Page 154 - Reading Job to Know God

lost them forever. They were animals, not created in the image of God.
They died and went into the ground, and that was the end of them. But
when his sons and daughters died he did not lose them. They are not like
animals, who die and then are annihilated. They live on in the Lord. And
so, in fact, God really did double his children. He started out with ten and
he ended up with twenty. Ten were alive on the earth; ten were alive in
heaven. He did not really lose the sons and daughters, he now shared them
with his God. So this is the first great result of the outcome of God’s
dealings; Large spiritual blessings for the sufferer.
Let me state what I believe to be the second result of the outcome of
God’s dealings. I believe it can be summarized in these words. Enlarged
blessing through the sufferer. Not only for the sufferer, but now through
the sufferer.
Let me try to get the setting of these verses before you. Job had seen the
Lord by faith. He wisely retracted his foolish speech. He had challenged
God. Before, Job said, if my adversary brings a charge against me, I will
take that charge and put it upon my shoulders. I will embrace it. I will put
it as a crown upon my head. I am fully able to refute it. That is what Job
said before. He said, if God would come and stand up like a man and we
could argue this thing out, he said, I would fill my mouth with arguments.
I would stand like a prince before Him. I would argue my case. But now,
his hand is tightly over his lips. He refuses to speak. His head is bowed
low, and he is covered with ashes and dust.
Now God speaks in verse 7. I do not know how to interpret that little
word, “after”. “It came about after the LORD had spoken these words
to Job.” I do not know if it was immediately after or sometime later.
But after Job had his eyes opened to the Lord through affliction, the Lord
spoke verses 7-10 to Eliphaz, and the other miserable comforters.
“My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends,
because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job
has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams,
and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for
yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept
his prayer so that I may not do with you according to your folly. You
have not spoken of Me what 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 Told them; and the LORD
accepted the prayers of Job. The LORD restored the fortunes of Job
when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job
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