Job’s friends as well as each of us need to seek God’s help to make us a solution to others’ problems. How much do we know that we play judge, except the Lord expressly reveals in fulness their issues to us? Such was God’s reason for the indictment handed down to the defective comforters!
After the Lord had spoken the previous words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bullocks and seven rams and go to My servant Job and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept [his prayer] that I deal not with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; and the Lord accepted [Job’s prayer]. Job 42:7-9 AMPC
Whatever good or evil anyone does, he will receive same from the Lord.
In this instant, something that was not obvious in Job’s life hitherto, was conferred upon him, the place of a priest! Or who can accept sacrifice of God and pray for an offender other than a priest of the Most High! God again put a bet upon Job, could or would Job pass the test of forgiving those who had hurt him. Herein lies the lesson for us in relating with those of the household of God who have hurt us.
Even when they hurt you by playing judge over your life on things they did not have a clue, reach out to them, not just when they reach out to you. Praying for them may be the key to your restoration (Job 42:10).
For the righteous and the obedient, the end of the adversity is multiplied blessing. The scriptures abundantly attest to this. These verses are worthy of further study.
And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. And in all the land there were no women so fair as the daughters of Job, and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his sons’ sons, even to four generations. So Job died, an old man and full of days. Job 42:12-17 (AMPC)
Of the suffering of Christ, this is written of Him:
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall bow down and worship before You, for the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s, and He is the ruler over the nations. All the mighty ones upon earth shall eat [in thanksgiving] and worship; all they that go down to the dust shall bow before Him, even he who cannot keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve Him; they shall tell of the Lord to the next generation.They shall come and shall declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born–that He has done it [that it is finished]! Psalm 22:27-31 (AMPC).
Behold, My Servant shall deal wisely and shall prosper; He shall be exalted and extolled and shall stand very high. [For many the Servant of God became an object of horror; many were astonished at Him.] His face and His whole appearance were marred more than any man’s, and His form beyond that of the sons of men–but just as many were astonished at Him, so shall He startle and sprinkle many nations, and kings shall shut their mouths because of Him; for that which has not been told them shall they see, and that which they have not heard shall they consider and understand. Isaiah 52:13-15 (AMPC)
Have you been hurt, it is time to let go of any bitterness and reach out in forgiveness! It is your pathway to restoration and recovery. Selah.
Pastor Afolabi Oladele
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