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Job 42:12
12 So the LORD [Yahovah] blessed [barak] the latter end ['achariyth] of Job ['Iyowb] more than his beginning [re'shiyth]: for he had fourteen ['arba`] [`asar] thousand ['eleph] sheep [tso'n], and six [shesh] thousand ['eleph] camels [gamal], and a thousand ['eleph] yoke [tsemed] of oxen [baqar], and a thousand ['eleph] she asses ['athown]. KJV-Interlinear
12 And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning, and he had 14,000 sheep, and 6,000 camels, and 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. NASB
Now your first thought here is probably, 'If I be good and pray and eat my vegetables everyday, then God will be kind to me and give me a thousand camels!!!'
Just how far would you walk for a camel?
And now you probably think that, that is a bit of humor. Hummm?
Well it is, …. and it isn't.
Back in chapter one, we read that Job was the greatest man in the region. He was one of whom God would brag and was proud.
Job was a type, an illustration, an example of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in that Christ came into this world, a land foreign from heaven, suffered for us all, and then returned to heaven with an infinitely greater blessing than he had before. That is, by our observation, of the before and after, of His work on the Cross.
There are many lessons in this verse.
First, the doubling of the herds and flocks is symbolic of Gods work and not of Jobs unique effort in business. His wealth grew because God willed it to grow, not because of Jobs exceptional business abilities.
By mentioning his wealth, we can presume that his standing in the community and in the region was restored back to its original state, if not better, than before.
Likewise, since we know of Jobs character, and of how he deals with people, then Job recognized that God gave him this great wealth in order to help others, not just for his own pleasures. Job would have offered more loans at fair interest rates (not usurious ones), he would have employed more people, both in his household, and in the fields.
Of course, Job would have a higher standard of living as a result of his wealth. That is only natural. But God does not just give us things, for our selfish use and possession.
When God created the earth, He placed reservoirs of natural resources here on this planet, for our use. When God prospers someone, that is just another form of reservoir of resources for charity, employment or financing, or research, or innovation and so forth.
Some folks recognize this principle and pursue legitimate and honest investment of their God given wealth. And some folks pursue greed as though they did not have enough.
All wealth and prosperity comes from God and from no other source. No one has the right to claim their own superior abilities in acquiring whatever it is that they possess.
And of course there will be those who will try to destroy this principle of life. Persons charging high interest rates and fees that are based on pure greed, governments that assess tax rates that are beyond reason, inheritance laws that destroy estates, people in general who selfishly refuse to support, to help, or give to others, and so forth.
God provides wealth, and that is a very good goal for anyone. Wealth is a reservoir for growth and stability in a life and in an economy. Even if it gets abused by selfish people, it is their sin which is bad, not the wealth.
Now this principle of blessing does not mean that we will all become masters of camels, but it does mean that all adherences to Bible doctrine will be blessed with blessings that far exceed anything which we can gain on our own.
Pursue the world and you are only as good as the jungle is good to you. Eventually all jungle citizens lose.
Pursue God, Christ, doctrine and your spiritual life, and your life will end up successful, even if you do not receive it until you arrive in heaven.
Our ultimate goal is not earthly success in this life, but spiritual success for eternity. We may have to suffer to some extent, now, during our life here in this world, but all suffering ends when you lean on and place your life in Gods hands.
Now, how far are you willing to go for your vast herds of real blessings?
