JOB, THE "END TIME" SON
by George Kirkpatrick
Vital Words to the Body of Christ 
Freely We Have Received, Freely We Give
E-mail: harvesteam@aol.com for a listing of others books and tapes
 

 

In the Old Testament, people's names represented the character, a particular trait, or a special job that God had for a person to accomplish. Job's name means "persecuted". When persecution enters into our lives, it is for good.

No one knows for sure in what time period Job lived; some thought before the flood, some after the flood.

When we look at the affliction God allowed to come upon Job, we find God was purifying Job as an example to us. Job is an example of how God will purify His Sons.

Job was from Uz. Uz is located in the Arabian desert, west of Babylon. Job was an Arab and desert dweller. Desert dwellers in those days were usually nomadic, but Job was not. He was a man who was stable.

Job had ten children, seven thousand head of sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred she asses. Job also had a great household with many, many servants. Servants were the sign of great wealth. Therefore, Job was a very wealthy man. He was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Besides Job's great wealth, he had great authority, and was well looked up to. He was truly God's man of the hour.

Job was a man that offered up sacrifices for his sons continually.

"And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually." *** Job 1:5

Job was before God continually. We know Job had great patience, a man who stood righteous before God. But there were things in Job's life that he had to change if he was to stand before God with clean hands and a pure heart. *** Psalm 24:4

"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto satan, Whence comest thou? Then satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." *** Job 1:6-7

Satan was going to and fro in the earth. We are told,

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." *** I Peter 5:8

Satan is still seeking whom he may devour today. The word devour means "to swallow up". Satan never changes his tactics.

The Bible says God never changes. Then, who changes? We do! We are continually changing; either for the better or for the worse. It is according to what voice we are listening to. Are you listening to the voice of God who desires to change you for the better; or are you listening to the voice of satan who will change you for the worse?

There are two factions pulling at you; one pulling one way and the other pulling the other way. But if we will listen to the Father's voice, the still small voice, our change will be for the better. Only God can make us better. Man cannot change himself. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. *** Isaiah 64:6

"And the Lord said unto satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" *** Job 1:8

God did not see Job the way he was. God saw Job the way he was going to be. He knows the end from the beginning, *** Isaiah 46:10. God was declaring Job as he would be, not as he was. This is the way God sees us. This does not mean we have arrived, but God sees the finished product.

We will observe what happened to Job. Then we will look at the end of the book to find why God found it necessary to afflict Job.

God was desiring to make Job a usable vessel; just as He must put us through the fire so He can make us a usable vessel in the kingdom of God. It was not to try Job's patience. God did not want to see if Job would fall away. Instead, God was purifying Job for the kingdom of God. God was using satan as a tool in this purifying process, just as He does today.

When satan is allowed to come against us, it is not to destroy us. It is to strengthen and build us up, that we might know we are victorious and more than conquerors. Jesus defeated satan on the cross. If we are to walk into this place of purity, we must learn to battle satan and know his devices. God is desiring us to be overcomers. If we are to overcome, we must learn that satan is a defeated enemy and that we are the overcomers.

Some say, "Accept Jesus Christ and your problems will all be over. Just hang on until His return, or you die, and everything will work out." Where is the strength? If we do not learn to battle satan, how will we be able to stand?

Man-made doctrine may say "You are alright." But the Bible says to grow up. Do you want to remain a baby and never grow, eating only upon the milk of the Word? Or do you desire to grow and eat the meat of God's Word? Do you want something to chew on, a challenge; or, are you content "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth"? *** II Timothy 3:7

We have seen Bibles completely worn out on the outside and brand new on the inside. The pages still stick together. Others read the New Testament but reject the Old Testament saying that it has all been fulfilled and done away with, having nothing to do with this time.

The book of Job teaches us many things concerning how God desires to work in our lives. God's cleansing power comes in many forms. God removed all Job's earthly wealth and his children were taken. This was part of the cleansing process needed in Job's life to prepare him for the kingdom. We read of all the things God removed from Job to get his attention:

"And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee." *** Job 1:13-19

Job lost all in one day. The Bible speaks of the day when this world is going to lose everything in one day. The Chaldeans had stolen Job's livelihood. The fire burned up the sheep. His ten children had all been killed by a wind storm.

Job loved his children as much as we love ours. He had offered up daily sacrifices for his children continually. We know Job was filled with grief, but how did Job respond to his grief?

"Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped." *** Job 1:20

What would our attitudes have been if this calamity had fallen upon us? Would we have been able to worship the Lord if everything we owned or loved had been destroyed; gone, completely devastated and stolen? Would we have worshipped God - or cursed Him?

"Job said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." *** Job 1:21

Job did not have anything left. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

"In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." *** Job 1:22

Job did not accuse God for what had happened to him. Would we react in this manner; or would we ask, "Why are you allowing this to happen to me?" Would we say, "I have offered up sacrifices to you daily. Why have you allowed this to come upon me? If this is how you are going to treat me, then I am going to turn my back on you." "I will just go back to the bar and drown all these troubles in the bottle. I will get a needle or take a pill. I did not have any problems before I started serving you, God. Since then, all I have had is problems, problems, problems!"

This was not the end of Job's problems. Although devastated, Job had to endure much more. Satan was not done with Job because Job was still praising God.

Satan said, "You attack Job's flesh and he will curse you." 

God said, "All right satan, you can do anything you want to Job, but you cannot kill him."

"So went satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes." *** Job 2:7-8

Now, every inch of Job's body became covered with sores; from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

Here sat the greatest man of the east, who served God day and night, sitting in a pile of ashes, taking broken pottery and scraping his skin to rid himself of the boils. Yet, this was not the end of Job's problems.

"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die." *** Job 2:9

There were two things God did not take away from Job. One was his land. God did not take away Job's inheritance. The other thing Job kept was a nagging wife. What Job's wife spoke to him was certainly not uplifting. This was definitely not one of Job's better days. Job's answer to her was...

"Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips." *** Job 2:10

Next time you are feeling down, get in the book of Job and read a little about him.

The word evil here means "trouble, displeasure and affliction". Do we only accept the good God has to give us? When things start to get tough, do we turn back and begin to complain?

Again, this was not the end of Job's problems. Job had three friends. We may say that surely these were not true friends; yet, we find at the end of the book of Job, God mentions them again. Both times Job refers to them as friends. The friends were:

Eliphaz the Temanite
Bildad the Shuhite
Zophar the Naamathite

Job's three friends came and sat down to tell him of all the sin in his life. These men were like many we have around us today. As soon as something happens, they begin accusing God's people of everything. Every sin ever committed is brought up to rehash.

The teaching in the church today is that all good comes from God and all bad comes from satan. When something which seems to be bad comes upon us, people say, "What did you do to cause God to remove His protection from your life?" But God has not taken His protection from our lives; nor is He necessarily angry with His people. God chastens those whom He loves and are called according to His purpose. *** Hebrews 12:5-6

God was purifying Job. Job's three friends spoke out of the flesh not in the Spirit. None had the Spirit to reveal to Job the cause of his chastisement. They were taking the things of the flesh and slapping Job in the face with them. That is all they knew to do. They had no spiritual discernment.

There were many things that were in Job's life which were not pleasing to God. In fact, when we look closely at Job's life, we find Job was a "stinker". If God had not changed Job, we would not have read about Job in the Bible. 

God could not use Job the way Job was. But Job was a man of God. Job did all the outward religious things that he thought were pleasing to God. He thought these works allowed him to stand righteous before God. But there were several areas in Job's life that had to be dealt with and purified.

The same is true of us today. God does not see us as we are. He sees the finished product. He predestined us before He ever laid the foundation of the earth. He is continually changing us into His likeness that we may become pleasing in His sight.

After Job's three friends were done criticizing, Elihu stepped into the scene. Elihu had not been mentioned before this point. Elihu had been there all the time, but had not said anything.

"Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God." *** Job 32:2

Who was this young man who said Job had justified himself rather than God? Elihu was a Spirit-filled young man, full of knowledge and truth. God is desiring to raise up Spirit-filled young men, full of knowledge and truth today, just as he was desiring to do in Job's life.

Who are the Spirit-filled young men of today?

"I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." *** I John 2:14

The young men are those who are strong and have the Word of God abiding in them. They have overcome the wicked one.

Let's look at Elihu's qualifications.

"My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.
The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead: I also am formed out of the clay." *** Job 33:3-4 & 6

Observe the five characteristics concerning Elihu.

# 1 His lips uttered knowledge
# 2 Formed by the Spirit
# 3 Received life from God
# 4 Did the will of God
# 5 He was in God's stead

Elihu was an "end time" man of God. Elihu could counsel Job wisely because he was speaking by the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge. Elihu was walking with God and doing His will. Elihu ministered in the gifts of the Spirit.

God has put all these qualities into man, formed of clay, that he might minister in the Spirit. Elihu was an "end time" son of God prepared and formed by the Spiritual Father to minister.

Speaking in the knowledge and wisdom of the Spirit, Elihu pointed out to Job where he was in error. Elihu not only spoke to Job, but to his three friends as well.

"Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job."

Like many today who have a condemning spirit, these three men condemned Job.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." *** Romans 8:1

No man has the right to condemn. Job should have been comforted and uplifted in his time of trouble. Instead, his three friends tore down and condemned. So many brothers and sisters today do not know how to uplift and encourage each other. They operate in division, devastation and devouring; accusing instead of helping.

Job was being purified, fit for the Master's use; yet, his so-called friends came and ripped him up one side and down the other. Chapter after chapter, Job's friends accused and condemned.

As has been stated before, God did not see Job as he was, but as he would be when the chastening of the Lord was complete.

Elihu pointed out twelve areas in Jobs life God had to change.

"So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes." *** Job 32:1

Job was self-righteous.

*** Isaiah 64:6 says our righteousness is as filthy rags. Job did not stand righteous before God. Many, today, have established their own righteousness. This generally comes from a religious belief, or doctrine, or from the church they attend.

But Jesus said, 

"Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." *** Matthew 5:20

The first thing God had to deal with was Job's self-righteousness. Job declared his righteous innocence before man, saying, 

"I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me." *** Job 33:9

Job had convinced himself he was pure in God's eyes. But Elihu was about to teach Job wisdom concerning the ways of God.

"What man is like Job who drinketh up scorning like water?" *** Job 34:7

Scorning means "scoffing". Job was a scoffer. Evidently Job scoffed at anything he saw.

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts." *** II Peter 3:3

Certainly, we know that these are the last days because of the mockers and scoffers. *** Galatians 6:7 states that God is not mocked. God will deal with those who are mockers. God had to deal with this mocking in Job's life.

Job also had a problem with the company he kept.

"Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men." *** Job 34:8

Job walked with those who caused trouble and those who were walking in vanity. Job allowed himself to be associated with worthless troublemakers. Job kept company with those of low degree so that he, himself, might be exalted.

We are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. What fellowship does righteousness have with unrighteousness? What communion does light have with darkness? *** II Corinthians 6:14. With Job, there was no separation from wicked men. We cannot be around sin without getting it on us. We cannot be around sin without it affecting our walk with the Lord.

"Be ye separate." Do not accompany thyself with the workers of iniquity. Job had not learned this principle. He was still walking with the wicked men of his day.

Job saw nothing to gain in his walk with the Lord.

"For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God." *** Job 34:9

Job was a man who was self-sufficient. Anything Job wanted, he was able to accomplish on his own. He needed no help from God. It was only when all his wealth had been taken away, that he found the following scripture to be true:

Jesus said, 

"...for without Me ye can do nothing." *** John 15:5

Job, like many today, feel they are self-sufficient; without need of God. God had to deal with Job in this area, as He will with many today.

But Job had other problems in his walk with God.

"Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom." *** Job 34:35

Both knowledge and wisdom are gifts of the Holy Spirit. *** Colossians 2:2-3 reveals the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, the Father, and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Therefore, we see Job was not operating in the Spirit; but, rather, Job, as so many today, was operating in the flesh and standing before God in self-righteousness. God had to bring Job to the place where he would hear His voice.

In *** Job 34:37, three more sins in Job's life were revealed which God had to deal with.

"For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God." 

# 1 Job was rebellious
# 2 Job was a smiter
# 3 Job spake against God

Job was rebellious. The sin of rebellion was in Job's life. Job's eyes were on his wealth. Jesus said very few wealthy people will enter into the kingdom of God, *** Matthew 19:23. Yet, a false prosperity teaching is still rampant in this nation. We are taught to desire the things of the world. God says these are an abomination unto Him. "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft." *** I Samuel 15:23

Job was a "smiter". Evidently, Job was cruel, slapping those around him. Why did only three friends come to Job? Why were his wife's remarks spoken so rudely? There are those today who cannot control their tempers. One of the gifts of the Spirit is temperance which means "self-control". God had to deal with this lack of self-control and temper in Job's life.

Job continued to speak against God. He continued to raise himself above God. He constantly complained against God, giving no glory or thanks. It seemed nothing God did satisfied Job. Many, today, treat God the same way. We should remember *** I Thessalonians 5:18:

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

God saw Job as he was going to be, but Job still had many areas in his life that had to come under obedience to God.

"Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?" *** Job 35:2

Job had come to the place where he believed everything he did and every word he spoke was just in the eyes of God, and that he was an example of God's perfection. How foolish man becomes.

"For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? And, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?" *** Job 35:3

Job felt he was so righteous, so pure in the eyes of God that God accepted his sin and that anything he did was acceptable in the eyes of God. So many today have this same philosophy: "Once saved, always saved" and "eternal security". Job was a perfect example of this kind of thinking. He felt, as many today, that after salvation, we cannot lose our right standing with God. 

God is looking for a holy people without spot or wrinkle, *** Ephesians 5:27. Only those without spot or wrinkle will enter into His presence. Those who believe God winks at their sin will be purified as Job, or lose out.

"Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge." *** Job 35:16

Job's words were empty. Truth was not in him. He evidently talked much, but said little. So many today confess with their mouths, but do not believe in their heart. The truth is not in them. They have convinced themselves and others, of their righteousness with their mouths, but stand in naked judgment before God.

There were twelve things that God had to correct in Job's life. The afflictions that God allowed to come upon Job were very necessary to cleanse his life from all unrighteousness, so that his life might become an example to us.

We need to deal with many of these areas in our own lives. It was not Job who had patience, it was God. When Elihu, the Spirit-filled young man, was through pointing out Job's errors in his walk, God comforted Job. *** Job 38-39

Was God's chastisement of Job successful? Job proclaimed:

"Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth." *** Job 40:4

The word vile means "small, trifling, and slight". Job finally recognized he was nothing. We, too, must fall on our faces and declare that we are nothing in His sight. Then, and only then, can He use us. As long as we lift up ourselves, saying, "Look at all the great things I have done for you, Lord", God cannot use us.

Job said, "I put my hand upon my mouth." God had to break Job and bring him to repentance before He could bless him. How would we answer God? 

Jesus said in *** Matthew 21:44,

"And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

Job would have been ground to powder had he not repented before the Lord. But Job had completely submitted to the Lord; as each of us must do. I think we would all rather be broken than ground to powder. 

 

"Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that Thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from Thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech Thee, and I will speak: I will demand of Thee, and declare Thou unto me. I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." *** Job 42:1-6

This is one of the most profound statements of all time. Job said, 

"What I have heard with my ears, I now see with my eyes." 

We have all heard of the goodness of God, but now we begin to see it with our eyes. Job said, 

"I abhor myself and repent." 

God had to change Job before He could bless him. Observe, Job was given back children.

"And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters." *** Job 42:10-13

God gave everything back to Job that He had taken. He gave it back in more abundance and better than Job had ever had before. All of Job's children were given back to him. His daughters were the fairest of the land.

"And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren." *** Job 42:15

God is doing an "end time" work in all His people. Eliphaz, one of Job's friends, said,

"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty." *** Job 5:17

God is doing a perfect work in His saints in these last days. It will come through patience; and patience comes by tribulation. *** Romans 5:3

"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." *** James 1:4

Job was chastised, but he came to the place in God, wanting nothing. We, as Job, have many things in our lives that need changed by God. We can willingly listen to the Elihus sent by God and allow the Father to do a mighty work in us, or we can listen to our "best friends" and our "mates" and curse God and die.

Job had a hard lesson to learn. But by the grace of God and the humbling of self, Job was changed and was blessed, turning toward that mark of the high calling of God, wanting nothing.

 Back to New Foundations Home Page