God restores Job's prosperity, and he lived another 140 years. It was a long and peaceful time during which he lived to see his children's children "to the fourth generation" (Job 42:16)
But, no doubt, Job never forgot his trials. He must often have thought of how in his darkest hour, he was able to mane his boldest expression of faith. ''I know that my Redeemer lives". And as the years brought him closer to death, those words surely became more and more treasured.
Like Job, we all have been able to encounter death with courage. Death is never easy to face, whether it is our own or that of a loved one. Yet Christ strengthens us. For ''death has been swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15:54)
Through Christ, death has lost its sting; it is but the gate to glory. So as we face life's troubles, we can actually look forward to the end of life on earth. That doesn't mean we shouldn't pay attention to today and what's going on. But it does mean that we should not live in terror of the end.
So, Job was ready to die. The last verse of his book describes Job's passing very simply and eloquently: "And so he died, old and full of years" (Job 42:17).
As we prepare to wind down our study of Job, perhaps as word is necessary concerning our approach to the book. Job lived in Old Testament time, before Christ. But during our study I have made frequent reference to the New Testament and to Jesus Christ. How is that possible?
One of the things that people overlook when reading and studying the Bible is that it is one complete story. Not a lot of little stories or vignettes thrown together. In this singular story, Christ is at the center. Though Job did not know Jesus by name, Job still placed his hope and confidence in his redeemer. The person that would save him...This is what we call faith and trust.
[continued...]
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