Job 42
Psalm 42 is said to have been written by the sons of Korah of Israel, and it is well known for its theme, 'the soul that longs for God'. The psalm expresses spiritual thirst and sorrow that arise when the poet’s close fellowship with God is cut off, along with a renewed longing for God. The text can be divided into two main parts (verses 1-5, 6-11), and it is characterized by the repeated confession, "My soul, why are you downcast?"
1verseThen Job answered the LORD:
2verse“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be restrained.
3verseYou asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ therefore I have uttered that which I didn’t understand, things too wonderful for me, which I didn’t know.
4verseYou said, ‘Listen, now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you will answer me.’
5verseI had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.
6verseTherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
7verseIt was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.
8verseNow therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.”
9verseSo Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD commanded them, and the LORD accepted Job.
10verseThe LORD restored Job’s prosperity when he prayed for his friends. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11verseThen all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, came to him and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that the LORD had brought on him. Everyone also gave him a piece of money, and everyone a ring of gold.
12verseSo the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys.
13verseHe had also seven sons and three daughters.
14verseHe called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren Happuch.
15verseIn all the land were no women found so beautiful as the daughters of Job. Their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.
16verseAfter this Job lived one hundred forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, to four generations.
17verseSo Job died, being old and full of days.
The Flow of the Content and the Main Message
- Verses 1-4: The psalmist seeks God "as the deer pants for streams of water." In this image, the longing and hope for God’s presence are emphasized. Memories of having once gone into the temple to worship God make the poet’s heart yearn even more.
- Verses 5-7: In his discouragement, the psalmist encourages himself and looks for God’s help. He describes his troubles using a metaphor of suffering as if the sea and waves were crashing over him.
- Verses 8-11: During the day, God shows steadfast love, and at night, there is song. Still, the psalmist suffers from the mockery of those around him and the feeling that God is far away. Even at the end, he encourages himself and does not lose hope.
Points to Ponder
- When spiritual longing comes upon us with urgency, how are we responding to God?
- Can we learn from the psalmist’s attitude of holding on to hope even amid worry and discouragement?
- What challenge does our posture of being honest about our present suffering and emotions—and yet placing our hope again in God—offer us?
Try Applying It to Yourself
- When God’s presence feels distant, what am I placing my hope in?
- In the end, the psalmist encourages himself and looks to God. Could I remember the experiences I’ve had of drawing near to God through the Word, prayer, and praise in the face of my discouragement?
- If there is thirst in my heart today, let’s pray that this thirst may become an opportunity to move rightly toward God.
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This is the last chapter of Job.