A Job Experience # 19

"And the Lord Turned the Captivity of Job, When Job Prayed For His Friends"

Throughout the Word of God, particularly in the Books of poetry, such as the Psalms, Proverbs, Jeremiah, etc., the Holy Spirit quotes or refers to the Book of Job over and over again. The Holy Spirit uses the deep travail that took place in Job as a creative word, a "living seed," in many other portions of the Bible. For those who wish to see how this "Living Word" grows and multiplies itself, we have listed some of the scriptures below. If anyone is led by the Holy Spirit to search into these scriptures, we want to encourage you to do it first by prayer. Let these scriptures be your prayer as you read them; and you will find the creative power of the Living Word multiplying in your innermost being. Pray these scriptures as you read them; and if these scriptures are found in a Psalm, read the whole Psalm - or read and pray the chapters or the context surrounding them. There may not be much emotion in this kind of praying, but if we endure in our praying of the Scripture, the enduring Word of God will, at the same time, launch us further into a greater depth of eternal intercession with the Lord. And, beloved, this is not only true of the scriptures listed below, but this is also true of every portion of the Word of God which we are led by the Holy Spirit to read and pray.

Job 3:3-11            Jeremiah 20: 14, 15, 18
Job 3:16                Psalm 58:8
Job 3:21                Proverbs 2:4
Job 5:21                Psalm 31:20
Job 11:17              Psalm 37:6
Job 11:18, 19         Isaiah 17:2
Job 19:13, 14         Psalm 88, 8, 18
Job 32:21               Proverb 24:23
Job 40:4, 5             Psalm 51:4

[there are many other instances in the Bible. This is only a brief selection]

"And The Lord Turned the Captivity of Job"

Oh, Yes! - "the Lord turned the captivity of Job," and Job entered into the travail and intercession of the Lord Himself, a travail that will never cease bringing forth the Fullness of Christ. In Psalm 126, we find what must have been in Job's heart as he entered into the travail of the ages.

"When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion,
We were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing:
Then said they among the heathen,
' The Lord hath done great things for them.'
The Lord hath done great things for us;
Whereof we are glad.
Turn again our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the south.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

And this travail that began with the Lord turning the captivity of just one man, the man who is called "My servant Job," increases until "the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion." And Mount Zion always represents God's Highest Purpose for His people. Beloved, this is "the comfort" of the Lord! This is reality! This is the Spirit of Prayer!

The Lord's final word about Job is found in James 5:11, where we are told of Job's endurance. We do not believe this is only speaking of that which Job endured until the Lord turned his captivity, although that would be enough for us to know that Job was faithful. No, we believe that this is speaking of much more than that: we believe it is, in its furthest extent, speaking of the fact that Job's intercession has endured, and will continue to endure, until God has gained all that He purposed in Christ.

"Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful" (James 5:11).

We have surely heard of the endurance of Job, and this scripture also tells us that all who endure are "blessed," all who endure until God has His End through His Way are blessed as Job was blessed. And how are we blessed? We are blessed because the Lord is full of compassion and mercy, for He can take earthen vessels like us and prepare us and chasten us and purge us and use us in the ministry of Intercession. The Lord blesses those who endure as He blessed Job. They are blessed because the Lord has prepared them to join with Him in intercession that spans the ages. He has prepared them to join with Him in intercession that will continue to be effective throughout all eternity. He has prepared them to join with Him in eternal intercession that finds its fulfillment in the always-increasing, never-ending fullness of Christ: "Behold, we count those blessed who endured."

Oh, Lord, we pray that we may be counted among those who endure, that we may become those who are blessed as Job was blessed. Amen

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(The End)