Job Chapter 42: Verses 7-9 (NIV-UK)
After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.’ So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
God is just and fair. He told Job’s friends that He would not treat them as their behaviour deserved. He told them to bring an offering in repentance and that Job would pray for them. Thus, He completely vindicated Job, and extended grace to them at the same time. The encouraging thing about this piece of scripture is that it shows that the three men accepted the grace offered to them in being obedient to what God said, and showed that Job himself didn’t bear them any ill will for their behaviour towards them. He prayed to God on their behalf. That’s the best thing we could do for anyone who has hurt us.
God is not vindictive. When we know we have completely messed up, and come with a sincerely repentant heart, He will not reject us. But similarly, He expects us to deal with grace and compassion towards those who have not treated us well. Its not our place, or our right to hold a grudge against anyone.
Both Job and His friends were thus restored and treated the same in God’s eyes. No matter what anyone may have done in their past, Jesus too made the ultimate sacrifice for them with His life. We need to be careful to therefore treat anyone who has received God’s forgiveness as we should, and not as their previous behaviour deserved.
Dear Lord,
I am grateful for this example of grace and mercy that reminds me of what Jesus has done for me. Help me also to treat those I meet with the same grace and mercy, even if they have been unkind towards me. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.