Edited

[ReneeIW]

Edited

Edited August 24, 2019 by ReneeIW

[missmuffet]

God told them to offer sacrifices and that Job would pray on their behalf and God would accept Job's prayer. Job did so, likely forgiving his friends for their harshness himself. God restored Job's fortunes two-fold.

[BeauJangles]

Well there you go. I love happy endings. 

[missmuffet]

2 hours ago, BeauJangles said:

Well there you go. I love happy endings. 

And we lived happily ever after. 

[Jostler]

Job is  one of  the most  fascinating  books in the  Bible to me.  And I do think different aspects of the  gospel are pre-figured and hinted  at  in many places in Job. 

Job is probably  the oldest  book in the Bible.  Job probably  lived somewhere close to  the  time Abraham did, and it would be close to 500 years before the  Law would be given to  Moses.

It kinda changed my view of that period  of history when I realized  there WAS some pretty  detailed knowledge of God and His  ways among  at least some of mankind in that era.

Earlier in the book Job had lamented the fact that he  was unable to lay  hold of God, and ask for an audience to make  his case and expressed a desire  for an 'intercessor' that could approach  God  and make his case for  him.   Job repeatedly, accurately, expressed his understanding that if he  could stand before  God he would have no righteousness in His eyes.  It took me a long time and  quite a few passes through  the  book to realize  Job was not proclaiming his righteousness  before God.  He was lamenting the fact he didn't know what sin he'd committed to  deserve the  suffering he was going  through, and a desire for an audience with God to find out...so he could repent and be freed of the suffering.  Job did  err in allowing his suffering and lack  of insight into why he  was suffering cause him to  judge his circumstance as if he were more righteous  than God.  And God set him straight on  that when He did show up.

 

Quote

 

 Job 23:3-6

“Oh that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!

 

I would present my case before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.

 

I would learn the words which He would answer,
And perceive what He would say to me.

 

Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power?
No, surely He would pay attention to me."

The whole of Chapter 23 appears to be a lament  at the lack  of any possibility of  coming before  God  to have his  case heard.  In the  verses you  posted several aspects of the good news were foreshadowed.  The shedding of blood covering sin is one.  I think ALL the OT mentions of blood  sacrifice both  here, and later when the Law of  Moses codified  and gave still more types and shadows  of the  coming Redeemer exemplified in the Tabernacle worship  requirements point to Jesus and His final  sacrifice  on our  behalf.  It's easy  to fail to notice  that the  very  first  blood sacrifice was in the Garden.  Made by God Himself:

Quote

Gen 3:21

¶

Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

Innocent animals died, by God's own hand, to provide cover for the shame of nakedness, which Adam's sin suddenly revealed.   Blood was shed in this first "type" of the gospel.

 

Abel obviously understood that  the sacrifice demanded by God involved shedding the  blood, the life of the  innocent, was necessary.  How  he  learned that  we are not told, but his  actions demonstrated he understood, and Cain's offering and God's rejection of  it, and judgement of it, demonstrated Cain knew it too, but still wanted to offer the work  of his  own hands as justification.  His offering was rejected.

 

 

Quote

Job 19:23-27

“Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!

 

That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!

 

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;

 

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,

 

Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!

 

 

Amazing to  me, but Job  obviously knew the promise of  a Redeemer, and he  knew redemption meant deliverance from death and resurrection  in a new flesh body that would see his Redeemer with his own eyes.   And he looked forward to that promise with eyes  of faith, longing to  finally  see that day.

 

Quote

Job 42:7-9

¶

And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.

 

Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, 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 him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because 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 commanded them; for the LORD had accepted Job.

 

I think the gospel is very clearly pre-figured and portrayed in the  verses you had us  look at.  Not only was  the shedding of  blood again revealed as necessary, but  it appears God chose  Job  to stand as a type of the  very  Redeemer/High Priest/Intercessor Job had  expressed a longing to see.  God commanded the three friends whose words were hard and inaccurate in describing Him to sacrifice and ask JOB to pray for them, and He would  accept JOB's intercession  on their behalf. 

There is much more in that book, including  the  sin satan based his accusation on, and why God HAD to allow the  test.  Satan had  LEGAL grounds before  the  Court.  And used those to attack God's motives and His  right (legally) to hedge Job and bless him as He had.

I recognized  there was something very wrong with my view  of Job, and of God, when after reading the  book the first time, I found myself nodding in agreement with the statements of Eliphaz and his two friends, only to  find if I had been there, God would have rebuked me too, and I would have needed to ask Job to pray for me too.  It took me a lot of time, rereading and asking  for insight to even begin to figure  out why.   I  am certain I still have not uncovered all the treasures  in that book, but  what  I have been shown has made it a real treasure to me.

It's interesting to note, we have five  men here whose knowledge of God was detailed and broad.  Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar took their rather  astonishing knowledge of God and His  ways and misapplied it to Job's situation, resulting in unrighteous judgement, for which they were rebuked.  Only Elihu, the  youngest escaped rebuke.   Re-read Elihu's arguments :).  Of all the  5 men, Elihu  had the best understanding of God's ways and righteous application of that  understanding to Job's situation.

I do  dearly  love the  book of Job     We can discern a great deal about the operation of the  Court....the  "laws" that govern it and the work our Intercessor does now that  He is revealed. 

Edited August 18, 2019 by Jostler

[BeauJangles]

9 minutes ago, Jostler said:

I do  dearly  love the  book of Job     We can discern a great deal about the operation of the  Court....the  "laws" that govern it and the work our Intercessor does now that  He is revealed. 

Really great post, Jostler. I loved it! 

[ReneeIW]

Jostler, I’m overwhelmed by how beautiful,  eloquent and thoughtful your post is. I read it several times. It was a blessing to read.

And of course it has inspired me to read and study the book of Job! It really is a fascinating book.