The Vision of Complete Restoration

Scripture:

Job 42:10   And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. ¹¹ Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. ¹² The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. ¹³ He also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴ He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. ¹⁵ In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. ¹⁶ After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s children, four generations. ¹⁷ And Job died, old and full of days.

Observation:

After all that Job has suffered, we catch a glimpse of his restoration. God doesn’t leave anything out, but restores all the fortunes of Job, as well as providing him with a new family. What is interesting is the emphasis placed on the daughters. Women were considered second class, and definitely lower than their brothers. Interestingly, we are not told the names of the sons, but only of the daughters. 

The three daughters are named: Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren-happuch. Each name has significance which points to restoration. Jemimah means “Day,” and may have represented the day of of Job’s prosperity, after the dark night of suffering. The second daughter is “Kezia,” the name of a spice some say is cassia, others cinnamon. This would have been in great contrast to the stench of Job’s weeping wounds. The sweet smell of the spice represents complete healing and restoration. The final daughter, Keren-happuch, means plenty has been restored. Each daughter is a portion, which when combined, becomes complete restoration.

There is more to be found in the three daughters, for they are called beautiful. In the Old Testament there are a number of references to beauty, and these all have to do with holiness. In the New Testament this is not the case, but the very mention of these three women who are beautiful also represents the hope of holiness for those who have been restored. 

Finally, the daughters receive an inheritance. Early in the Old Testament we read of the daughters of Zelophehad who came to their father for an inheritance for there were no brothers. What is unusual here is that there are brothers, and yet, the daughters are to receive an inheritance as well. This is a vision of complete restoration which will come to fruition in the kingdom of God. 

Job is finally blessed with the opportunity to live out his days in joy and peace. 

Application:

The presence of Job’s three daughters in this story ought to make us stop and ask what they’re doing there. This not just a normal placement of three daughters in a story, but their very presence is trying to tell us something and it points toward a future hope. This is a little glimpse of the kingdom of God which will come to those who can be entirely restored in the image of God. It begs the question as to whether Job’s life represents all of humanity which is lost and but then can have the hope of complete restoration and a life of holiness. This conclusion points in the direction of a the holy life which occurs when all things have been set right by God. 

The hope of complete restoration is not just told in the life of Christ, but is already foreshadowed in the Old Testament and in this story of Job. A life of holiness is entirely possible because God has left us lifelines along the way that continually point in the direction of being completely restored in the image of God. 

That restoration means that we have the privilege of a new day. The old is gone, and when we step out in Christ the new has come. We put the past behind us and we begin to walk in the newness of life. At the same time the stench of the past can be washed away by the anointing of God’s Holy Spirit. The sweet smell of the Spirit comes in cleansing power. I can be cleaned and made white as snow!!! All the old is gone and new flesh appears and this leads me to walk in the horn of plenty. This is the place where we learn entire dependence upon God, the one who provides our needs. 

All of humanity, male and female, Jew and Greek, slave and free — may all partake in the inheritance of restoration. The significance of the daughters’ presence is that they represent the breaking down of traditional barriers. There are no barriers in the kingdom of God, even for those who may have carried the curse of sin, and now, all are one in Christ. That’s the glimpse of heaven on earth that we find in Job’s family, and it is a vision that brings with it hope for all of humanity. This is good news! 

We may be so bathed in the beauty of holiness that we are transformed, in the present, into the image of Christ. Just as the holy women of the Old Testament were called beautiful, our prayer is that people may refer to the holiness of Christ present in us. This is our hope, which comes with the promise that God is faithful and he has the power to transform. 

This past summer we were back in Russia. We toured some of the beautiful palaces of the Czar's, but for me the most beautiful is Catherine's summer palace. After St. Petersburg (Leningrad at the time) had been held under siege by the Nazi forces for 900 days much of the city and surrounding area lay in ruins. This included the beautiful summer palace. The people of the Soviet Union decided that they would completely restore the palace. They didn't make up a type of re-creation, but they went back to the originals and decided to bring it back to the original glory for which it had been created. The restoration is remarkable and one stands in awe of the building's beauty. God's desire is to restore all of humanity in the image of God -- in all the beauty of holiness. The promise in Job is that this is more possible than the restoration of a palace in Russia! 

Drawn to a life of holiness, all of humanity may fellowship with God and become a complete reflection of Christ. We are invited to live in restoration, finding joy and peace, relaxing in the presence of our holy God 

Prayer:

Lord, what an incredible vision of restoration. Thank you for the beautiful promise. May I live in the new day, filled by your sweet Holy Presence and relax in your plenty. Amen.