Epilogue

Here we are at the end of the Book of Job. We’ve finally arrived. What a journey it’s been! What a book! What a month! One that I will never forget, that’s for sure.

The second half of Job 42 is the Epilogue. All the loose ends are tied up. Let’s have a look at how.

Firstly, God turns his attention to Job’s friends. He’s not been impressed with their contribution. They’ve meant well, but…

After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.  Job 42:7-9

Thank God there is always a way back. We can always look for a way to makes amends and get back on track. The three friends have a way to get right with God. But it involves Job. That’s fascinating, don’t you think? They have to go to Job and admit their mistakes. They have to show Job that they are serious about obeying God. Sometimes – most of the time – putting things right with God is not enough. Other people are involved. Other people need to forgive and be forgiven. Other people can help us get back on our feet. Other people can pray for us. Other people need to know. Look at the power of honesty and admitting failure and the support that comes from that within the Alcoholics Anonymous movement.

And so Job had to play his part too, before he could be restored. He had to forgive. He had to pray for his friends.

After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.  Job 42:10-11

To pray for his friends, he had to forgive them. There is always power in forgiveness. It always brings about forgiveness. Of course, nothing will ever be the same again. What’s happened has happened. The relationship will be forever changed. And the other person may not be ready to forgive or be forgiven. But forgiveness sets our own heart free, whatever the response. Forgiveness starts a work of restoration in our own life.

I find it odd that his people come back now. Now they come to Job and eat with him and bring him gifts and comfort him and console him. Where have they been up to now? Anyway, the point I would draw from this is that even though outwardly, Job’s fortunes have been restored – more than restored, doubled! – he is still in need of comfort and consolation. Even if outwardly everything is back to normal, inwardly he will be affected by what has happened for some time to come. His experience has changed him. It will always be hard to process. Just because things look OK on the outside, it doesn’t mean that he has stopped needed comfort and consolation.

The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.  Job 42:12-15

Of course, I can’t say with any certainty that if you stay faithful to God through a period of suffering, then He will bless you financially. In fact, I can say with some certainty that God will not automatically bless you with great wealth, a huge family and the most beautiful daughters in the land. I can guarantee that you will be changed however. You will have developed a new resilience in your faith. Your trust and obedience in God will run deeper. You will know how to count your blessings. You will live with an attitude of gratitude. You will take nothing for granted. You will make each day count. And in all these ways, you will be richer. Rich beyond measure.

After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, an old man and full of years.  Job 42:16-17

And finally – Job had prayed many times during his ordeal for his life to end. And yet he lives on and lives well for another 140 years! When we are in the depths of despair, life feels like it is over. We beg for life to be over. We cannot go on. And yet our suffering is just for a season. There is life on the other side. We must have hope. A hope that enables us to get through the next day, the next hour. We may find it impossible to imagine life without that parent who has just died or that partner who has just walked out on us. We may struggle to picture life without this job or friendship or house. Life with this illness or disability that has robbed us of our sight or our ability to do what we love or to live as we have lived.

There is hope. There is life. There is restoration. Everything is just for a season.

God is good. God is always good. Thanks be to God.