What do the words of Job mean? The Omnipotence of God? The impossibility for man to resist God? Probably, and that also. But in the context of the entire book, they probably all the same acquire another sense, not so obvious. What is the main problem of Job? What worries him most? The misfortunes that struck him? Probably...
What do the words of Job mean? The Omnipotence of God? The impossibility for man to resist God? Probably, and that also. But in the context of the entire book, they probably all the same acquire another sense, not so obvious. What is the main problem of Job? What worries him most? The misfortunes that struck him? Probably, no. However, of course the starting point was exactly the misfortunes. But oppressed Job mostly makes the fact that he perceived these misfortunes as an injustice, and moreover as an injustice from God. He is troubled, he cannot understand: is God unjust? Or He simply doesn’t care about people? Both were for Job equally a spiritual disaster, quite as, certainly for any sincere religious person. And Job, naturally as a sincere person, began to ask very "uncomfortable" questions to God, and moreover in a very rude form (to the great displeasure of his friends, who used all the theological arguments available to them to reason with Job). And then, Job finally heard God.
The God, Who paradoxically had promised nothing to him and had answered him to none of the questions and nor any of the charges pronounced by Job to His face. What thus urged Job to reconsider his previous opinions? Is it only the overwhelming greatness of God, in front of which man cannot resist? Probably, not only it. If everything was so easy, God would not have needed to intervene, the arguments moved forward by the friends of Job would have been enough. Apparently, Job understood something else: he was persuaded that God has answers to his given questions, including the question about the sufferings of an innocent righteous. Besides, God is far from wanting to justify evil and suffering: they, it seems, are generally deprived of any sense and have no justification.
He, probably, simply let Job know that He has means to make these sufferings as former, and will come in the day, when He will do it. Such an answer would really mean that God can do anything, even what turns out, according to the laws of our non-transformed world, in principle impossible. He can do anything, not because He has the power to destroy the world and create it again, but because for Him there are no hopeless situations and irretrievable losses, for His righteous man He will find a way out of any impasse. Although, of course this way out can turn out not totally such or even totally not such as the person who shouts out to God for help and injustice imagines himself.
42 Job throughly humbles himself before God, Job 42:1-6.
God reproves his friends, for whom Job intercedes, and God accepts them, Job 42:7-9.
God blesses and restores Job to his prosperity, Job 42:10-15.
His age and death, Job 42:16-17.
42:2 Thou canst, etc - Job here subscribes to God's unlimited power, knowledge and dominion, to prove which was the scope of God's discourse out of the whirlwind. And his judgment being convinced of these, his conscience also was convinced, of his own folly in speaking so irreverently concerning him. No thought can be withholden from thee - No thought of ours can be withholden from thy knowledge. And there is no thought of thine, which thou canst be hindered from bringing into execution.
42:3 Who - What am I that I should be guilty of such madness!Therefore - Because my mind was without knowledge. Knew not - I have spoken foolishly and unadvisedly of all things far above my reach.
42:4 Hear - Hear and accept my humble confession. Enquire - I will no more dispute the matter with thee, but beg information from thee.The words which God had uttered to Job by way of challenge, Job returns to him in way of submission.
42:5 Seeth thee - The knowledge which I had of thy nature, perfections and counsels, was hitherto grounded chiefly, upon the instructions of men; but now it is clear and certain, as being immediately inspired into my mind by this thy glorious apparition and revelation, and by the operation of thy holy spirit; which makes these things as evident to me, as if I saw them with my bodily eyes. When the mind is enlightened by the spirit of God, our knowledge of Divine things as far exceeds what we had before, as knowledge by ocular demonstration, exceeds, that by common fame.
42:7 Eliphaz - As the eldest of the three, and because he spoke first, and by his example led the rest into the same miscarriages.Two friends - Elihu is not here reproved, because he dealt more mercifully with Job, and did not condemn his person, but only rebuked his sinful expressions. Ye have not, etc - This is not to be understood absolutely, but comparatively. Job was not so much to be blamed as they, because his opinion concerning the methods of God's providence, and the indifferency of its dispensations towards good and bad men was truer than theirs, which was, that God did always reward good men and punish sinners in this life.
42:8 My servant - Whom though you condemned as an hypocrite, I own for my faithful servant. Offer - By the hand of Job, whom I hereby constitute your priest to pray and sacrifice for you. Lest I deal - Lest my just judgment take hold of you for your false and foolish speeches.
42:9 Accepted Job - And as Job prayed and offered sacrifice for those who had grieved and wounded his spirit, so Christ prayed and died for his persecutors, and ever lives, making intercession for transgressors.