Job repents in dust and ashes: Job 42:1-6

Job has been properly rebuked by the Lord. The Lord has called him back to his senses. Job's confrontation with God has caused him to divert his attention from his own problems to the matchless glory of God. Once again, God has become magnified in Job's sight, and his own problems and afflictions, have begun to grow dim. Job is beginning to understand what Paul said, "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) Job's eyes are off the natural and he is seeing God by faith and his faith is reminding him that our "momentary, light afflictions" are producing something in us of great eternal value. As Job considers his behavior during his time of affliction, he is brought to repentance before God.

" 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." (Job 42:3)

Job realizes that many of the ways of God are to wonderful for us to know. We have finite minds and can never, at least while in our bodies, understand the fullness of God. No mater how wise and understanding we think we are, the infiniteness of God still lies beyond our ability to comprehend. "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29) God will always have His secrets and we must always allow room in our understanding for the things that are unknown. Just because we cannot make heads or tails of the difficulties we are going though does not mean that God does not have a purpose and plan in their midst. It may just be possible that God is doing something we can not perceive or understand. Bless the Lord!

" 'Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.' I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You." (Job 42:4-5)

It is not enough to know about God, but we must know God. God was not whom Job thought He was. Job had heard about God, but once he meet Him, he came to understand Him more completely. Much of Job's complaining against God was the direct result of Job misunderstanding God. We can never come to know God through study and philosophy alone. Even diligent study of the scriptures is not enough to gain an accurate understanding of God. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees as ones who studied the scriptures but never came to know the Son. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life." (John 5:39-40) Knowledge of God comes only by being in His presence, by coming to know and experience Him. We study the scriptures, but unless we are willing to draw close to Him with the faith we have found in the scriptures, than our study is for naught. Let us be people who know God and people who are taught by Him.

David Robison