Lessons from the book of Job

The book of Job is an excellent lesson for us in many ways. Most of us know the overall story and main points, such as Satan’s challenge, Jehovah’s permission to put Job to the test and how Job kept his integrity. But what other lessons can we learn from the book of Job? We all know about the hour of test that is before us. We also know that it is not only a test but a punishment for those who have transgressed against the covenant. For many this test will be a surprise because of the misconceptions and assumptions of the Watchtower. Most of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be blind to the coming judgment of the Watchtower believing it is Christendom that should be going down first in the tribulation. How does this compare with Job’s situation? Job was completely blind to the situation at hand. He did not know or understand why God had let this calamity befall him. Job 3:25,26 Because a dreadful thing I have dreaded, and it comes upon me; And what I have been scared of comes to me. I have not been carefree, nor have I been undisturbed, Nor been at rest, and yet agitation comes.” Job 6:8,9 O that my request would come And that God would grant even my hope! And that God would go ahead and crush me, That he would release his hand and cut me off! Job also states that he has done nothing to deserve this calamity even though his companions think that he did. Instruct me, and I, for my part, shall be silent; And what mistake I have committed make me understand. The sayings of uprightness have been—O not painful! But what does reproving on the part of YOU men reprove? Many of Jehovah’s Witnesses live clean moral lives and honestly do their best to serve Jehovah with their whole heart. They also believe they have a good idea of who Jehovah is and how to serve him. Thus for any calamity to come upon them would certainly be confusing just as Job was confused about his calamity. Yet they still have a advantage over Job. How? They at least know there is a tribulation coming. Job did not know. Just as Satan tested Job so all Jehovah’s servants will be tested. Though Job was blind to the source of his calamity and test he proved his integrity to God and did not ascribe anything bad to Jehovah. “For a fact I do know that it is so. But how can mortal man be in the right in a case with God? If he should find delight in contending with him, He cannot answer him once out of a thousand Job knew Jehovah was his maker and how could God be found in the wrong over man. Look! He snatches away. Who can resist him? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing? Job knew he was a blameless man and could not understand why God had brought this calamity upon him. We know that it was Satan that brought the calamity not God. So when Job spoke he spoke without knowledge. And Jehovah proceeded to answer Job out of the windstorm and say: “Who is this that is obscuring counsel by words without knowledge? After being counseled by Jehovah, Job realized his error in speaking about God without knowledge. ‘Who is this that is obscuring counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I talked, but I was not understanding Things too wonderful for me, which I do not know. ‘ Hear, please, and I myself shall speak. I shall question you, and you inform me.’ In hearsay I have heard about you, But now my own eye does see you. That is why I make a retraction, And I do repent in dust and ashes.' Not only did Job speak without knowledge but admitted that he actually did not know God that well by saying, in hearsay I have heard about you. Knowing this Job repents and makes a retraction. In the coming hour of test and tribulation how will those who are without knowledge speak about their creator? Those who are blameless, live Godly lives, and have served Jehovah for many years faithfully, hopefully, can learn from Job and not speak without knowledge. Do they truly know Jehovah and understand him? According to Ezekiel they still need to know and understand their God. Jehovah’s Witnesses have already spoken without knowledge! Eze 13:8 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “‘For the reason that YOU men have spoken untruth and YOU have visioned a lie, therefore here I am against YOU,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” 9 And my hand has come to be against the prophets that are visioning untruth and that are divining a lie. In the intimate group of my people they will not continue on, and in the register of the house of Israel they will not be written, and to the soil of Israel they will not come; and YOU people will have to know that I am the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, 10 for the reason, yes, for the reason that they have led my people astray, saying, “There is peace!” when there is no peace, and there is one that is building a partition wall, but in vain there are those plastering it with whitewash.’ We have all spoken the untruth of the Watchtower and all have become guilty to some extent of speaking without knowledge. As the Watchtower has taught us certain untruths so we have taught these to others, thus we bear guilt. Eze 14:9 ‘And as for the prophet, in case he gets fooled and actually speaks a word, I myself, Jehovah, have fooled that prophet; and I will stretch out my hand against him and annihilate him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they will have to bear their error. The error of the inquirer will prove to be just the same as the error of the prophet, 11 in order that those of the house of Israel may no more go wandering off from following me and may no more go defiling themselves with all their transgressions. And they must become my people and I myself shall become their God,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” After the judgment of Jehovah he will inform his righteous ones of why the calamity has come and they will know and understand Jehovah better like Job did after being instructed by him. Eze 14:21 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, ‘So, too, [it will be] when there will be my four injurious acts of judgment—sword and famine and injurious wild beast and pestilence—that I shall actually send upon Jerusalem in order to cut off from it earthling man and domestic animal. 22 But, look! there will certainly be left remaining in it an escaped company, those being brought forth. Sons and daughters, here they are! They are going forth to YOU people, and YOU will have to see their way and their dealings. And YOU will certainly be comforted over the calamity that I shall have brought upon Jerusalem, even all that I shall have brought upon her.’” 23 “‘And they will certainly comfort YOU people when YOU see their way and their dealings; and YOU will have to know that it was not without cause that I shall have done all that I must do against her,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” Jehovah will explain why the calamity took place. In that day he will instruct his people in truth and they will come to know Jehovah and he will have mercy on them. They will receive true knowledge and the pure language. Isa 2:2 And it must occur in the final part of the days [that] the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, and it will certainly be lifted up above the hills; and to it all the nations must stream. 3 And many peoples will certainly go and say: “Come, YOU people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For out of Zion law will go forth, and the word of Jehovah out of Jerusalem. 4 And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore. Isa 54:7 “For a little moment I left you entirely, but with great mercies I shall collect you together. 8 With a flood of indignation I concealed my face from you for but a moment, but with loving-kindness to time indefinite I will have mercy upon you,” your Repurchaser, Jehovah, has said. Zec 3:8 “‘Therefore keep yourselves in expectation of me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘till the day of my rising up to [the] booty, for my judicial decision is to gather nations, for me to collect together kingdoms, in order to pour out upon them my denunciation, all my burning anger; for by the fire of my zeal all the earth will be devoured. 9 For then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.’ 10 “From the region of the rivers of Ethiópia the ones entreating me, [namely,] the daughter of my scattered ones, will bring a gift to me. 11 In that day you will not be ashamed because of all your dealings with which you transgressed against me, for then I shall remove from the midst of you your haughtily exultant ones; and you will never again be haughty in my holy mountain. 12 And I shall certainly let remain in the midst of you a people humble and lowly, and they will actually take refuge in the name of Jehovah. 13 As regards the remaining ones of Israel, they will do no unrighteousness, nor speak a lie, nor will there be found in their mouths a tricky tongue; for they themselves will feed and actually lie stretched out, and there will be no one making [them] tremble.” All the prophets speak of how after the judgment from Jehovah a righteous remnant will be instructed by Jehovah and receive grand blessings. Just as Job spoke without knowledge but was corrected by Jehovah and then blessed for his integrity and endurance so will those who keep in expectation of Jehovah having faith that he will not let his righteous ones perish. Like Job our eye will then see Jehovah. In hearsay I have heard about you, But now my own eye does see you.