Lessons from Job - repentance

Job 42: 5-6
My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."

God in the Bible speaks of Job as a righteous man and in more than one passage is highly recommended for being an upright man. However in this passage we read, Job is seen repenting in dust and ashes. Which leads us to ask - if Job was a righteous man, what did he need to repent of? And also, what led to this repentance?

The answer to the first question can be obtained if we read the first few verses of chapter 32. We find that Job had stubbornly held on to his position of being righteous in his own eyes. Also, at various points he had questioned the judgement of God in permitting him to go through suffering in spite of being righteous. Yes, he did not sin against God in deliberately breaking the laws of God, but his weakness was his claim to a self-righteousness which to his point of view should have exempted him from suffering which befalls ordinary humans. However there comes a point when God questions this assumption of his and asks - does Job know everything in the world to be able to claim that God wa unjust to him? Job had to humbly admit that he did not. He had to repent of his attitude which sought to justify himself in God's sight.

The answer to the second question is enlightening - all the while God had a knowledge of God based on what he heard but at this point he has a personal revelation of God. And when he does have that, he had to admit that he did not have any right to ask the questions he did. And also compared to the holiness of God, his own righteousness was as nothing. And this led to repentance. We see a similar situation with the prophet Isaiah who had a vision of God. Also Peter in the gospel of Luke, when he realised who Jesus was had nothing left to say besides- "Go away from me Lord, I am a sinful man".

The moment Job repented, he had a proper perspective of where he stood in the overall plan of God. And then God goes ahead and blesses him with twice as much as he had before.

Let's examine our own hearts. Do we have a righteousness that comes from our claims or do come to God in humility and admit that we need his forgiveness and Grace that he offers in Christ Jesus? When we do that, we will experience the fullness of the blessing that God offers.

God Bless!