The Ambassador Group

The Book of Job

01. The Book of Job: The End

00. Introduction to the Book of Job: The Perennial Question

02. The Book of Job: The Great Controversy

03. The Book of Job: Doth Job Fear God for Nought?

04. The Book of Job: God and Human Suffering

05. The Book of Job: Curse the Day

06. The Book of Job: The Curse Causeless

07. The Book of Job: Retributive Punishment

08. The Book of Job: Innocent Blood

09. The Book of Job: Intimations of Hope

10. The Book of Job: The Wrath of Elihu

11. The Book of Job: Out of the Whirlwind

12. The Book of Job: Job’s Redeemer

13. The Book of Job: The Character of Job

14. The Book of Job: Some Lessons From Job


Exploration 1 The End By Byron Phillips and Lynette Newhart. Exploration 1. The End. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.

John 11, 25. In writing classes, students are taught the importance of a good ending to their pieces. Particularly in fiction, where the whole thing is made up, the author needs to bring the end to a satisfactory close. But even in non-fiction, a good ending is important. But what about reality?

What about life itself, lived not in the pages of a book or in a film script, but in flesh and blood? What about our own stories? What kind of endings do they have? How do they wind up? Are the loose ends tied together nicely as in a good piece of writing?

This doesn't seem to be the case, does it? How could they end well when our stories always end in death? In that sense, we never really have happy endings, do we? Because when is death happy? The same is true with the story of Job.

Though its conclusion is often depicted as a happy ending, at least in contrast to all that Job had suffered, it's really not that happy, because this story too ends in death. As we begin the book of Job, we will start at its end, because it brings up questions about our ends as well, not just for now, but for eternity. Happily Ever After Often times children's stories end with a line, and they live happily ever after. In some languages it's almost a cliche. The whole idea is that whatever the drama, a kidnapped princess, a nasty wolf, an evil king, the hero, and perhaps his new wife, triumph in the end.

That's how the book of Job ends, at least at first glance. After all the trials and calamities that befall him, Job ends on what could be described only as a relatively positive note. Listen to Job chapter 42 verses 10 through 17, the final verses of the entire book. What do they tell us about how Job ended his days? The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Then all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house. And they consoled him, and comforted him over all the distressing adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each 1 gave him a piece of money, and each a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. For he had 14000 sheep, 6000 camels, 1000 yoke of oxen, and 1000 female donkeys.

He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, and he called the name of the first daughter, Jemima, and the name of the second, Keziah, and the name of the third, Karen Hepok. In all the land, there were found no women so fair as the daughters of Job. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. An inheritance among their brothers. After this, Job lived 140 years and saw his sons and his grandsons 4 generations.

So Job died an old man and full of days. No question, were you to ask someone about a book of the Bible that ended well for the main character, a book that had a happily ever after ending, many would name the Book of Job. After all, look at all that Job had as the story closes. Family and friends, who weren't around during the trials, with the exception of Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu, and Job's wife. Come and they comfort him.

They were generous too, giving him money. As the story ends, Job had twice as much as he had at the beginning of the story, at least in terms of material wealth. Let's compare 2 descriptions. 2 DESCRIPTIONS 1st Job 1 verse 3. Job possessed 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke pairs of Oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great number of servants, so that this man was the greatest and wealthiest and most respected of all the men of the East, Northern Arabia.

2. Job 42. Northern Arabia. 2 Job 42 12 And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. For he had 14000 sheep, 6000 camels, 1000 yoke of oxen, and 1000 female donkeys.

He had 10 children, 7 sons and 3 daughters, to replace the 7 sons and 3 daughters who died. And in all the land no women were found as fair as the daughters of Job. Job chapter 42 and verse 15. Something not said about his first ones. And this man, who had been so sure that death was right before him, lived on another 140 years.

Job 42 verse 17 tells us, So Job died, being old and full of days. The phrase full of days in Hebrew, sometimes translated interestingly enough, full of years, is used to describe the last days of 3 other people in the Old Testament. Abraham, in Genesis 25 verse 8, Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. Isaac, in Genesis 35, verse 29. And Isaac breathed his last, and he died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days.

And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. And David, 1 Chronicles 29, 28, Then he died at a good age, full of days, riches, and honor. It gives the idea of someone in a relatively good and happy place at the time of a decidedly unhappy event. Death. You like stories with happy endings, don't you?

What are some stories with happy endings that you know of? What lessons do you learn from them? UNHAPPY ENDINGS The book of Job concluded with things going well for Job, who died old and full of days. As we all know, and know all too well, That's not how the story ends for so many others. Even those who were faithful and honorable and virtuous didn't always wind up in a situation such as Job's.

How did the story end for these 6 Bible characters? Abel Genesis chapter 4 verse 8. Cain talked with Abel his brother about what God had said, and when they were alone working in the field, Cain attacked Abel his brother and killed him. Uriah 2 Samuel 11 17 And the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among the servants of David fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.

Eli 1 Samuel 4 18 When the messenger mentioned the ark of God had been captured, Eli fell off the seat backwards by the side of the city gate. His neck was broken, and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for 40 years. King Josiah 2 Chronicles chapter 35 and verses 22-24 Yet Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight against him. He did not listen to the words of Necho from the mouth of God, but came to fight against him on the plain of Megiddo.

The archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, Take me away, for I am badly wounded. So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in the second chariot, which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. John the Baptist. Matthew chapter 14 and verse 10.

John the Baptist, Matthew 14, 10. He Herod Antipas sent and had John beheaded in the prison. Stephen, Acts 7, 59, 60. They continued stoning Stephen, as he called on the Lord, and said, Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit. Then, falling on his knees in worship, he cried out loudly, Lord do not hold this sin against them, do not charge them.

When he had said this he fell asleep in death. As we can see, the Bible is full of stories that don't have happy endings. And that's because life itself is full of stories that don't have happy endings. Whether martyred for a good cause, or dying from a horrible disease, or having a life reduced to pain and misery, many people don't come through their trials as triumphant as Job did. In fact, to be honest, how often do things work out well as they did for Job?

And we don't need the Bible to know this terrible fact. Do you know of unhappy endings? What are some stories with unhappy endings that you know of? What have you learned from them? The partial restoration.

Yes, the story of Job ended on a positive note, in contrast to the story of other Bible characters and often of other people in general. Bible scholars sometimes talk about the restoration of Job, and indeed, to some degree, many things were restored to him. But if that were the complete end of the story, then in all fairness, would the story really be complete? Certainly things got better for Job, much better. But Job still died eventually, and all his children died, and all his children's children, and on and on all died.

And no doubt, to some degree, all of them faced many of the same traumas and trials of life that we all do. The traumas and trials that are simply the facts of life in a fallen world. And as far as we know, Job never learned of the reasons behind all the calamities that befell him. Yes, he got more children, but what about his sorrow and mourning for those whom he lost? What about the scars that no doubt he carried for the rest of his life.

Job had a happy ending, but it's not a completely happy ending. Too many loose ends remain, too many unanswered questions. The Bible in Job 42 verse 10 says that the Lord turned the captivity of Job, and indeed he did, especially when compared to all that came before, but much still remained incomplete, unanswered, and unfulfilled. This shouldn't be surprising, should it? After all, in this world as it is now, regardless of our end, whether good or bad, some things remain incomplete, unanswered, and unfulfilled.

That is why, in a sense, Job's ending could be seen as a symbol, however faint, of the true end of all human woe and suffering. It foreshadows the ultimate hope and promise that we have, through the gospel of Jesus Christ, of a full and complete restoration in ways that will make Job's restoration pale in comparison. Listen to 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 5. What does this text tell us about how, for now, in this life, some things will still remain unanswered, unfulfilled, and incomplete. To what hope does it point us instead?

Instead. The final kingdom. Among other things, the Bible is a book about history. But it's not just a history book. It tells about events in the past, historical events, and uses them, among other things, to give us spiritual lessons.

It uses events in the past to teach us truths about how we are to live in the here and now. First Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 11 reminds us. Now these things happened to them as an example and warning to us. They were written for our instruction to admonish and equip us upon whom the ends of the ages have come. But the Bible doesn't just talk about the past.

It talks about the future as well. It tells us not just about events that have happened, but about events that will happen. It points us to the future, even to the end of time. The theological term for last day events, about end times, is Eschatology, from a Greek word that means last. Sometimes it is used to encompass belief about death, judgment, heaven, and hell as well.

It also deals with the promise of hope that we have of a new existence in a new world. And the Bible does tell us many things about the end times. Yes, the book of Job ended with Job's death. And if this were the only book 1 had to read, 1 could believe that Job's story ended, as do all ours, with death and that was it. Period.

There was nothing else to hope for, because as far as we can tell and from all that we see nothing comes after. The Bible though teaches something else. It teaches that at the end of the time God's eternal kingdom will be established. It will exist forever and it will be the eternal home of the redeemed. Unlike the worldly kingdoms that have come and gone, This 1 is everlasting.

Listen to 2 verses from the book of Daniel. The question to answer is, what hope do these verses point to about the end? Here is the first 1, Daniel chapter 2 and verse 44. In the days of those final 10 kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will its sovereignty be left for another people. But it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

And here is the second 1, Daniel chapter 7 and verse 18. But the saints, believers of the Most High God, will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. The great plan of redemption results in fully bringing back the world into God's favor. All that was lost by sin is restored. Not only man, but the earth is redeemed to be the eternal abode of the obedient.

For 6000 years, Satan has struggled to maintain possession of the earth. The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." Daniel 7, 18. Ellen G. White wrote those words in her book entitled, Patriarchs and Prophets, page 342. Indeed, the book of Job ended with his death.

The good news for us and for Job is that the end of the book of Job is not the end of Job's story and our death is not The The Resurrection and the Life Listen to Job chapter 14, verses 14 and 15 from the English Standard Version. What question is Job asking and how in his own way does he answer it? If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come. You would call and I would answer you.

You would long for the work of your hands. 1 of the themes in the book of Job deals with the questions of death. How could it not? Any book that looks at human suffering would of course have to look at death, the source of so much of our suffering. Job asks if the dead will live again and then he says that he waits for his change to come.

The Hebrew word for wait also implies the idea of hope. It's not just waiting for something, it is hoping for it. And what he was hoping for was his change. This word comes from a Hebrew term that can give the idea of renewal or replacement. Often it is the changing of a garment, though the word itself is broad, given the context of asking what renewal comes after death, a renewal that Job hopes for.

What else could this change be but a change from death to life, the time God shall desire the work of your or his hands. Job 14.15 NKJV Of course, our great hope, the great promise that death will not be the end, comes to us from the life, death, and ministry of Jesus. John E. Hartley, on page 237 in his book entitled, The Book of Job, writes, The New Testament teaches that Christ has defeated death, mankind's bitterest foe, and that God will raise the dead to a final judgment. But this doctrine becomes central to biblical faith after the resurrection of Christ, for it gains its validation in Christ's triumph over death.

Again, the reference is John E. Hartley, The Book of Job, Electronic Edition, Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1988, p. 237. 1st Corinthians, 19.88, p. 237.

John 11, v. 25 NKJV reports, Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. What is Jesus telling you here that gives you hope and confidence about the end? Confidence about the end.

That is, what do you know that Joe didn't know? Let's continue exploring. Here are a few thoughts to ponder. Despite all the horrific calamities that befall Job, not only did he stay faithful to God, but he was given back so much of what he had lost. Yet even here, as with much of the book of Job, questions remain unanswered.

Sure, Job is just 1 book of the Bible, and to build an entire theology on 1 book would be wrong. We have the rest of the Scriptures which add so much more understanding regarding many of the difficult questions addressed in the Book of Job. The New Testament especially brings to light so many things that couldn't have been fully understood in Old Testament times. Perhaps the greatest example of this would be the meaning of the sanctuary service. However much a faithful Israelite might have understood about the death of the animals and the entire sacrificial service, only through the revelation of Jesus and his death on the cross does the system come more fully to light.

The book of Hebrews helps illuminate so much of the true meaning of the entire service. And though today we have the privilege of knowing what Peter in 2 Peter 1 verse 12 called present truth and certainly have been given more light on issues than Job had, we still have to learn to live with unanswered questions too. The unfolding of truth is progressive, and despite the great light we have been given now, there is still so much more to learn. In fact, we have been told that. The redeemed throng will range from world to world, and much of their time will be employed in searching out the mysteries of redemption and Throughout the whole stretch of eternity this subject will be continually opening to their minds Those words are from Ellen G.

White, written in the Advent Review in Sabbath Herald, March 9th, 1886. Here are a few questions to consider. What does the idea of progressive revelation mean? What are other examples of how the idea works? For example, 1 begins arithmetic by learning the numbers, how to count.

We then learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide those numbers. We then can move on to deeper things such as algebra, geometry, and calculus, all still working with those basic numbers. How does this analogy help us understand the idea of progressive revelation in theology as well? Listen to Job chapter 42 and verse 11. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters, and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house.

And they showed him sympathy, and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him, and each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. Commentators through the ages have asked the question about where Job's relatives and friends were during the times of his greatest need. That is, they came after his fortunes had turned around and things were going better for him. What's wrong with this picture? How many bad endings do you know of now?

And what hope does the cross give you that these bad endings do not truly end the story? Ambassadorgroup.org This media was brought to you by Audioverse, a website dedicated to spreading God's Word through free sermon audio and much more. If you would like to know more about Audioverse, or if You

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