Job 42:3 | KingComments | STEP | When the LORD has finished speaking, Job answers Him again ( ). His answer testifies of a profound work of God’s Spirit in him. He has understood the message that it is only about what God wants and that He carries out that will, without giving an account of it to man. Job submits to the government of God and comes to the confession which the psalmist will express centuries later: “I know, LORD, that your judgments are just” ( ). Job has acknowledged in his first answer that he is insignificant ( ); now in his second answer he acknowledges God’s omnipotence, that He can do whatever He purposes ( ). He acknowledges that God not only cares for all creation and controls the world, but also does so in his life. God has a plan for each of His own. He carries out that plan for their benefit. This is apparent from the life of Job. If He deems oppression necessary, He brings it into the life of His own. If His purpose is achieved by oppression, He takes it away. In Job repeats what God said to him in , who he is, that he darkens or hides His counsel. This repetition means that Job confesses his sin. Confessing sin means repeating God’s judgment of that sin and agreeing that His judgment on it is righteous. Job acknowledges that he has confessed more than he understood (cf. ). He has made a judgment about things that are too wonderful for him and that he does not know (cf. ). He acknowledges that he has taken an inappropriate attitude toward God by commanding Him to listen to him, for he would tell Him something ( ; ). He would interrogate God and then God would have to answer him. Job had called God to account and of course he was not allowed to do that. Job comes to complete surrender to God. After hearing God speak in His first speech, he has come to the understanding that he should not contradict God ( ). That is all well and good, but it is not enough, because he has contradicted God and he has yet to confess that. He does so in response to God’s second speech. In it he has seen God in His works and how He controls everything ( ). That breaks him. He despises himself and repents “in dust and ashes” ( ), that is, sitting in literal dust and ashes which at the same time serve as symbols of mourning ( ; ; ). What he says now, he did not say in the days of his prosperity.

‏ Job 42:3

Job Retracts and Repents

When the LORD has finished speaking, Job answers Him again (Job 42:1). His answer testifies of a profound work of God’s Spirit in him. He has understood the message that it is only about what God wants and that He carries out that will, without giving an account of it to man. Job submits to the government of God and comes to the confession which the psalmist will express centuries later: “I know, LORD, that your judgments are just” (Psa 119:75a).

Job has acknowledged in his first answer that he is insignificant (Job 40:4); now in his second answer he acknowledges God’s omnipotence, that He can do whatever He purposes (Job 42:2). He acknowledges that God not only cares for all creation and controls the world, but also does so in his life. God has a plan for each of His own. He carries out that plan for their benefit. This is apparent from the life of Job. If He deems oppression necessary, He brings it into the life of His own. If His purpose is achieved by oppression, He takes it away.

In Job 42:3 Job repeats what God said to him in Job 38:2, who he is, that he darkens or hides His counsel. This repetition means that Job confesses his sin. Confessing sin means repeating God’s judgment of that sin and agreeing that His judgment on it is righteous. Job acknowledges that he has confessed more than he understood (cf. Psa 131:1). He has made a judgment about things that are too wonderful for him and that he does not know (cf. Psa 73:21-22).

He acknowledges that he has taken an inappropriate attitude toward God by commanding Him to listen to him, for he would tell Him something (Job 42:4; Job 13:22). He would interrogate God and then God would have to answer him. Job had called God to account and of course he was not allowed to do that.

Job comes to complete surrender to God. After hearing God speak in His first speech, he has come to the understanding that he should not contradict God (Job 40:5). That is all well and good, but it is not enough, because he has contradicted God and he has yet to confess that. He does so in response to God’s second speech. In it he has seen God in His works and how He controls everything (Job 42:5). That breaks him. He despises himself and repents “in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6), that is, sitting in literal dust and ashes which at the same time serve as symbols of mourning (Job 2:8; Jer 6:26 ; Jer 25:34; Jona 3:6). What he says now, he did not say in the days of his prosperity.