Job 40-42: The Big Point of the Book of Job

"Then Job answered the LORD and said: 'I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. "Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?" Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." Job 42:1-3

Before we begin our devotional for today, let me encourage you one last time to read through the entire Bible in 2020. As I said in yesterday's video update, it is not too late to start, but if you wait any longer, it will be. Reading through the entire Bible in a year keeps you on track, and it is a phenomenal opportunity to know your Bible better (and to follow along in our daily devo's!). If you haven't begun yet, go ahead and skip over the book of Job and catch up in the first eleven chapters of Genesis, which we will pick up tomorrow. Once again, here's the link to the plan.

Have you ever wondered what the book of Job is all about? Well, today I'm going to tell you. As we began this journey, I mentioned that it is often easy to get lost in the "weeds" of the book of Job, but I encouraged you to try your hardest to keep an eye on the big picture. This morning as we observe the last few chapters of the book, we see that big picture concluded, and thus find the main point of the book. In summary, we could say that the main point of Job is that amidst our trials, we ought not to complain or contend against God, but rather be silent and trust in his goodness. Or, put simpler, we could merely say this: don't complain or argue with God, just trust him always.

As we dive back into the book starting in chapter 40, we find God's summary of all of the questions he asked Job in chapters 38-39: "Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?" (40:2). What God is saying here is that mortal, sinful men have no right to argue with God. We, as men, do not have the permission to put ourselves on God's level--it simply doesn't work that way. He is way more powerful and great than we are, as clearly seen by his questions in 38-39. In response, Job concurs to God's point: "Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer." (4-5). Here, Job exclaims of how although he once spoke against God, in light of this new revelation of God's majesty, he would no longer. In other words, he has been humbled. However, God continues by basically asking him to "be God" but then showing him how he can't (40:7-41:34). He describes to Job in great detail creatures that he has created like the Behemoth and the Leviathan and asks Job if he can make them serve him, if he can control him as God can. Obviously, Job can't, which is God's point. Although Job has placed himself on God's level, God proves to him that he does not deserve the right to be there.

In chapter 42, we see the conclusion of the book. First, Job acknowledged God's greatness and sovereignty (see Job 42:1-3, quoted above) (You didn't scroll up and read it, did you? Ha! Gotcha. Now go back and read it you lazy bum.). Secondly, Job confesses that he was in the wrong to speak back to God, to "utter what [he] did not understand" (3). Thirdly, Job exclaims of his deepened faith on the back end of his affliction: "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you" (5). Lastly, Job repents of his sin of complaining and arguing against his maker (6).

After this, we see Job's friends being rebuked for their false counsel, and Job being both honored and comforted. These show us that Job's friends (except Elihu, who is not mentioned) were in the wrong in their counsel. Although they may have had good theology, they certainly had an awful application of it. Lastly, we see Job being blessed in response to his faithfulness to God amidst his trial. Although he certainly did not pass perfectly, he has stood the test, and not given up his faith. Thus, God blesses him beyond all measure, and Job ends up living a happy life, and eventually dies happily, being a man "full of days" (17).

Thus, we find the main point, as well as the main application, of the book of Job, that men do not have the right to argue back to God. The correct response to all of our afflictions is not Job's response. Although we ought to hold on to our faith just as Job did (27:6), we ought not to argue and complain to God. He has his sovereign plan on our own circumstances, and even though he might not reveal the purpose of them to us, we ought to trust in God, because he is God, and we are not. The solution to our trials is not understanding why they are happening; it is trusting who is sovereign over them. In other words, the remedy for your fears is not a why, but a who.

[Feel free to stop reading this excessively long devotional here; this next section is just for the type-A overachievers.] What is described above is the main point of the book of Job, but let us realize that there are several applications beyond this main point, as listed below:

Firstly, Job was sanctified because of his trial. We find comfort from the words of Paul and Peter when they tell us that our afflictions grow us in our faith (Romans 5, 1 Peter 1). Here in the book of Job, we see this played out. Job himself says that before his affliction, he only heard of God, but now he has seen him (42:5), the irony here of course being that Job never saw God in the story, he merely heard him. Thus, what Job means here is that through his affliction, he has seen the true character of God, and thus his faith has grown. Likewise, in our own trials, God has promised to grow our faith. Job, as well as us, often look for a purpose for our trials, as described above. Although God almost always doesn't give us the exact and comprehensive purpose for them, scripture does assure us one thing: that all trials will grow our faith.

Secondly, let us observe how scripture has no problem blaming God for the trouble that came upon Job's life. Observe Job 42:11b: "And [Job's family] showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him." Although we must not conclude from these verses that God commits evil, we must conclude that he permits and even wills it, that is, for his own good and sovereign purpose (Genesis 50:20). For to answer the question of "does God will evil?" any differently would either leave him nonsovereign, unknowing, or unpowerful. Many people say that they would rather have a God who would never wish to permit or allow evil. I don't know about you, but I would forsake that option any day over a God who is fully sovereign over evil, willfully allowing it under certain circumstances (yet still being sovereign over it) so that he might bring his greater purpose to come to pass. We see this most clearly in the picture of the crucifixion. Did God want Jesus to die? If you answer the question "no," then it must mean that God is unknowing or unpowerful, otherwise, he would have stopped it. However, if you answer the question "yes," you acknowledge that although God in one sense he certainly didn't want his son to be murdered, he was willing to put that aside for the greater purpose of saving his people. If you still have questions above this, I encourage you to read this blog post: God Wills Evil.