JUNE 10
God did not charge Job with the sins his friends had accused
him of committing. However, God did charge him with not seeing
himself in the light of the greatness and the majesty of God. Job’s
religious experience was no longer second-hand. He had met God
personally, and this made all his earthly sufferings worthwhile.
In the last verses of chapter 42, God honors Job. Job had
humbled himself before God and now God exalts him. First, God
rebukes the friends of Job; then He restores Job’s fortune.
Job lived for another 140 years, which suggests that he may
have been 70 years old when these events took place. Since God
doubled everything else in Job’s life, it is reasonable to believe
He doubled his 70 years also.
The main lesson in the Book of Job is not that a person will
be rich and powerful when suffering is over; but, rather, that God
has a purpose in suffering, and nothing can disturb that purpose.
Even Satan must bow to God’s control. Job was not suffering because
of sins, but his suffering still made him a better man. I hope the
Book of Job has been a great inspiration to you and that you will
now be able to better endure the trials that come your way.
We now begin a study of the Psalms. Praise, worship,
confession, and the outpouring of prayer characterize the
Psalms. David was the author of 73 of the Psalms, Asaph composed 12,
the children of Korah 11, Solomon two, and one each is ascribed to
Moses and Ethan. The remaining fifty Psalms are anonymous. We speak
of the Psalms as the “Psalms of David” because he was the principal
writer, or compiler. David’s real character is portrayed in them,
and in them God’s people generally see a pretty fair picture of
themselves, their struggles, their sins, their sorrows, their
aspirations, their joys, their failures, and their victories.