Job 42:10-17
‘Then the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed…. The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before…, (and) blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning…. No women were found so fair as his daughters…, and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. After this, Job lived 140 years…. Then Job died, being old and full of days!’ Job 42:10-17.
Calvin remarked in his Sermons on Job: “‘The Lord received…and…blessed the latter state of Job more than the first’…. Men…need…a Mediator, to make their way to Him and to cause them to find favour…. Without a Mediator to go in unto God on our behalf, it would never be lawful for us to pray to Him!…. Job…could not himself come there, without a Mediator…like Jesus….
“Christ…gives us access, and…opens us the gate…, so that the throne of His Majesty may…be…amiable to us…. Christ is the only Advocate Who makes intercession for us…, so that our suits may be well received…. As oft as we pray before God, we must have our recourse to the death and passion of our Lord Jesus…, by coming to Him with the Sacrifice that was offered by…Christ….
“It is added immediately, ‘that God received…Job and turned his captivity…, when he prayed’…. Our everlasting Advocate…Christ, shall never be refused — nor we neither, if we come to God His Father by His means…. We have…Christ for our Spokesman!… God has taken the charge of us Himself, and has given us a good Shepherd — even…Christ Who has promised to keep us….
“‘God looked mercifully upon Job, when he had prayed’…. The afflictions…God sends upon His children, last but a while…. The end of them, is right happy…. ‘God blessed his later state more than his first’; He doubled his goods and substance which were very great before; ‘He gave him sons and daughters and…lengthened his life so that he saw the children that came of his own race unto the fourth generation’…. That was not for his instruction, but for ours!….
“In all our adversities, we are shaped to the image of our Lord Jesus…. When we join His resurrection to His death…, all of us should understand that the Son of God will make us partakers of His life — if we die with Him. And partakers of His glory!… We should always have an eye to the end which God has promised to His children….
“Affliction…brings us to the glory of our Lord Jesus…. When we be taken out of this world, we shall be in company with the Son of God…. Christ has opened the gate of paradise by His coming…. God has prepared…an heritage in Heaven…. Job and Abraham…died old men and full satisfied with days…. But neither Job nor Abraham…would ever have been satisfied with living in
this world, if they had not aimed at a better and more excellent end….
“It behooves us…to dispose ourselves to die when it shall please God, so that we may go hence with a glad heart…. Let us always be ready to die, assuring ourselves that He has adopted us for His children…. Let us…pray Him, that having guided us…with His Holy Spirit, He will draw us to Himself…. May we come there full satisfied!” Job died, doubly-blessed when old and full of days!
