Page 153 - Reading Job to Know God

man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from
evil.”

That was God’s estimate of him. Chapter 1, verse 8. God addresses Satan
and says,
“Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him
on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning
away from evil.”

That is how he started! King James says, “Job was perfect.” And at the
end, you see this same man, the perfect man, verse 7 “I retract, I repent
in dust and ashes.” Perfect men need repentance! Do not think that we
cannot find a deeper capacity and a greater fullness.

Sometime we are tempted to kick at the providence of God in the days of
famine and drought. When God brings barrenness into our life allowing
affliction and suffering. We forget that God is bringing us through
emptiness to fullness, enlarged blessing for the sufferer. Some have
pointed out, by comparing Job 1:3 with 42:10 and 12,
“And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job after he prayed for his
friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had two fold.”

Now look at verse 12,

“The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and
he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and
1,000 female donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters.”
Anyway, God promised to double all of Job’s blessings. He started out
with 7,000 sheep. He ended up with 14,000. He started out with 3,000
camel; he ended up with 6,000. He started out with 500 yoke of oxen; he
ended up with 1,000. He started out with 500 female donkeys and ended
up with 1,000. But he started out with 10 children – 7 boys and 3 girls –
chapter 1, verse 2, and he ends up with 10 children – 7 boys and 3 girls.
That is verse 13. And yet, the Bible says in verse 10 that “The Lord
increased all twofold.” How is that explained?
I believe it is easily explained. You see, when he lost his 7,000 sheep and
his 3,000 camel and his 500 yoke of oxen and his 500 female donkeys, he
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