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Job 42:8
8 Therefore take [laqach] unto you now seven [sheba`] bullocks [par] and seven [sheba`] rams ['ayil], and go [yalak] to my servant [`ebed] Job ['Iyowb], and offer up [`alah] for yourselves a burnt offering [`olah]; and my servant [`ebed] Job ['Iyowb] shall pray [palal] for you: for him [paniym] will I accept [nasa']: lest I deal [`asah] with you after your folly [nabalah], in that ye have not spoken [dabar] of me the thing which is right [kuwn], like my servant [`ebed] Job ['Iyowb]. KJV-Interlinear
8 'Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.' NASB
The sin offering is in view here. If you recall our study in Leviticus, there are five basic offerings. The first three deal with, or teach the principles of, the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Those are salvation offerings.
And the last two offerings deal with sin, or the confession offerings. One offering for confession of known sins and the other for unknown sins. These deal with the principles of the function of the spiritual life (after salvation), or living ones life in fellowship.
In the various offerings, several animals were used. A wealthy man would use a bull, because he would most likely own or have access to a herd. Poorer folks were allowed to use pigeons or doves, as fitting to their financial condition. No one was excluded from being able to make offerings because of their financial situation.
The first sacrifice took place when Adam and Eve sinned. You recall their answer to sin was to put on clothing of leaves. Later, they had clothes of animal skins, and we know that the animal did not give up their skin and walk away naked. That was the first instance of animal sacrifices.
The second instance of sacrifices was with Cain and Abel. Abel's sacrifice, the burnt offering of an animal depicting the work of Christ, was accepted, while Cain's was rejected. Cain's sacrifice was of the grain and the fruit of his own labor, not that of Christ.
In the centuries prior to Moses and the Exodus generation, sacrifices were common rituals. They taught principles of doctrine, both of salvation and fellowship.
Moses recorded the sacrifice rituals as well as the formal establishment of an earthly priesthood, the Levitical Priesthood.
The priest is simply a mediator, or a go-between, between God and man. He is a person who is acceptable by God, thus allowing one who is not acceptable, to be able to have access to God through an acceptable mediator.
Until we received out perfect High Priest and Mediator, Jesus Christ, others were allowed to symbolize His role in the spiritual life.
Prior to the Levitical Priesthood, the family head, the dad or the father, also held the role of the family priest or the go-between, between the family members and God.
In this case, the dad would have to make himself perfect through confession, and then he would be qualified to be the mediator for his family members. Recall that way back in chapter one, Job held regular sacrifice rituals in behalf of his partying children. He knew what went on when kids party!! Of course they would still have to be present for the offering. Each child would have to place their hands on the offering animal in order to symbolically transfer their sins to the animal (Christ).
As for the 'seven' numbers. This gives us an indication of two things. First these men were not poor. They were wealthy. In fact they were extremely wealthy, thus the number of animals was increased to seven, and then doubled to demonstrate the magnitude of their error.
To whom God gives much, God expects much.
This is not limited to worldly wealth. God has prepared a phenomenal wealth package for each one of us in heaven in eternity, thus this vast gift certainly qualifies as, 'much.' Therefore, God expects much from us in return. And our return obligation to God is our function and advancement to spiritual maturity.
Those who advance to maturity (much), will receive much (blessings beyond imagination) in eternity. Those who do not advance, will not receive much, if anything.
The three friends were most likely shocked when they heard the verdict against them. They had been condemning Job all this time by means of their subjective judgment against him, praising God through their shallow boastings and condemning Job through their self-righteous interpretations of truth.
They were sincere in their beliefs, but sincerity means nothing in the grand scheme of things. God does not bless due to sincerity. God blesses based on doctrine in the soul. And Job had that.
Jobs' pleading was that suffering was not an indication of evil in ones life, or cursing and/or judgment from God. Job was right.
His friends' position was that he must have been a secretly evil person in order to have incurred such suffering. They were wrong.
Job was hurting and in need of sympathetic help from his friends. His friends were not suffering and took advantage of Jobs situation in order to elevate and voice their opinions as wisdom, in a public setting. That is approbation lust.
Elihu, in his youth, was more of a speaker of principles, and did not really take sides, one way or another.
Now, the really big principle here. God manifested Himself to all of these folks. Job responded, and they, the three friends, did not. Thus their requirement of confession by means of the sin offering, magnified due to their entrenched arrogance. The number seven, which also represents perfection, also emphasizes Gods sovereignty and authority.
But, a person in need of confession may not represent himself before God, but must go through an acceptable (to God), mediator.
Job has already been identified as the most outstanding person in all of the land. See chapter one. Job pursued truth in his arguments and in his response to God.
Job adhered to truth, whereas the three friends adhered to their own views, took advantage of Jobs situation, demonstrated no empathy toward Job, and manufactured accusations that did not exist, in order to justify and advance their own views.
The three friends were ordered to secure the animals, and take them to Job. Job was placed in the role of the priest or mediator, between them and God. Just as Christ is between all of us and God.
Their confession, of their own energy, as demonstrated by the many views which they expressed, would not and would never, be accepted by God.
We must all approach God through our perfect mediator, Jesus Christ. There is no other mediator, no other doorway through which we may gain access to God.
If they refused to abide by Gods command, then their 'folly' would be dealt with, and here that dealing, suggests something more harsh than what Job had been enduring.
I noticed in the news the yesterday, that a survey was conducted regarding the role of religion in America. It appears that there is a growing population of folks that do not have any inkling of what the fundamental principles of their religion are. That far too many folks seem to believe that there are many paths to God, and that one only needs sincerity in their life in order to be accepted by God.
If the folks of today, do not get back to the basics of Christian doctrine, then what do you suppose the repercussions might be?
