‏ Job 42

* Job humbly submits unto God. (1-6) Job intercedes for his

friends. (7-9) His renewed prosperity. (10-17)

1-6 Job was now sensible of his guilt; he would no longer speak

in his own excuse; he abhorred himself as a sinner in heart and

life, especially for murmuring against God, and took shame to

himself. When the understanding is enlightened by the Spirit of

grace, our knowledge of Divine things as far exceeds what we had

before, as the sight of the eyes excels report and common fame.

By the teachings of men, God reveals his Son to us; but by the

teachings of his Spirit he reveals his Son in us, #Ga 1:16|, and

changes us into the same image, #2Co 3:18|. It concerns us to be

deeply humbled for the sins of which we are convinced.

Self-loathing is ever the companion of true repentance. The Lord

will bring those whom he loveth, to adore him in self-abasement;

while true grace will always lead them to confess their sins

without self-justifying. 7-9 After the Lord had convinced and humbled Job, and brought

him to repentance, he owned him, comforted him, and put honour

upon him. The devil had undertaken to prove Job a hypocrite, and

his three friends had condemned him as a wicked man; but if God

say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, it is of little

consequence who says otherwise. Job's friends had wronged God,

by making prosperity a mark of the true church, and affliction a

certain proof of God's wrath. Job had referred things to the

future judgment and the future state, more than his friends,

therefore he spake of God that which was right, better than his

friends had done. And as Job prayed and offered sacrifice for

those that had grieved and wounded his spirit, so Christ prayed

for his persecutors, and ever lives, making intercession for the

transgressors. Job's friends were good men, and belonged to God,

and He would not let them be in their mistake any more than Job;

but having humbled him by a discourse out of the whirlwind, he

takes another way to humble them. They are not to argue the

matter again, but they must agree in a sacrifice and a prayer,

and that must reconcile them, Those who differ in judgment about

lesser things, yet are one in Christ the great Sacrifice, and

ought therefore to love and bear with one another. When God was

angry with Job's friends, he put them in a way to make peace

with him. Our quarrels with God always begin on our part, but

the making peace begins on his. Peace with God is to be had only

in his own way, and upon his own terms. These will never seem

hard to those who know how to value this blessing: they will be

glad of it, like Job's friends, upon any terms, though ever so

humbling. Job did not insult over his friends, but God being

graciously reconciled to him, he was easily reconciled to them.

In all our prayers and services we should aim to be accepted of

the Lord; not to have praise of men, but to please God. 10-17 In the beginning of this book we had Job's patience under

his troubles, for an example; here, for our encouragement to

follow that example, we have his happy end. His troubles began

in Satan's malice, which God restrained; his restoration began

in God's mercy, which Satan could not oppose. Mercy did not

return when Job was disputing with his friends, but when he was

praying for them. God is served and pleased with our warm

devotions, not with our warm disputes. God doubled Job's

possessions. We may lose much for the Lord, but we shall not

lose any thing by him. Whether the Lord gives us health and

temporal blessings or not, if we patiently suffer according to

his will, in the end we shall be happy. Job's estate increased.

The blessing of the Lord makes rich; it is he that gives us

power to get wealth, and gives success in honest endeavours. The

last days of a good man sometimes prove his best, his last works

his best works, his last comforts his best comforts; for his

path, like that of the morning light, shines more and more unto

the perfect day