed the case, there was justice to be served.  The first three friends did not get it right.

Job 42:7

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.

God's anger burned because they repeatedly spoke to Job from the perspective of "If man, then God".  Only Job and Elihu understood the totality of God's sovereignty and that the paradigm is rather "If God, then man".  For after Job called upon God to act as not only as mediator (Job 9:33), but also as witness (Job 16:19), a bondsman (Job 17:3), a redeemer (Job 19:23-27), and, ultimately as a judge (Job 31:34-35), then Elihu presented clearly the ordo salutis in Job 33:22-28.

The punishment dispensed was two fold: first that the three friends were to perform a sacrifice, and second that Job would be their priest.  Imagine the humbling aspect of that!

Job 42:8

Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”

God then reversed what happened when Job was placed in “Satan’s Hand” (Job 1:12; Job 2:6).   Literally, God “turned the captivity of Job”, which was an instantaneous change of position.  

Job 42:10

And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Please notice this happens "when he prayed for his friends".  It should not go unnoticed that Satan lost his grip on Job, when Job entered the throne room of God by prayer.

Week 10 - Job Takes the Stand - Job 38-42:6

God takes up the case and issues Job a command.  The margin translation for Job 38:3a in the ESV is preferred:

Gird up your loins like a man;

Alternates are:

Get ready

Prepare yourself 

Stand up

Dress for action

Brace yourself 

Be strong 

Now tighten the belt 

Now get ready to fight

While all give the meaning, girding up is a physical act.  In the sun of Arabia, flowing robes are essential, but they are not functional.  How to gird them up is illustrated here.

When we are in Speculator, Robyn and I walk back and forth from our house to Camp.  At the end of summer, Camp throws a party for the volunteers.  In our Sunday-best we walked over, but once we crossed the main road, a fold of Robyn's long dress wrapped itself around her legs and down she went.  A sharp pebble went deep into her hand, so we walked past the party to the camp infirmary!

So this won't be a casual conversation.  We won't be reclining-at-table or sitting around a hookah for a cerebral conversation.  God, the judge, is about to question Job.  Girding up requires one to stand up.  Job must take the "stand".  

God then asks Job a series of questions to see if he, as a man, is qualified.  A particularly telling exchange is Job 38:31-38.  It starts with a series of "can you" questions.  Does Job have the ability to guide the constellations or to instruct the weather?  Did Job put into mankind the ability to wonder about such things?  And with that God-given power of thought, does man have the ability to control either?

Job 40:1-4

And the Lord said to Job:

“Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?

    He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

Then Job answered the Lord and said:

“Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?

    I lay my hand on my mouth.

But God gives him a second chance.  Maybe Job could be qualified as a god.

Job 40:10,14

“Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;

    clothe yourself with glory and splendor.

: 

Then will I also acknowledge to you

    that your own right hand can save you. 

If Job was a god, then he could save himself.  So God introduces two celestial beings that Job has never seen: the Behemoth (beast) and the Leviathan (dragon).

• This dragon is also described in Revelation 12.  He is Satan, who was conquered by the blood of the Lamb and expelled from Heaven (Isaiah 14:12).
• The beast is described in Revelation 13.  In fact, the description includes a verse (Revelation 13:4) that asks the same question as Job 40:24.  

Who indeed can fight either of these celestial beasts?  The answer is God, himself, their creator:

Job 40:19

“He is the first of the works of God;

    let him who made him bring near his sword!

God then concludes for a second time that Job is not qualified. 

Job 41:10

No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.

Who then is he who can stand before me?

Then the case takes a sudden and decisive turn.

Job 41:11

Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?

Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

God is the ultimate owner.  No level of piety or devotion will ever endebt God to Job.   Likewise no loss on Job's part is a debt that God must pay.

Job 42:6 (NASB)
“Therefore I retract,

And I repent, sitting on dust and ashes.”

The complaint he was arguing that concerning his “loss” was then null and void, because he was never the owner.  

So the twice-disqualified Job humbly withdrew his case.