In the End, we Need a Job

Job 42:7–9 (ESV) After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.

God's words to the friends of Job are striking and without ambiguity. They are wrong and have been wrong about God and Job the whole time. They have spoken mistruths about God. Once again God calls Job, "my servant". 

First, God's anger is kindled, "burns" against the three mispoken friends of Job. When it comes to humanity, all have sinned because all are mistaken about God. They do not know Him. In the last day, that will be Jesus' rebuke, "I never knew you." As sinners we stand helpless before God's wrath and have no way of escape on our own. Thankfully, the story doesn't end here for Eliphaz and the friends and our story doesn't end there either.

Second, God commands them to take offerings to Job and make sacrifices. They will receive prayer from Job and God will accept his prayer and not deal with them according to their folly. Then there is a repeat of God's judgment: "For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has".

What we have is an inclusio common in the Hebrew scripture where a phrase is repeated to draw your attention to what's in between the repeated lines. That is the main focus. In this case, the main text here is that Job becomes a mediator for his foolish friends. His prayers and offerings to God as God's servant are accepted ON THEIR BEHALF.

Just as Job's friends needed God's servant to bring an acceptable sacrifice to God in order to assuage His righteous anger, so too we need a pure and holy servant who is blameless and undefiled to bring a sacrifice to God on our behalf. That righteous servant is Jesus through whom God's favor and grace are bestowed upon all his misinformed friends. 

So what do we take from the story of Job's suffering? That Job suffered and saved his stupid friends. And that is what Jesus has done for us. 

Praise be to God!


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