JOB LESSON 41


     We will begin this lesson in Job 42:1 "Then Job answered the
LORD, and said," Job 42:2 "I know that thou canst do every [thing],
and [that] no thought can be withholden from thee."

     Job recognized the magnificence of God. God has all power, as
well as all wisdom and understanding. God reads the heart of man, even
before he speaks his words. God knows that Job had a clean heart. Job
knew that nothing he might think, or do, could ever be hidden from
God. Job had never denied that God was all powerful, but it was
brought even more clearly to his attention in the last few chapters,
as the LORD spoke to him.

     Job 42:3 "Who [is] he that hideth counsel without knowledge?
therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful
for me, which I knew not."

     The truth is that no one has this kind of knowledge, until the
Lord God Almighty chooses for us to know it. He teaches us by His
blessed Holy Spirit. Job did not understand what was going on. His
only failure was that he insisted on knowing. Job wanted to confess to
God his total dependence upon Him. The things of God are too wonderful
for mortal man to know and understand.

     Job 42:4 "Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand
of thee, and declare thou unto me."

     This was the beginning of Job's confession to God that he knew
very little of the ways of God. Job wanted to speak to God and explain
his foolishness.

     Job 42:5 "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now
mine eye seeth thee."

     Job had been taught of others of God, but this voice of God
coming from the whirlwind had given him a brand new awareness of who
God is. Hearing from others is not like hearing for ourselves. Job had
been in the very presence of God, and was greatly humbled by the
experience.

     Job 42:6 "Wherefore I abhor [myself], and repent in dust and
ashes."

     This was the same ash heap that Job had been sitting in from the
beginning of his troubles. Now, he hated that he had not trusted God,
that all was well with his soul. He had listened to too much that his
so-called friends had said, and knew it wasn't true that he worked
himself up to the position to question what God was doing with him.
God is the potter, and we are the clay. Job was clay in the hands of
the LORD. The clay can not tell the potter what to do with it. Job
realized that now. He abhorred himself for not having more faith than
he had.

     Job 42:7  "And it was [so], that after the LORD had spoken these
words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is
kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not
spoken of me [the thing that is] right, as my servant Job [hath]."

     This was about the last thing these friends wanted to hear, but
they fully deserved every word. They had judged Job without any
evidence to convict him. We must notice in this verse above, that God
approved of the things that Job had said, but did not approve of the
things the others had said. He spoke to the three friends, here, and
not to Elihu, because He had already reprimanded Elihu, and because
Elihu was a young man and, probably, knew no better. These old
counselors should have known better. God was very angry with  Job's
friends.

     Job 42:8 "Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven
rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt
offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I
accept: lest I deal with you [after your] folly, in that ye have not
spoken of me [the thing which is] right, like my servant Job."

     The number "seven" means spiritually complete. After all of the
hard things they had said to Job, now they must go back to him and ask
him to pray for their forgiveness, or they would feel the wrath of God
upon them. The time of Job was before the time of the priests, so Job
would receive their offerings for their sins for them. They had not
spoken for God with all of their accusations of Job. They must, now,
humble themselves before the very man they tried to humiliate and
destroy.

     Job 42:9 "So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite [and]
Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded
them: the LORD also accepted Job."

     Their only chance of being forgiven was for Job to accept them
and pray to God for them. God had already accepted Job. They knew they
must go, since God had commanded them to. This had to be one of the
hardest things they had ever done.

     Job 42:10 "And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he
prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had
before."

     Job was completely restored when he prayed for his friends to be
forgiven. Job had been a rich man before this all began, but now God
had restored him double for his faithfulness.

     Job 42:11 "Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his
sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and
did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and
comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him:
every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of
gold."
     Now that things had turned around for Job, all his relatives and
friends came to celebrate with him. They all brought presents to Job
such as gold, and money. They had not even sympathized with Job during
his trouble, but now, they had much sympathy for his punishment he
endured without a cause.

     Job 42:12 "So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than
his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand
camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses."

     These are twice as many animals, as he had before all of his
trouble came to him.

     Job 42:13 "He had also seven sons and three daughters."

     This was exactly the same number of sons and daughters Job had
before his trouble. The worst loss that Job had felt was his children.

     Job 42:14 "And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the
name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch."

     The name "Jemima" means dove, or fair as the day. "Kezia" was the
same as cassia, a very rare spice. "Keren-happuch"  means born of
paint. This had to be the names of his three daughters.

     Job 42:15 "And in all the land were no women found [so] fair as
the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among
their brethren."

     These daughters of Job were extremely beautiful. In the Orient,
this is thought to be a great blessing from God. Job made no
difference between them and their brothers. He gave the daughters
inheritance, as well as his sons. The sons' names were not given for
some reason.

     Job 42:16 "After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and
saw his sons, and his sons' sons, [even] four generations."

     Job had been spoken of by Elihu as an elderly man. If you add 140
years to the life of an elderly man he would be unusually old. He was
thought to have been 70 years old when his calamities came. This would
make him live to be 210 years old. The four generations would work out
about right for that length of time, also.

     Job 42:17 "So Job died, [being] old and full of days."

     Job went the way of all men. His flesh died and returned to the
earth from whence it came.






     Some people do not believe that Job ever lived. They believe this
book is just a lesson for all of us. It really has no bearing on the
value of the book to decide whether it happened, or did not. There are
many profound lessons of life brought out in this study.  We could all
see ourselves in Job. Sadly enough we could, also, see ourselves in
his so-called friends, too. Thank you for taking your time to allow me
to share my thoughts on this with you. May God richly bless you as you
continue to study His Word.


                            Your Friend in Christ,


                            Louise Haney






































                           Job 41 Questions


1.  What did Job say to the LORD in answer?
2.  God reads the ________ of man?
3.  God teaches us by his blessed ________ ________.
4.  Job wants to confess his total dependence upon ________.
5.  The things of God are too wonderful for _______ _______ to know
    and understand.
6.  Which verse is the beginning of Job's confession?
7.  How had Job known God before?
8.  What was different now?
9.  How did being in the presence of God effect Job?
10. Quote Job chapter 42 verse 6.
11. Job was _______ in the hands of God.
12. What does God say to Eliphaz and Job's other friends in verse 7?
13. What did they have to do to make things right with God?
14. Who must pray for them for God to forgive them?
15. What did God say about what Job had said?
16. What does the number "seven" mean?
17. How do we know that Job was before the time of the priests?
18. What did the friends do about what God had told them?
19. What was their only chance to be forgiven?
20. When was Job completely restored?
21. What did his friends and family do after he was restored?
22. How many animals did God give Job back?
23. How many children did God give Job?
24. Quote Job chapter 42 verse 15.
25. How long did Job live?