In Job 42, the final chapter in the Book of Job, Job repents of speaking too boldly about things only God could know. Then God rebuked Job’s 3 friends for misrepresenting Him and accusing Job of sins he hadn’t committed. At the end of the chapter, God restores Job to health, to wealth, and gives him 10 more children. Job lived 140 blessed years after his suffering and died at a good old age.  

Job 41 is one of the most fascinating chapters in the whole Old Testament. In it, God describes an incredible animal called the Leviathan. The Leviathan was a formidable aquatic beast with scale-like armor and unrivaled power. He was the king of creation and had no worthy adversaries among men. While some suggest Leviathan was a crocodile, the description in Job 41 makes it clear Leviathan was a much fiercer beast of greater strength.

In Job 40, Job foregoes his opportunity to speak, and God continues questioning him. He told Job that if he had power equivalent to the Almighty’s that then-and-only-then would he be able to contend with God. God brought up one of his most marvelous animal creations, the behemoth, to remind Job that he was not God’s equal and could demand nothing from Him.

God continues his questioning of Job in chapter 39, asking him questions about the natural world, specifically about different animals in the creation. All of God’s questions were beyond Job’s ability to answer. During this questioning, Job sat silently, no longer questioning God, but questioning himself for being so bold in demanding answers from God.

In previous chapters, Job insisted on God giving him answers as to the reasons behind his suffering. In Job 38, God finally speaks and starts demanding answers from Job. This chapter is a series of questions God asked Job to humble him and to make him appreciate the majesty and complexity of the Eternal Creator.

Elihu wraps up his discourse in Job chapter 37. It appears a thunderstorm was rolling in, and Elihu used it to teach Job. Elihu felt like Job needed another dose of recognition of God’s greatness, so he continued describing God’s mystery and power using the elements of the storm. He rejected the idea that Job was in a position to question God. Job couldn’t even understand the natural processes of the storm, how could he understand the God who created the storm?

Elihu continues his speech in Job 36. In this chapter, Elihu returned to a principle he spoke about previously, that God’s discipline was meant to be a corrective force. God used discipline and sometimes suffering to get the attention of sinners and call them to repentance. Elihu was certain that God would have restored Job, but the fact that He hadn’t was a clear indication to him that Job refused to repent.

Elihu continues to rebuke Job in chapter 35, calling him entitled and pretentious for demanding answers from the God of the universe. He got some things right, but he got other things wrong. One thing he got wrong was his assessment of Job’s character. He, like Job’s 3 friends, couldn’t resist the assumption that Job was hiding secret sin, which led him to some very wrong conclusions.

Job 34 contains the “wise” words of Elihu as he tried to educate Job on the nature of God. After promising to reveal wisdom to Job and his 3 friends, Elihu essentially just repeated what had already been discussed with only a few small differences. Elihu believed similar to Job’s 3 friends, that Job was being punished for secret unconfessed sin.

In Job 33, Elihu rebuked Job for being self-righteous and for falsely accusing God of not answering him. Elihu argued that God was answering Job, not with words, but with corrective discipline, dreams, and with messengers who called him to repentance. While Elihu’s explanation of Job’s suffering was a little more developed than that of Job’s friends, it ultimately came back to the same erroneous point, that Job was being punished because he refused to repent of sin in his life.

In Job 32, we are introduced to a new character, Elihu. He was younger than Job and his friends and had refrained from speaking out of respect for his elders. But when Job’s friends fell silent, he took his chance to share his opinions. Job 32 consists of Elihu announcing that he is going to speak and informing Job and his three friends that he disagrees with all of them and thinks all of them lack wisdom.

Job chapter 31 is the conclusion of Job’s defense to his friends. He maintained his innocence but also expressed his willingness to accept guilt if sin was revealed in him. The bulk of the chapter is Job listing sins he had not committed. To emphasize his innocence, Job called down curses on himself, curses that would befall him if he was found to be a liar.

In Job 30, Job contrasts his new life of suffering with his previous life (described in chapter 29). He talks about his humiliation amongst the men of his community, and his struggle through sickness and pain. He had called out to God for help, but he felt like God was ignoring him.

In Job 29, Job reminisced about his old life, the life he had before Satan destroyed it. He recalled being respected by his peers, enjoying time with his family, helping the needy, and defending the defenseless against evil men. He never expected his life to change so much.

Job 28 is a unique chapter in which Job contrasted the mining of precious gems to the uncovering of the wisdom of God. Minors go to great lengths to search out riches in the earth, and they uncover hidden treasures. In contrast, God’s wisdom can never be fully uncovered. It is hidden in a place only God knows. God is the author of wisdom, and no human being can every fully comprehend the mind of God.

In Job 26, Job sarcastically responds to Bildad to let him know his words offered no value to the discussion. Then Job made it clear that he believed God’s power wasn’t limited to the observable world of human but extended to the parts of the universe humans can’t see and also into the spiritual world. By this, Job confirmed that he already believed what Bildad said in chapter 25, but then went further and expanded on it.

In Job 26, Job sarcastically responds to Bildad to let him know his words offered no value to the discussion. Then Job made it clear that he believed God’s power wasn’t limited to the observable world of human but extended to the parts of the universe humans can’t see and also into the spiritual world. By this, Job confirmed that he already believed what Bildad said in chapter 25, but then went further and expanded on it.

Job 25 contains Bildad’s final speech, in which he repeats a few sentiments that had already been discussed. He spoke of God’s greatness and purity. He said that men were as worms to God, and implied that Job, in all his unworthiness, had no right to question God.

Job asked his friends why God didn’t distribute justice on a regular basis, and why God’s people often didn’t get to see Him judge the wicked? If his friends were right about the way God judged people, Job expected to see God act against sinners on a regular and timely schedule. He challenged them to prove their view of God’s justice, which he knew they couldn’t do.

In Job 23, Job expresses his wish that God was more accessible. He wanted to walk up to him and have a conversation about his situation. He knew God would answer him and be fair with him. At the end of the day, Job trusted God and made it clear that even if God didn’t give him an answer, he was going to trust God and believe that He would make something good come from his tough circumstances.