Page 149 - Reading Job to Know God

Lord.” Of course, as you read through the book of Job you would expect
it to read “you have seen the end of Job”. But it says you have seen the
end of the Lord. That is, the purpose and desire the Lord had for Job, in
His perfect will. “The outcome of the Lord’s dealings”. And then James
adds, “He is full of compassion and merciful.” So, Job 42 is a great
revelation of the compassion and the mercy God has for the afflicted.
Our main message will be found in 42:7-17 which is the outcome of the
Lord’s dealings. But let’s first look at Job’s heart attitude now that he was
in the place where God could bless him, having seen God. The truth that
Job was now embracing was not merely theological. Job 42:5

“I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear.”
That’s just something he heard. His knowledge of the Lord had been by
thought process before, but now he says:

“I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; But now my
eye sees Thee.”
Before this revelation, what Job knew of God was confined to the
understanding of his natural mind. As it is with so many of us, we only
know what we have been told, or what we have read. Worse of all, we
only know what we have interpreted with our feeble minds and proudly
call our opinions. His knowledge was confused and defective. But now
what he knows is not because of what he has heard or read, but because
of revelation. He has received the inner eye of faith or as the Apostle Paul
writes in the fully developed version in Ephesians 1:17-18
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may
grant you the Spirit to give wisdom and revelation which comes
through a growing knowledge of Him, by having the eyes of your
hearts enlightened “
Job 42:5 says: “Now my eye sees Thee.” That is the eye of his heart.
Before when his knowledge was theological, it stimulated knowledge
rather than devotion. His affliction obscured God’s gracious purpose. He
was accusing God of rash misappropriations of justice. He asserted his
innocence and righteousness. God asked this question in chapter 38,
verse 2, and now Job repeats it.
“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.”
149