Job 42:7-17

[0:00] Again, the scripture text is Job 42, 7-17 on page 493 of the White Bibles.

[0:13] Please stand for the reading of God's Word. After the Lord had spoken these things, these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Tamanite, 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.

[0:38] 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.

[0:54] For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So Eliphaz the Tamanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Namathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer.

[1:12] 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. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before and ate bread with him in his house.

[1:29] And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.

[1:44] And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters.

[1:56] And he called the name of his first daughter, Jemima, and the name of the second, Keziah, and the name of the third, Karen Hapuk. And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters.

[2:10] And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. And after this, Job lived 140 years and saw his sons and his sons' sons four generations.

[2:23] And Job died an old man and full of days. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. You may be seated. I suppose if I was asked to title the book of Job, I couldn't do much better than simply calling it the ash heap of life.

[2:56] In fact, that's the poetic portion of the book. In chapter 2, verses 7 to 8, it says that Job, after all of his sufferings, went out to the ash heap and lamented his condition.

[3:16] And if you look at the verse before the one that began today's reading, we find him there in dust and ashes. The entire book sits on the ash heap of life.

[3:32] So I guess then we've come to the epilogue. What is the epilogue for a man who suffered greatly, but who suffered unjustly?

[3:48] What is the afterword for his friends who did not understand God or justice?

[3:59] It seems that for Job, two words might emerge from the two portions of the reading given today.

[4:15] This is the epilogue of a man who suffered unjustly. One, vindication. Two, exaltation.

[4:27] And in these words, I hope we will both see what it means for our salvation and for our own sufferings.

[4:39] The vindication of Job is immediately clear in verses 7 through 10.

[4:51] Keep the Bible open. Keep the Bible open that was set on the chair near you. You can see his vindication both by what God now calls him during the epilogue and by what God says about him in the epilogue.

[5:10] To say nothing yet of the role he will play to the friends who did not understand him. On all three fronts, vindication.

[5:23] Notice verse 7. God now calls Job again, my servant. My servant.

[5:34] My servant. Says God. On the back side of his sufferings.

[5:46] The suffering servant. Says God. Not only in verse 7, but by literary emphases, verse 8.

[5:58] He tells the friends to go to my servant, Job. And again, in their presence. Same verse. My servant, Job.

[6:08] Or verse 8. As my servant, Job. Job, after an extended season on the ash heap of life.

[6:21] Moves from the early chapters of why and what. To this articulate word of God.

[6:33] That ought to cause worship. The epilogue of Job is the vindication of his name. His name which had been drug through the mud.

[6:49] His honor which had been all but hidden from view. Who? My servant. My servant.

[7:00] My servant. My servant. Four times over. Job vindicated by what God calls him. I can't help but think of the prophetic discourse that comes much later in time.

[7:15] By one by the name of Isaiah. Who will cascade his 66 long book. Under the chapters of the servant of the Lord.

[7:29] The my servant. Who does great and wonderful things on behalf of God. Even in the midst of the one who was suffering.

[7:39] I don't know how much you know about the book of Job. But in all likelihood you and I are reading a text. That predates all other literature in the Old Testament.

[7:53] Some think it goes back as far as the patriarchal moment. You could be reading literature that precedes the very words of Moses. And there might be in this book.

[8:05] A prolegomena. Even though we've come to the epilogue. There might be the first word from God. To humanity lost in sin and suffering.

[8:18] That there is the vindication. Granted in the world of men. Through the servant. Of the Lord. Of the Lord. Who suffers.

[8:30] In other words. Job is a portrait. Of the life of a man. Who is righteous.

[8:42] We were told that in chapter 1. And a man who is righteous. Even though he suffers. And that he can be the servant of the Lord.

[8:54] My servant. Even in the midst of this season. Of incredible pain. Imagine it for yourself. On the ash heap. The epilogue that you desire to be written.

[9:07] When the questions are still why. And what is going on. The epilogue. The vindication of God. My servant. Not only by what he calls him.

[9:18] But by what he says about him. Notice these friends. Are now. Told to go to Job.

[9:30] In fact. The anger of the Lord. Verse 7. Is against them. For they have not spoken of God. What is right.

[9:40] They knew their theology. Backward and forward. But they misapplied it. To the circumstances of Job. They saw Job.

[9:50] On the ash heap of life. And they indicted. God. In one sense. Claiming. His justice. Must somehow.

[10:03] Being applied. To one who has been. Done injustice. But in actual fact. Nothing of the sort. Had ever. Been. Done. By.

[10:13] Job. In what sense then. Were the words. Of the friends. Wrong. Simply this. They had indicated. That God would not allow.

[10:24] The righteous to suffer. That the servants of the Lord. Don't succumb to suffering. And that therefore. When you see one. Who's suffering. It's on account.

[10:34] Of. God's anger. Toward. Them. Not so with Job. Job is vindicated. By God. Not only is he vindicated.

[10:45] By God. But God declares. That others. Will be vindicated. Through Job. I mean. What. What a reversal. Here. In these opening verses. The turn.

[10:57] Of events. Notice. In chapter 42. Verses 7 through 10. The three friends. Now. Are to go to Job. Verse 8. With a sacrifice.

[11:10] A blood sacrifice. They're to sit. Before Job. Verse 8. Who shall pray. Prayers. Of intercession. For them. And as this one.

[11:22] Who has been. Vindicated. By God. Through his own. Sufferings. Offers. Intercessory. Prayer. On behalf. Of his friends. It says. That God. Will. Forgive them.

[11:33] Of their folly. And then it says. That the Lord. Accepted. Job's. Prayer. Think of it. Think of the role. Here. At the end of the book.

[11:43] The one. Who has gone. Through sufferings. Is the one. To whom. Others. Now. Come. Having been. Maligned. Themselves. And a sacrifice.

[11:54] Is made. A priestly. Function. Is declared. Blood. Is. Shed. Prayers. Are. Offered. Forgiveness. Is. Given.

[12:10] 1996. My family. And I. Were. In the city. Of London. Just outside. The old city. Wall. Is a. Cemetery. Called. Bun Hill. Cemetery. If you are. A nonconformist.

[12:20] Christian. That's where you were. Buried. You weren't. Buried. In the city. Wall. So. Folks. Like. Susanna. Wesley. And. John. Bunyan. Individuals.

[12:33] Like. Even. Defoe. And. I'm. Thinking. Of. William. Blake. Are. Buried. There. William. Blake. Is. A poet. And. A writer. And. He. Did. 21.

[12:44] Etchings. From. The book. Of. Job. And. I. Believe. It's. The 18th. Etching. He. Captures. These. Three. Friends. Bringing. Their. Sacrifices.

[12:54] To. Job. And. He. Has. Job. Standing. With. Arms. Outstretched. Facing. An. Altar. With. Flames. Rising. In. The air. His.

[13:05] Friends. On. Their. Knees. Subjugated. Before. Him. And. The. Rays. Of. Light. Coming. From. The. Heavens. His. Back. In. Fact. Turn. Toward.

[13:15] The. Viewer. So. That. You. And. I. Would. See. The. Back. Side. Of. Job. Arms. Outstretched. Fire. Before. Him. Rising. To. Heaven. And. His. Prayers.

[13:25] That. They. Would. Be. For. For. For. For. If. You. Have. Been. Unjustly.

[13:35] Maligned. If. You. Are. In. A. Season. Of. Suffering. Of. No. Righteous. Cause. Do. You. Know. That. Those. Who. Malign. You.

[13:46] Actually. Might. Be. Made. Right. With. God. As. You. Offer. Prayers. On. Their. Behalf. I.

[13:59] Wonder. If. It. Was. A. Difficult. Prayer. For. Job. To. Pray. But. Even. The. Lord. Jesus. Who. Taught. Us. To. Pray. Says.

[14:10] Forgive. Us. Our. Sins. As. We. Forgive. Those. Who. Have. Sinned. Against. Us. That. There. Is. Within. The. Lord's.

[14:21] Prayer. An. Intercessory. Moment. Where. Those. Who. Have. Been. Maligned. Unjustly. By. Others. In. A. Human. Relationship. Are. Not. Just. Made.

[14:31] Right. With. You. But. Made. Right. With. God. Often. You. Are. Told. To. Forgive. People. Who. Have. Sinned. Against. You. For. Your. Own. Mental. Health.

[14:42] And. Certainly. That's. True. Often. You. Are. Told. That. As. You. Learn. To. Forgive. What. Will. Happen. Is. You. Yourself. Will. No. Longer. Be.

[14:52] Succumbed. To. Bitterness. When. You. Are. Told. To. Forgive. Someone. You. Yourself. Are. Freed. From. All. That. Was. Done. To. You. But. Here.

[15:03] There's. More. Than. That. In. Play. When. Job. Prayed. That. The. Lord. Would. Be. Merciful. To. His. Friends. The. Lord. Is. Merciful. To. His. Friends. That.

[15:15] Your. Intercession. On. Behalf. Of. Those. Who. Have. Misjudged. You. On. The. Ash. Heap. Of. Life. Make. Them.

[15:25] Right. With. God. Jesus. Himself. On. The. Cross. What. Does. He. Say. Father. Forgive. Them. For. They. Know. Not. What.

[15:36] They. Do. This. Is. The. Power. Of. The. Christian. Gospel. Put. Down. In. Text. In. Its. Most. Early. Form. That. The. Righteous.

[15:47] Do. Suffer. And. Often. Not. On. Any. Account. Of. Their. Own. And. Yet. In. That. Suffering. Season. They.

[15:58] Are. Wedded. In. Intimacy. With. God. To. The. Fact. Where. They. Are. Son. Daughter. Servant. And. Go. Forth. Not.

[16:08] Only. Into. An. Epilogue. Of. Exaltation. But. Into. One. That. Brings. Others. With. Them. Who. Misunderstood. Them. All. The. Way. Along.

[16:18] There. Is. Such. A. Portrait. Of. Christ. In. These. Few. Verses. That. Is. Amazing. To. Me. It. It's. Almost. As. If. Job. Stands. As. This. Earliest. Moment. In. Biblical.

[16:29] Recorded. History. That. God. Will. Send. A. Servant. To. Make. Us. Right. With. God. Even.

[16:40] Though. We. Mis. Judged. All. The. Sufferings. Of. That. One. On. Our. Behalf. The. Vindication. Of. Job.

[16:53] Means. That. You. And. I. Can. Have. A. Relationship. With. God. Through. His. Servant. Who. Among. Us. Hasn't. Misjudged. Our.

[17:03] Neighbor. Who. Among. Us. Hasn't. Said. Things. About. God. That. Aren't. True. In. Accord.

[17:14] With. The. Circumstances. Someone. Is. Going. Through. At. The. Hand. Of. God. Who. Among. Us. Does. Not. Need. To. Be. Not. Need. To. Bring. A. Sacrifice. Who.

[17:24] Among. Us. Does. Not. Need. Someone. To. Intercede. On. Our. Behalf. Who. Among. Us. Does. Not. Need. Blood. Shed. To. Be. Made. Right. With. God. Who. Among. Us. Does. Not. Need. Our. Sin.

[17:35] Forgiven. And. As. These. Men. Found. Forgiveness. Through. The. Suffering. Servant. Job. You. Find. Forgiveness. Through. His. Servant. The. One.

[17:45] To. Whom. He. Is. Pointing. The. Lord. Jesus. Christ. Where. Will. You. Go. With. Your. Guilt. This. Morning. Where. Do. I. Go.

[17:58] How. Will. We. Be. Freed. From. Our. Misreading. Of. God. And. Our. Misreading.! Of. Others. How. Are. We. To. Be. Released. From. Our. Inappropriate.

[18:08] Judgments. Simply. To. Go. To. The. Lord. Jesus. Christ. And. Ask. Him. Who. Sits. At. The. Right.

[18:18] Hand. Of. The. Father. Interceding. To. Forgive. Us. Of. Our. Sins. Even. As. We. Forgive. Those.

[18:29] Who. Have. Sinned. Against. Us. The. Vindication. Of. Job. And. Then. The. Exaltation. In.

[18:41] Verses. Eleven. To. Seventeen. Job. Finds. Finds. An. Epilogue. That. Is. The. Happiest. Of. Endings. For.

[18:52] Some. It. Just. Ties. Up. The. Book. A. Little. Too. Neatly. But. Not. For. Job. Who. Labored. Through. All. Of. Those. Intervening. Chapters.

[19:02] And. Seasons. Of. Life. Life. It. Says. There. Two. Words. I can. Give them. To you. Verse. 10. And. Verse. 12. The. Lord. Restored.

[19:14] The. Fortunes. Of. Job. Verse. 12. The. Lord. Blessed. The.

[19:31] Exaltation. And. If. You. Have. Been. On. The. As. Sheep. Of. Life. This. Is. The. As. Sheep. Of. Life. This. Is. The. Eternal.

[19:42] Epilogue. For. All. Who. Know. Salvation. In. The. Lord. One. Day. Restoration.

[19:54] One. Day. Multiplied. Blessings. One. Day. Exaltation. If. We. Have. Died. With. Him. So.

[20:04] Too. We. Will. Live. With. Him. We. Will. Reign. With. Him. The.

[20:16] Lord. Restored. Verses. Ten. And. Eleven. His. Place. Of. Honor. Notice. Verse. Eleven. A great. Banquet. Is. Hosted. By. Him. I mean. The.

[20:26] Banquet. Is. Is. The. Emblem. Of. Of. Restoration. Is. It. Not. The. Dinner. Table. His.

[20:36] Children. At. The. Beginning. Of. The. Book. Were. Out. Partoring. Party. Partying. And. He. Was. In. The. Prayer.

[20:46] Closet. On. Their. Behalf. But. Now. He. Is. At. The. Dinner. Table. And. His. Friends. Are. Invited. Into. The. Home. To. Be. With. Them. He. Is. Hosting.

[20:58] Them. There. Is. A. Great. Banquet. Hosted. By. Him. Look. Look. At. Eleven. B. There. Are. Words. Of. Assurance. That. Are. Spoken. To. Him. This. Is. Very. Interesting.

[21:08] To. Me. They. Showed. Him. Sympathy. And. Comforted. Him. For. All. The. Evil. That. The. Lord. Had. Brought. About. Him. That. Is. A. Telling. Line. His.

[21:21] Scars. Were. Still. With. Him. Even. Though. He. Had. Been. Now. Removed. From. The. Sheep. Of. Life. Vindicated. From. From.

[21:31] From. God's. Word. Himself. Nevertheless. Comfort. And. Sympathy. Was. Being. Extended. To. Him. Why? Who. Can. Forget. All.

[21:41] The. Scars. There. Is. No. Happily. Ever. After. Wherein. You. Don't. Enter. Into. That. World. Bearing. The. Very.

[21:52] Marks. Of. The. Ash. Heap. That. Nearly. Took. Your. Life. And. His. His. Friends. Are. At. His. Table. And.

[22:02] They. Are. Comforting. Him. Sympathetic. Toward. Him. Indeed. Even. As. We. Will. One. Day. Be. In. The. Presence. Of. Jesus. Who.

[22:13] In. His. Glorified. Body. Before. He. Ascended. Still. Bore. The. Marks. We. Will. Day. Sit. At.

[22:23] His. Table. He. Will. Serve. His. Meal. For. Our. Welfare. And. We. Will. Offer. Words. Of. Great. Sympathy. Comfort.

[22:34] And. Praise. And. Perhaps. Regret. As. He. Lavishes. Not. Only. His. Love. Upon. Us. But.

[22:45] An. Eternal. Sense. Of. Well. Being. A. Great. Banquet. Is. Hosted. By. Him. Words. Of. Assurance. Are. Spoken. To. Him. And. Look. Tribute. Is. Lavished.

[22:56] Upon. Him. They're. Bringing. Him. Gifts. They. Gave. Him. A. Piece. Of. Money. And. A. Ring. Of. Gold. This.

[23:06] Is. The. Sign. Of. Someone. Who's. Truly. Been. For. For. Given. At. A. Human. Level. Or. A. Divine. Level. This.

[23:20] Is. Where. Many. Of. Us. Need. To. Find. Ourselves. Even. Today. At. Table. Within. A. Relationship.

[23:31] That. Has. Been. Strained. Offering. Words. Of. Comfort. And. Sympathy. Regret. And. Prayer. With.

[23:42] A. Lavished. Sense. Of. With. All. That. I. Am. And. All. That. I. Have. I. Give. To. The.

[24:01] As. We. Embody. The. Words. Of. This. Text. We. Participate. In. Restoration. And.

[24:13] Then. For. Job. It. Says. He. Was. Blessed. Beyond. Measured. Did. You. See. The. Way. The. Movie. Ended. This. Doubling. Up.

[24:24] Of. All. Things. That. He. Had. At. The. Out. Set. You. Know. You. You. You. Watched. The. Movie. If. You. Don't. Read. Books. Anymore. You. At. Least. Are. Watching. Movies. And. Movies. Never. Know. What. To. Do. With. An. Epilogue. So.

[24:34] The. Story's. Done. The. Poetry's. Finished. But. Then. It. Returns. To. Prose. And. Up. Over. The. Screen. Words. Begin. To. Emerge. And. They. Say. So. And. So. Is. Now. Living. In.

[24:45] The. State. Of. Washington. With. Their. Family. And. All. Things. Are. Going. Well. And. So. And. So. Is. You. You. Watch. The. Epilogue. Go. Forward. So. That. By. The. Time.

[24:55] You. Walk. Out. Of. The. Theater. You. You. Are. Not. Just. Gripped. In. The. Poetry. Of. The. Ash. Heap. Of. What. Happened. Over. Two. Hours. But. You. Have. A. Sense. Of. The. Well. Being. And. The. Future. Of. Where. They. Are.

[25:06] Now. And. That. Is. Way. This. Book. Ends. It. Is. Moving. With. A. Doubling. Of. Blessings. Upon. Job. More. Than. His. Beginning. Verse.

[25:17] 14. 14. Thousand. Sheep. He. Had. Half. Only. That. Number. At. The. Outset. Six. Thousand. Camels. He. Opened. The. Movie. With. Three. Thousand.

[25:27] A. Thousand. Yoke. Of. Ox. And. A thousand female donkeys. And notice he had seven sons and three daughters. Notice the daughters now enter in. For the new covenant under Job is more expansive than the first.

[25:41] There's this sense of the doubling. And in the Old Testament where once the sons were the ones that got all the inheritance. In this ending that is just expanded into a fullness of sons and daughters.

[25:57] And in a land where there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. Sounds like Garrison Keillor. You don't know who he is. You're too young for it. No one so beautiful as what God had done in his family.

[26:17] And he gave them, the daughters, an inheritance among the brothers. This ever expanding inclusivity of the efforts of God through his suffering servant.

[26:31] And then he lives 140 years. Where in the psalmist says you're going to get 70. And he dies an old man.

[26:42] full of days. Job was vindicated by God. Job represents the portrait of a man through a season of unjust sufferings.

[26:59] Job is one who through those sufferings now mediates on behalf of others who need God's forgiveness as well. Job is restored. Job is blessed.

[27:11] Job, according to the New Testament in the book of James, is an example of the kind of suffering and patience that is required of us. This may be your season of humiliation.

[27:23] This may be your year of sufferings. But the book ends with vindication, exaltation, hope for all on the ashy of life.

[27:36] Our Heavenly Father, we need the hope of the epilogue. For there is much about the poetry of our lives that is beyond our grasp to understand.

[27:58] Our Father, we need a servant to whom we can run. We need a table at which we can sit. We need restoration with you and with one another.

[28:12] Lord, as we open up this year on these weeks, considering the sufferings of our own life, the sufferings of those who we are going through life, we thank you for our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us hope both now and forevermore.

[28:41] Amen.