COMFORTED AND CONSOLED

COMFORTED AND CONSOLED

“Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.” ( Job 42:11 NAS )

COMFORTED AND CONSOLED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS

The first thing to note about this is that the occasion that is described here is a family gathering. Job's brothers and sisters and all his friends who had known him before are getting together. By this time Job is a seventy-year-old man or even older, and though his own children had all perished, he could have had grandchildren and great-grandchildren by now.

Job's family and friends gathered to comfort him and to express sympathy and understanding for all the pain and suffering he had been going through.

My uncle had an accident recently, and he was paralyzed. His town got together with his family and had a community dinner and collected money to help do some work on their home( to widen front door, add a wheel chair ramp)so he would be able to return to his home. This was the same kind of compassionate help that Job's family was doing for him. This act of love must have blessed God's heart.

These friends and family members gave to Job gifts of silver and gold. In the Bible these two metals are used symbolically as a picture of redemption. Silver is the sign of redemption, and gold is the picture of Deity; God redeeming His people.


CALLED TO COMFORT AND CONSOLE

Let us beware of the mistakes that Job's three friends made and were rebuked of God. It is not our place to stand as judges over one another when some one is going through trials. They might, or might not be responsible. Our Job is to bring God redeeming love into the situation.

Our God is a God of restoration. Many of His plans, purposes, and great works deal with the process of restoring. The whole purpose of the life of Jesus Christ here on earth, and especially His death and resurrection, was one of restoration.

Jesus didn't just restore us to relationship with God, His work of restoration was much more profound than that; it reached every area of every life of those who have accepted Him as Lord. According to the dictionary, the word "restore" means "return to its original condition."

“So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.” (Job 42:12-13)

Job's restoration, began with God, then with the comfort and consolation from his family and friends. We are all part Gods plan of restoration in others lives. This is our greatest ministry, the ministry of reconciling others to God.

“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” ( 2 Corinthians 5:18 )

THE COMFORTER AND CONSOLER

As part of God's plan of restoration, which He wrought through Jesus Christ, we now have the Holy Spirit( The comforter ) to be our teacher, comforter, and guide. We have the Holy Spirit available to us, it's part of the restoration work of Christ.

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”(John 14:26 )
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 15:26 )

Conclusion
So in conclusion, we have a calling in our lives to be part of Gods comforting and consoling ministry for our family and friends, and to a lost and hurting world.. God is in the restoration business, and we can be a part of it if we will live our lives as restorers, instead of judges.