The Bible Says
Job 42:1-6 Meaning

In Job 42:1-6, Job gives his answer to God, fully acknowledging that what he asked for was out of ignorance of God, and asserting that now that he sees God, he repents completely of having questioned His purposes. This section begins with Job’s confession: Then Job answered the LORD and said, “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted (vv. 1-2).

Prior to God’s interview with Job in chapters 38-41, Job already had a healthy fear of God (Job 23:13-14). He was a righteous man, following God’s commands (Job 1:8, 23:12). He recognized God’s sovereignty, and that it is our lot to accept whatever circumstances God allows (Job 2:10). What he was missing was an experiential understanding that God’s ways are higher than our ways.

Through his engagement with God in Job 38-39, Job came to realize God’s perspective and concluded “Behold, I am insignificant” (Job 40:4). From that point, God proceeded to show Job that not only was his perspective small, so was his capacity to create and administer power and authority. God set forth a challenge to Job, asking, “Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?” (Job 40:8). God said that if Job could prove his power and authority, “Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you” (Job 40:14).

Now, after God has noted to Job that he can’t even tame Behemoth and Leviathan, who are fellow creatures, Job acknowledges God’s power and authority, saying I know that You can do all things. God has all the power, Job does not. This is a recognition and acknowledgment. God’s challenge has led to Job’s repentance.

In citing God’s purpose, and acknowledging that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted, it seems apparent that Job has discerned that a major point behind God’s teaching session in chapters 38-41 is that God has purpose behind all He does, and His purposes are far above our understanding (Romans 11:33). Job’s rapid recognition and learning from such a brief interview further demonstrates his wisdom and integrity (something God pointed out to Satan in the first chapter, Job 1:8).

Although Job previously recognized God as God and followed Him in righteousness, he had believed God was missing his perspective. Job believed that if he could present his case to God that God would alter his circumstances (Job 23:4-7). What Job did not understand is that God’s purpose or plan was born out of an eternal perspective.

God already knew all about Job’s circumstances. In fact, it was God who brought Job to Satan’s attention in the first place (Job 1:8). Further, Job did not see God as the standard above all standards. Job sought to apply a standard to judge God, not realizing that God is the standard (Job 23:7).

God created humanity with a purpose, which is for us to silence Satan (Psalm 8:2). His grand plan supersedes all circumstances. In chapters 38-40, God has given Job a glimpse into His eternal perspective. At the halfway point, Job expressed, "Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth” (Job 40:4). Job was the “greatest of all the men of the east” (Job 1:3). But after a glimpse of God’s perspective he concluded he was “insignificant.”

This was true, in comparing his own perspective to that of God’s. God has all perspectives at once. Yet God has taken notice of Job. Job is even part of a heavenly focus (Job 1:8). Job plays a great role in the grand cosmic drama in which humans are a key part.

But it appears God’s purpose for Job was to greatly bless him through gaining an experience of knowing God by faith. Jesus tells us in John 17:3 that the experience of “eternal life” for believers comes through knowing God and Jesus Christ. Thus, in addition to immortalizing Job as a great man, God has been leading Job to have a greater experience of life (Ezekiel 14:14, James 5:11).

Job has requested a hearing before God, whom he acknowledged as his “judge” (Job 23:3-4, 7). He has had the desired hearing, but mainly was asked questions he could not answer, or rhetorical questions making the point that God’s understanding and power is beyond his own. Job now answers God’s question to him which he repeats, ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ (v. 3).

God asked this question of Job in the opening of the “tribunal,”

“Who is this that darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?”
(Job 38:2)

Job poses the question with the wording Who is this that hides counsel as compared to Job 38:2 where God asked, “Who is this that darkens counsel?” The Hebrew word translated hides is “alam” whereas the word translated “darkens” is “hasak.” This likely gives us insight into Job’s understanding of God’s question. Job understands God to be asking why Job is putting a cloak over insight by speaking in ignorance (without knowledge).

In this case, the knowledge being spoken of is knowledge of God. God has tutored Job to understand that He has an eternal perspective (Job 38-39). He just completed tutoring Job to understand that God has all power and authority; that He is, Himself, the ultimate standard by which all is judged, so therefore is not eligible to be judged (Job 40-41).

Job’s answer to God’s challenge is one of repentance. It is remarkable. We do not have to teach children to rationalize or defend foolish choices; it is built in. As a result of the Fall of Man, our first inclination is to rationalize and blame. When God confronted Adam with his sin, Adam immediately blamed God and Eve (Genesis 3:12). Galatians 5:17 indicates that our first actor is to do things against our deeper desires, saying we “may not do the things that we wish.”

However, Job does not rationalize. He does not blame. He takes responsibility. Job hears God’s words and agrees with His perspective, declaring: “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (v. 3).

Job readily embraces God’s chastisement. Job stated earlier:

"I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”
(Job 23:12)

Job here demonstrates this was more than a boast. He has heard God and readily agrees: I have declared that which I did not understand. Job recognizes that God’s purposes are too wonderful for him to comprehend. This lesson Job learned through experience is offered directly to us in the New Testament:

“but just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’”
(1 Corinthians 2:9)

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the LORD, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again?”
(Romans 11:33-35)

After the statement of Romans 11:33-35, Paul asserts the same basic wonder Job has come to know: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

Job expresses a humility of wanting to learn even more: ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me’  (v. 4).

The Hebrew word translated hear is “sama” or “shema”—it is the same word translated “hear” in Deuteronomy 6:4, the beginning of the passage which Jesus called the greatest commandment:

“Hear [“sama”], O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

Job has listened to God. He now understands that from God’s perspective he is very small, (“insignificant” Job 40:4). Now Job makes a definitive pronouncement to God, beginning with the attention-getting admonition “sama”—Hear now. And what Job declares to God is that he is ready to listen to whatever God has to say.

Job has learned the secret of true riches. Scripture declares that great riches can be purchased without price, simply by listening to and following God (Isaiah 55:1-3). Jesus exhorts believers to buy all the gold they want by hearing His voice and inviting Him in to intimate fellowship, and immediately follows by making it clear that the promised riches will be attended with His discipline:

“I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.”
(Revelation 3:18-19)

The following verse exhorts us to invite Jesus into intimate fellowship, but if we do so we should expect to be reproved that we might choose to live in reality, and seek what is truly in our self-interest, rather than pursue the things the world falsely offers as life:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
(Revelation 3:20)

Job is illustrating this principle. He has been reproved by God and his response is to ask for more. He wants to learn. He wants to know God fully. He wants to embrace reality, and recognizes that God is showing him what is real and true.

I will ask You, and You instruct me is a request for God to continue showing him what is real and true. No wonder God likes Job so much! He is a prize pupil. He is taking up his cross daily and following God’s ways based on what he knows. And as God challenges him, he desires to know more.

Job continues with the declaration: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes” (vv. 5-6).

The Hebrew word translated and I repent is translated “change their minds” in Exodus 13:17. The word translated I retract is often rendered “reject” and sometimes “despise.” Job’s point is that he has altered his perspective in light of what God has taught him. This is wisdom. When we listen to God and adopt His perspective, we can accurately see reality. Listening to God shapes our perspective in a manner we cannot gain on our own, because we are so small and know so little relative to all that is.

But if we believe God, with that faith we gain an understanding that is rooted in infinite knowledge. Biblical humility is the willingness to seek and embrace reality. Job gives us an amazing example of what that looks like. He had one view of God (“He needs my perspective, I can argue that He is not living up to a standard and He will agree”) and when God confronted him with the truth (“You need My perspective, I am the standard”) Job immediately changed his mind. He decided to retract what he had said and repent of his untrue perspective.

Job is also illustrating what it looks like to be transformed by the renewing of our mind and not be conformed to this world (Romans 12:1-2). We renew our minds by recognizing that our natural, worldly perspective is twisted by sin, and seek to replace it with a perspective rooted in what is true. And God’s word is truth (John 17:17).

The three things God gave humans stewardship to control are a) Who we trust, b) the perspective we adopt, and c) the actions we take. Job is illustrating to us how to do this in a manner that pleases God. Job trusted in God throughout the Book of Job. But as he came to know God, he chose a perspective that God’s reproof has great value and sought to learn even more.

Job recognized not only that God is just and is Himself the standard by which all things are measured, but he also embraced the view that God is engaged with and benevolent toward His creation. God’s desire is not to make us comfortable; it is rather to lead us to fulfill our purpose and therefore gain the maximum possible fulfillment from this life.

This is what He did for Job. God did use Job as His instrument to silence Satan (Psalm 8:2). Satan accused God of simply bribing Job to be righteous. He claimed that if God removed Job’s blessing, that Job would “curse You to Your face” (Job 1:10-11). Job’s resulting integrity was a complete repudiation of Satan’s claim (Job 2:3, 10).

This is also an opportunity for all who follow Jesus. To endure rejection from the world through following Christ’s example as a faithful witness is to silence Satan, thus fulfilling a primary purpose assigned to us by God.

But in doing so, He led Job to a place to gain the greatest possible fulfillment of life, to know Him through a walk of faith, since to know God is to experience the fullness of life (John 17:3).

When Job says I repent in dust and ashes, he elevates the eastern tradition of sitting in dust and ashes as a sign of mourning. Some biblical examples follow:

• In 1 Samuel 13:19, Tamar put ashes on her head as a sign of mourning.
• In Esther 4:1, Mordecai put on ashes and sackcloth as a sign of sorrow.
• In Ezekiel 37:20, the prophet uses dust and ashes to paint a picture of grief.
• In Jonah 3:6, the king of Nineveh sat in ashes as a sign of repentance, in hope that God would relent from destroying his city.

Job’s point is that he has completely turned aside from what he now recognizes as a faulty view. He is not defending the perspective he previously held in any manner whatsoever. He is making a complete turn. There is zero rationalizing, only submission and full adoption of God’s perspective, taking it as his own.

Job illustrates to us how to embrace trials and put into practice James’ admonition to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2). We can do well to learn from Job. We have the great opportunity to learn from scripture, so we do not have to make the same mistakes as those chronicled in the biblical text (1 Corinthians 10:11).