Well, today we come to our last sermon from the book of Job, our 15th sermon, and we've entitled this sermon, The Lord Bless Job. And coming to the close of our study of Job, God has confronted Job, and Job is repentant. And church, wherever God brings souls to repentance, we find him not only quick to forgive and redeem, but also to bless the one who has turned to him. In this, there's a line of distinction that must be observed. The line I speak of is the line between grace and debt, gift and wage, mercy and due. As God forgives and redeems as a matter of him being the God of mercy and grace, so are all his blessings a matter of mercy and grace. God, in whatever manner he may bless us, does not do so because he owes us anything or because we have earned it and he is indebted to us. His blessings come because he is faithful to himself and his own character. So he blesses his people as he wills. God blesses his people as he wills, not because they are good, but because he is good. God blesses his obedient children as a loving, benevolent father, not as a debtor. All things are to the praise of His glorious grace. If things were to our praise because God owed us, it wouldn't be to His glorious grace, but all things are to His glorious grace. That is why the psalmist said, one of my favorite verses of the Bible, Psalm 115.1, not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name give glory because of thy loving kindness, because of thy truth. We do not expect blessing from God as if he owes us because we are good or because we have done something for him or done everything right, which is impossible. Surely none of us give to God or do for God so that we will get more return, do we? Do we give to get? None of us. give or do for God because we expect Him then to give us something in return. There's a lot of giving to get, we hear on the radio. Give this much and God will give you a hundred times more. Well, that's hardly giving because we love the Lord. We give to God because He is God, because He has provided the Savior, and He's worthy of all things, amen? So we give not to get, but because we love the Lord. We love Him, and as a matter of fact, we owe Him everything, praise. Even in our worst hour, He is worthy of all praise, and the church says, amen. Whatever expectations we have of God must be based upon His promises, which He fulfills of mercy and grace. God does not bless his people as a debtor paying his bills, but he blesses his people as he wills because he loves them. As we come to our text today, and we will read, and as this message is entitled, The Lord Blessed Job, we must immediately remove it from our minds that God blessed Job because Job deserved the blessings. But God blessed Job because he chose to. not under obligation, but under God's sovereign free will. God blesses Job because God is God. God blesses Job, not as one indebted to him, but as a God of mercy and grace. Upon Job's repentance, we do not find Job expecting to be restored. We don't find him saying, okay, now I'm ready to be reimbursed and repaid. But Job is simply repentant. and he is in quiet submission to the Lord. Remember what he says, he puts his hand over his mouth. Job simply submits to the Lord because of who God is. God is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. And God of his own sovereign choice, of his own mercy and grace, blesses Job as he will. Why? Why does God do that? Because God willed it. And I can't step into the mind of God. Why did God choose you and me for salvation? Frankly, I would not have chosen myself for it because I know I do not deserve it. But God chose us by his own free will and grace from the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him. All things from God are a matter of mercy and grace. As a matter of fact, if we got what we deserved, we wouldn't be sitting here today, blessed as we are. Just as God brought this test upon Job by his own sovereign will, he blesses Job by his same sovereign will. This account is not to the praise of Job, but to the praise of the Lord God, who is compassionate and merciful. God owes us no good thing, but we owe him everything. Let us now open our Bibles to Job chapter 42. We will read the entire chapter, but having considered verses one through six last Lord's day, we will concentrate then on verses seven through 17, Please honor the Lord by standing for the reading of his word as found in Job chapter 42. This is the word of the Lord. Hear now the word of the Lord, Job 42 verse one. Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that thou canst do all things and that no purpose of thine can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Hear now and I will speak, I will ask thee and do thou instruct me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees thee, therefore I retract and I repent in dust and ashes. Now the text of our study today, Job 42 verse seven. And it came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, my wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends because you have not spoken to me what is right as my servant Job has. Now therefore take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offerings for yourselves "'And my servant Job will pray for you, "'for I will accept him so that I may not do with you "'according to your folly, "'because you have not spoken to me what is right, "'as my servant Job has.' "'So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuite, "'and Zophar the Neanothite, "'went and did as the Lord told them, "'and the Lord accepted Job.'" Verse 10. And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, and he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had to fold. Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they bred with him in his house, and they consoled him and comforted him for all the evil the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money and each a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, and 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. And he had seven sons and three daughters. And he named the first Gemina, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-hapak. And in all the land, no women were found so fair as Job's daughters, and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. And after this, Job lived 140 years, and he saw his sons, his grandsons, to four generations. And Job died an old man and full of days. That's bowing prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we come before you today and worship of you as the great I am. You are the Alpha and the Omega. You know the end from the beginning because you ordained it all. And Lord, as we have read this story of your servant, Job, we have wondered and pondered and been mystified at how you work. We do not understand all your ways, but we do confess all your ways are right. And we stand with Job as a concession and a mission. You can do all things. And whatever you do is right. It is holy because you worked it. Lord, oftentimes we expect certain blessings from you. We want your blessings, of course we do. But Lord, the fact that you saved us, is that not enough? It is more than enough. And then Lord, let us not be taken up with the world. Let us not be taken up with those preachers and teachers who often show up on the radio or the television, often teaching false things, where they tell us that we should expect this and that from you, and even to remind you of your promises as if you are forgetful. We know, Lord, that you desire to fulfill your promises, and as a matter of fact, you will fulfill them in your way, in your time, at your pleasure. Let us not be a people who demand of you our way, at our time, for our pleasure. But may we be like Job. May we put our hand over our mouth. May we be silenced by your glory. and may we bow before you and worship you. Why? Because you are God, and that is more than enough. Lord, as we study the rest of Job and we finish this series up today, we wanna thank you, Lord, for this book that you have put in the Bible. We wanna thank you for the ministry it has been to us, and we wanna thank you, Lord, for the preaching of your word. Whatever has been said over the weeks that is true, may it have taken root in us, and may we glorify you. And Lord, as we come to the end of this book and we see how you bless Job, may we know that you have an eternal blessing for us. And may we look for you. May we lift up our heads looking for you, knowing the day comes when you will take us out of this world into your glorious presence forever and ever. And Lord, we will praise you. In the name of Christ Jesus, I pray, and all the church said, amen. God bless you, you may be seated. The sermon today is composed of three parts. The Lord Reduces, verses seven through nine. The Lord Restores, verses 10 through 17. And then I have another portion, The Lord Reveals. So we have The Lord Reduces, The Lord Restores, and The Lord Reveals. From the account of Job, we learn that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. The Lord reduced. With God having confronted Job, presenting before Job his great and glorious majesty, with Job's repentant response, the Lord now turns his attention to Job's three errant friends who have really acted more like enemies than friends. And the scripture says, it came about that the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, my wrath is kindled against you and your two friends because you have not spoken to me what is right as my servant Job has. God's anger burned hot against these three. They were in great danger of coming under God's wrath. They were near to suffering what they claimed Job suffered, God's retribution. Let us here remember, church, what Jesus said, Matthew 7, one through two. Do not judge, lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged. And by the standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Having condemned Job, these are in danger of being condemned by God. And the three have harshly judged Job. And in so doing, they spoke what was wrong about God, that God was punishing Job due to some sin of his. And we know as we've read the book, no, God was not punishing Job due to some sin of his. In fact, God was not punishing Job, not at all. And because they spoke what was wrong about God, God was ready to measure out to them what they had measured out to Job. God was ready to pour out his wrath on them. But church, as it is, as God is, he shows mercy and gives the three the opportunity to repent. God is very kind. He is slow to anger. And if you have not come to him in faith believing, if you have not repented of your sin, today's the day to turn. He's giving you time, he's being slow to anger that you might turn to him. So he gives them time, the opportunity to repent. Not only does he give them the opportunity to repent, but he tells them what to do, how to display the repentance. Now God doesn't have to do this, but he does because he is compassionate and merciful. They had spoken of God in that which was not right. They represented God by telling Job that God was pouring retribution upon him because he was sinful. But in truth, God was using Job. Why? Because he was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. They spoke wrongly of God as working the exact opposite of what he was actually doing. And at the end of their unloving rebukes, what did they do? They gave up on Job and wanted God to destroy him. As if Job had not suffered enough, Lord, we pray he suffers more, kill him. That was their attitude. Job, on the other hand, was the one who had spoken what was right. Though Job did not understand God's purpose in his suffering, he maintained that God was not getting him because of some sin of his. And he continued to cry out to God, not always in the best way, for which God corrected him, but still Job looked to God, and he cried out to God, and not to another. He looked to help from no one else but God. And upon being confronted by God, and this is a big point, upon being confronted by God, what did Job do? Job repented. He's like David, he's like a man after God's own heart, he repented of his sin. Repentance is the response of a right-hearted believer. Further, and most significantly, Job did not curse God. With Eliphaz being the one who led the other two, God spoke to him. As Eliphaz led in speaking of God what was not right, now he was to lead in what was right. He was to lead the others in following God's direction and to be repentant. So God said, verse eight, now therefore take for yourself seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves and my servant Job will pray for you for I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly because you have not spoken to me what is right as my servant Job has. Once in verse seven, And three times in verse eight, God refers to Job as his servant. God calls Job, my servant. Church, to be the servant of God. To be God's servant, there is privilege and there is honor, amen? But you can be sure of this. To be the servant of God is not without sacrifice and cost. It is costly to serve the Lord. It is much more costly not to serve Him. Amen? The servant of God has a cross to bear. And the servant faithfully bears that painful cross in service to his Lord and God. These three friends persecuted God's righteous servant, Job, and to persecute God's servant is to persecute God himself. Jesus says, whatever you've done to the least of these that are mine, you've done it unto me. God feels the same way. Whatever you do to his servants, you've done it to God. To persecute the people of God is to persecute God himself. So these three friends, Eliphaz, Bilbad, Zophar, if they would be forgiven of their sin, they must obey the Lord. They are to do what was specified in Numbers 23 verse one. They are to offer up a substitutionary birth offering of seven bulls and seven rams. This very costly sacrifice was to be made before Jod. Now this is interesting. They're to make this sacrifice or to go to Job and make the sacrifice. According to the Lord's instruction, if they are to be forgiven of the Lord, they must humble themselves before his servant whom they persecuted and wanted to die. They must see that they were in sin and not God's servant whom they condemned. and the one they condemn they must go to and he must pray for them. This is what God has willed in this case. And God promises them that Job will mediate on their behalf. Job will pray for them, and twice the Lord says, I will accept him, I will accept Job, so that you will not fall among the wrath your sinful following deserves. Verse nine, so Eliphaz, the Temanite, Bildad, the Shuite, and Zophar, the Nehemiathite, went and did as the Lord told them, and the Lord accepted Job. So again, this is captivating. The three obeyed the Lord, and the Lord accepted Job. In the prologue, Job prayed and interceded for his children, chapter one, verse five. And here in the epilogue, Job prays interceding for his friends. Job functions as a mediator from beginning to end. And it is the mediator, Job, whom God accepts. The scripture does not say, The Lord received Eliphaz's, Bildaz's, and Zophar's sacrifice, but God received the one to whom they went, who mediated on their behalf. And further, we have to note that it wasn't even Job's prayer that was accepted, but the servant Job whom the Lord accepted. Of course, if God accepts Job, then He's going to accept his prayer. That's true, amen? Of course. But my point is, it isn't the prayer but the person who prays. Most certainly, now I do not mean to minimize prayer, God forbid, amen, but I want to hold prayer in the proper God-honoring place. The issue of prayer isn't the greatness of the prayer, but the humility and the contrition and the acceptance of the one who prays. Many non-believers go around praying this last week while flying back from San Antonio. And on the plane from, it's a long story, delay, delay, delay, no plane, delay, delay, delay. Finally, we're in Dallas. We're waiting at the gate, there's no plane. Well, they're going to tow the plane up here in a moment. We wait, we wait, we wait, we wait, we wait. They're gonna tow the plane up here in a moment. We wait, we wait. Your plane is down at gate nine. We're at gate 18. So everybody picks up, massive exodus, and we all go down to Guinan. There's no plane there. So your plane is being towed to the gate. We wait, we wait, we wait. We wait, we wait, we wait. Finally, here comes the plane, and everybody cheers. Well, I don't know why they're cheering. I'm mad. They're cheering. Like, OK, I'd like to get home. The plane comes up and they say, there's going to be a delay. The plane has a maintenance issue. So we wait and wait and wait and wait. And then they say, OK, everybody out, right? So you know how Southwest is. It's the catacomb. We're all moving along. And find our seat. And we get on the plane and take off, and they say, we have a maintenance issue, and we're going to have to divert to Lubbock and land. One of the service stores is showing it's unlatched, and it could cause a decompression of the plane. So at that moment, There was a little girl sitting next to me, I'm guessing five or six years old, and I'm guessing it was her mother next to her. She, the mother, was cussing every foul word in the book. I mean, it was pretty disastrous. Other people had their heads bowed. And I was thinking, now, Lord, which prayers are you hearing? Well, not the prayers of the unrighteous. He's not hearing the prayers of those who have blasphemed him. No. By the way, as the plane went down rather quickly, I don't want to exaggerate, but it went down rather quickly and banked, and I was looking down at the ground, I was next to the window on the left side, and I immediately thought, Lord, you have given me such a wonderful life. Thank you so much for the life you've given. But my point is, prayer. God doesn't just accept any prayer, but those prayers that are truly offered to him from a heart of contrition. So the issue of Bildad, Zophar, and Eliphaz is not that they offered the sacrifice and the sacrifice was pleasing to God, but that Job prayed and Job was pleasing to God. That's the issue. So I don't mean to minimize prayer, God forbid, but the issue isn't so much the prayer and how grand your prayer is, but the issue is the person who prays. God hears the prayers of his humble people. As God forgave Job his trespasses, Job forgave his friends their trespasses. Job is reconciled to God. Through Job, the friends are reconciled to God, and Job and his friends are reconciled. Forgiveness and reconciliation is the way of God. The Lord redeemed the three. They obeyed. Job prayed, and God accepted Job and his mediatory ministry on their behalf. So the Lord removed the three. Now the Lord restores, verse 10. And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold. When Job prayed for his friends, I believe his praying for them is actually a final part of the test by which Job's heart is fully revealed. It was then when he prayed for his friends, when Job prayed for his friends, it was then that the Lord restored the fortunes of Job. It was then that we see that Job's heart was right in the matter. He was not going to hold anything even against his friends who had been rebuking him and he had been saying, you guys speak foolishness. but he prays for them. There is forgiveness. And the Lord restores the fortunes of Job. Now about that phrase, the Lord restored the fortunes of Job. The word fortunes is in the NASB, which is what I preach on. It's also in the ESB, the word fortunes. But to me, I don't care for the word fortunes. So that's me. To me, this is not a good translation. The problem is with that word fortune. The term fortune tends to cause us to think of chance or good luck, which we do not believe in church. We believe in providence, not fortune. And the church said, amen. Now the Bible in basic English has what I consider to be even a worse translation. It says, and the Lord made up to Joe for all his losses. I think that's not good, for it conveys the idea that God makes up for things. God doesn't do anything, church, that He needs to make up for. Amen? In the original, the word captivity is present in that phrase. The more literal translation of this phrase would be as the King James Version has it, and it says, and the Lord turned the captivity of Job. Instead of the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, it says the Lord turned the captivity of Job. Albert Barnes explains, to be turned from captivity is to be restored out of calamity. Likewise, John Calvin explains that God delivered Job out of the affliction he was in. It was when Job prayed for his friends that God turned Job and blessed him with double what he had before. The Kiel and Delish commentary says, the moment in which Job prayed for his friends became, as the climax of a life that is well-pleasing with God, the turning point of glory to him. Here, it is at this point that Job is finally tested through and through. So far as this matter is concerned, there is nothing more to test and prove. Job has passed the test, and we say all praises to God, amen? He is so at peace with God, he is so at right before God, that he can humbly stand in the gap and honestly mediate for those who entered him, even for those who wanted God to kill him. By the will of God, according to the purposes of God, by the providence of God, Job prayed for his friends and God of his own will turned the captivity of Job, brought him out of his calamity and restored him. But God not only restored Job, but blessings on top of blessings, the Lord increased all that Job had two fold. Now, wouldn't Job have liked God to have done this sooner? Perhaps as we read the story, we would have liked to have God done that sooner. But God is God. Will we bow before him? Will we put our hand over our mouth? And will we praise his name and say, Lord, I know you can do all things. And Lord, you do all things right. God is God. Verse 11. Then all Job's brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house, and they consoled him and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money and a ring of gold. Where had all these brothers and sisters been? Had they also thought he was under the curse of God? Had they shunned and abandoned him? And all who had known him before now, they come to him. Where had they been? What we see here is how God turned Job's captivity to blessing, where he was socially and spiritually rejected and condemned. Now to the divine favor of God, he is socially and spiritually accepted and desired. where he only had a few theologically inept and condemning friends, now he is lovingly surrounded by brothers and sisters and a host of those who knew him previously. Where the three friends came at first, do you remember? In the third chapter, where the three friends, second chapter, where the three friends came at first to comfort him, but then maligned him by the will of God, these sisters and brothers and all who knew him before have come to truly console and comfort him. They recognized that it was God who brought this calamity upon him, and they did not blame Job for it. They accept what Job has suffered as from the hand of God, but not as punishment, but as God's sovereign will. They realize they have nothing to teach Job. They don't want to beat him up for it, and they don't feel that they should pile on him. They come to console and comfort him as God's hand of providence has been heavy upon him. This is our duty, church, one to another. If one is in sin and we know it, then in love we must apply Matthew chapter 18, of course. But when someone is suffering under the dark shadow of unexplainable providence, it is ours to come alongside them, to weep with those who weep. This is our duty, this is our debt of love. There is enough condemnation in the church. Jesus didn't even come to condemn us. but he came to save that which was lost. We are to come alongside each other to love one another. This is one of the reasons I keep encouraging you. And I even need to do a better job, so I'm preaching to myself to write emails, to send cards and letters, to make calls, to send gift cards, to visit with people. Sometimes we don't know what one is suffering. Years ago, there was a fellow in the church that was very angry with another man who would come up to the pulpit and we would have him read the scripture and pray. And when this brother would come up to the pulpit, he would walk like this. And if he came up to you, he would walk like this, one shoulder in front of the other. And this man was upset with that man who was like this. And he told me, he said, he's so proud of you. He walks like this. I said, well, you know, three years ago, he was in a terrible motorcycle accident, and he walks like that. And if you would take him out to eat and talk to him, you would know that. We make so many assumptions about people and where they're at and what they're suffering. Well, they're not very friendly. Well, do you know what's going on in their life? They walk by me and didn't even say hello. Well, did you say hello? Yes, I did and they ignore me. Did they hear you? I have to tell my family all the time. Speak to me so I can see you. So I can hear you. Right? Hey, look, we're all in this hurting world together. And we're not here to beat one another up, to condemn one another, but to walk with each other, to hold each other's hand, to live with each other, to love one another, and to have fellowship until God calls us home. The church, the family of God, Redeemer Bible Church must be a family. I love the term family. I love it more than community. I love the term family. A family that consoles and comforts those who suffer. We must pray for each other. We must hold each other's hand, as I just said. We must shed tears with those who are hurting. We must walk together as true servants, upholding each other. All Job's brothers and sisters and those who had known him before, what did they do? They came to him. They came to him. They went to him. They didn't stand around saying, I wonder when Job's gonna come over here and visit me. I wonder when Job's gonna send me a piece of parchment with some writing on it. They came to him, they ate bread with him in his house. They consoled and comforted him for all the calamity the Lord had brought on him. They did not judge him, they did not condemn him, but they cared for him. and in great expressions of love, each one of them gave Job a piece of money and each a gold ring. Undoubtedly, this added up to a great amount of monetary value, but more valuable than its monetary worth, it was a very real and tangible expression of love and care. Instead of saying to Job, well, go and be well fed, they helped to feed him. That's what James talks about. What use is it? If we say to our brother who is cold, go and be warm. If you have a coat, give it to him. Where Job had been socially and spiritually rejected, God turned his captivity and now he was blessed of God with family and friends. But as the commercial says, but wait, there's more. Verses 12 and 13. And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginnings, and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys, and he had seven sons and three daughters. As the numbers of Job's livestock was listed at the opening of this book, we see from these numbers that God did indeed double Job's livestock. And then blessing of blessings Job had seven more sons and three more daughters. So now he's got 10 in heaven and 10 on earth. The fact that 10 more children were born to Job informs us that he and his wife were restored. We do not find her here telling Job to curse God and die, but rather she bears children with him. Undoubtedly, she is glad that he did not take her previous vice, the curse of God, and die, because now as Job is so abundantly blessed, so is his dear wife abundantly blessed. The author then does something very, very unusual, and that is he names not the sons, but Job's three daughters. That's unusual. It's the sons who get named. But the author does not tell us the name of the sons, but of Job's three daughters, verse 14. And he named the first Jemima, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-hepak. And the names Job gives his daughter highlights his joy. Jemima means dove. Keziah means cassia, which is a type of cinnamon, referring to she's sweet-smelling. And keren hapak means the horn or, if you will, the container of adornment. And it actually refers to cosmetics and eyeshadow. She was beautiful. Thus, we are not surprised that verse 15 says, and in all the land no women were found so fair as Job's daughters. Job's daughters were inwardly and outwardly the most beautiful women in all the land. There was not another like them. And Job so loved them and was so thankful for his daughters that he did what was unheard of. He gave them an inheritance among their brothers. The only time a woman got an inheritance is if there weren't any boys. But Job breaks the rule and he gives the three daughters an inheritance among the brothers. Perhaps Job could say what Joseph came to say, God has made me forget all my troubles. Verses 16 and 17. And after this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations, and Job died an old man and full of days. Since Job lived 140 years after these things, it's estimated that he lived a total of 200 to 210 years. He lived long enough to see his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren, and his great-great-grandchildren. No doubt his patriarchal ministry to those generations was very meaningful. No doubt he taught them the ways of the Lord, to love the Lord, their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, not to love God for what he gives them, but to love God for who he is. We do what's right because God is God. We worship God because God is God. He's holy and he's worthy, worth ship. He's worthy to be worshiped. Job lived then to be a very old man, full of days. The phrase full of days refers not merely to the length of life, it does refer to the length of life, but not merely, but to the quality of his life. Job lived a good long life, his days being filled and full of life. He didn't live 140 years thinking this is a bummer. He lived 140 years enjoying the life that God has given him. His days were full of life. Well, as we have read the last of this 42 chapter account and the last verse of this 1,070 verses, it is extraordinary that it is not recorded that Job ever, excuse me, it is extraordinary that God never answers Job's questions. Nowhere is it recorded that God ever answers Job's questions. God gives no explanation to Job concerning his suffering. God does not tell Job about his heavily confrontation with the devil. He does not tell Job what the accuser accused him of. And we have no record of Job ever knowing. Now, it's reasonable to think at some point it was all revealed to Job. I agree with that. We do have a written account. It was made known to someone, that's obvious. But that fact is not a part of the record. That said, it is unimportant to the story that Job ever knew what it was all about. That's because it was about God. It was enough for Job Even before God turned him from the captivity, even before God restored him, even before God doubly blessed him, even before he lived 140 years of full life, it was enough for Job that he could say, now my eye sees thee. Before I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees thee. This is a fact that brought Job's every question into its proper and not so important place. To personally know God is enough. What do you need when you have God? Oftentimes people say things like, when I get to heaven, I'm going to ask God. I think I've said that a few times. Who knows, perhaps she will, but I am more of the thought that when we get to heaven and we see God, when we see him face to face and his radiant glory shines forth, I think our questions will seem small and insignificant, if not completely dissolved. One view of our glorious God on the heavenly throne will answer all our earthly concerns. As the old song says of Jesus, one glimpse of his dear face, all sorrows will erase. I believe it. How can we be preoccupied with the peripheral matters of earth when we set our gaze on him who sits on the throne? Number three, God reveals. As I spoke of earlier in this teaching series, we find Job to be a God-ordained foreshadow of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here in Job, the Lord reveals truth concerning His Son, Jesus, who at that time was to come and in our day who has come. We find in Job a person whom God refers to as My servant. The word My in Isaiah referring to, excuse me, the word my in Job refers to God, and it's capitalized, my. But the title servant in Job refers to Job, and it is in lowercase. The same title is given in Isaiah 53, 11 to Jesus, and it says my servant. In Isaiah, while the word my, of course, is capitalized, referring to the Father, the word servant is also capitalized because it refers to Jesus, the true Savior. While Job foreshadows the coming Savior, the true and perfect Savior has come in the Son, the Father's servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. He whom Job foreshadowed has come and he shines brilliantly. He is the servant of God. Then Job, who was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil, was persecuted, wasn't he? And he was blamed by his fellow countrymen. They accused him of sin, and Abel came to desire that God would put him to death. They were somewhat like Judas, came to be a friend, but then turned against Jesus. Three friends turned against Job. Job pictured Christ Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, who would come. Jesus' own countrymen accused him of sin. "'Even one of his own disciples, "'they called for his crucifixion. "'When he was suffering the cross, "'they mocked him, saying, Matthew 27, 43, "'He trusts in God, let him deliver him now, "'if he takes pleasure in him. "'For he said, I am the Son of God.'" Jesus is the fulfillment of what Job foreshadowed. When God confronted the three for their sin, he had them come to his servant, Job. God did not give them a multiple choice, do this, do that, or choose to do this, but they had to come before Job. They brought their sacrifices to Job, and Job interceded for them. God gave them only because he accepted Job. Job acted as a mediator between them and God. Jesus is the fulfillment of what Job foreshadowed. 1 Timothy 2, five and six. For there is one God and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all. John 14, six, Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. Speaking of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter said in Acts 4.12, and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which you must be saved. Jesus is the way for the Father. Peter proclaimed this about Jesus, Acts 10.43, and it is through his name that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sin. It is Jesus alone who made the once-for-all atoning sacrifice. Isaiah 53, 11 says, my servant will justify the many as he will bear their iniquities. And as John the Beloved wrote, 1 John 2, 1 and 2, if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins. So we see church. as the three had to come to Job so he would mediate on their behalf. And as God accepted Job, so Christ the Savior has come. And he mediates on our behalf for the forgiveness of sin that we would be reconciled to God. And there's not another, only Jesus. God does not forgive us our sin because we are good. He forgives us our sin because he accepts his son, Jesus, and his work on our behalf. As we come to Jesus in faith believing, God accepts us in Him. And then as Job was restored and blessed with even more than he had before, think of this, think of this. God raised Jesus from the dead. If you will, He turned His captivity. He raised Jesus from the dead and seated Christ Jesus at his right hand, not only restoring to him his former glory, but in addition, Jesus now has the church as his holy bride without spot or wrinkle. Before Christ, there was Israel, there were believers, but there was not the New Testament church. If you will, Christ is doubly blessed because he paid the price and he purchased us through his blood. As Joel's brothers and sisters and all who knew him came and ate with him and gave him gifts, one day we who know him who are his brothers and sisters will come to dine with Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb. We will go to his house, amen? And we will throw our treasured crowns at his feet and sing his praises for all eternity. And there's more. And I think, and notice I said, I didn't say I know, but I said I think. This is a possible reason for which so much is made of Job's daughters. Perhaps they are a type of the beautiful, holy, and blameless church of which there is nothing like her on all the earth. In Christ, the church is without spot original, and as far as her exceptional inheritance is concerned, Romans 8, 16 through 17 says, the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. I think that Job's daughters foresaddled the church as co-heirs with Jesus Christ. And then, that Job lived another 140 years, 70 plus seven, It foreshadows the perfection and fullness of eternal life we possess in our Lord Jesus Christ. One day soon we will hear the Lord say, well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord, amen. What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon his face, the one who saved me by his grace. when he takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day that will be. And the church said, amen. Well, church, our times might be terribly troubling. Not only are there universal problems and national problems and state problems and city problems. But we have problems in our own lives. Our times might be terribly troubling, and you may be in the midst of the greatest trial of your life. But lift up your head. Jesus, your Redeemer, is near, and He is a soon-coming King. Treasure Him, and you'll hold the treasures of this world in their rightful place. And if you will believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved. The scripture says, He hears all who call upon His name. And whoever comes to Him in faith believing, He will not cast out. Take care for your soul, dear one, take care for your soul. There is a hell to shun and a heaven to gain. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. He will save you by his grace. Well, as we close this book, I again want to read James 5, seven through 11. I think this is the third or fourth time I've read it. I'll read it again. Instruction to the church, the church that is in a world of hurt. Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until it gets to early and late greens. You too be patient, strengthen your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged. Behold, the judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings. You have heard of the endurance of Job, the patience of Job, and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings. And indeed we have, amen, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. The story of Job is to teach us that the Lord is full of compassion and merciful. How compassionate and merciful is the Lord? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. The Lord is full of compassion and merciful. Would you please bow your heads with me? Our Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for your holy word as you reveal yourself to us. As before, we readily admit that there are many things we do not understand but Lord, may we rest in who you are. May we love you first and foremost for who you are, not, Lord, for the things you give us, but for who you are. And even, Lord, when your providence seems dark and we don't understand what you are working, and there is terrible pain in our life, and there is suffering and tragedy, oh Lord, may we rest in your great hand, knowing that you indeed have your purposes, which we will not understand, and perhaps we won't understand until we see you face to face, but we know, Lord, when we see you, everything will be resolved. Oh, to see you. Oh, to have a personal relationship with you at this very moment. We thank you, Lord, for your word. We thank you for making yourself known to us. Now may we walk not by sight, but by faith, knowing you have a kingdom prepared for us. And if Jesus has gone away to prepare a place for us, he will come again, that where he is, we may be also. We thank you, our Lord and Father. We give praise to you, our Lord. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for revealing these things to us. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.