Job 40:6-42:17
Today the long journey through the Old Testament comes to a close. And its a fitting way to finish – with God reaffirming his kingship over all creation.
For me, the key line in these final chapters of Job comes in the middle of chapter 41 where God is comparing himself to the great beast “behemoth/leviathan” and says,
“Who then is able to stand against me? Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me”
The advice of Job’s friends had not led him to this understanding of the awesomeness of God. God himself had to speak and proclaim his own sovereign majesty. God doesn’t try to explain himself to Job and give the reasons for why he has suffered the way he has. This is not what Job needs to know. Job needs to know the greatness of God. When he comes to terms with this, he is able to accept his circumstances and to trust God.
The book of Job has a happy ending. But the best thing is not that Job ends up more prosperous than he was before but that he learns to treat God as God. Life, in all its ups and downs, is really about nothing more than learning this difficult and yet simple lesson.
So praise God for Jesus, in whom we see God so clearly. In looking to Jesus we can learn to treat God as God. In the words of Job, “my ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you”.
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