Job 42:16-17 – And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. And Job died, an old man, and full of days.
After this Job lived. Have you ever thought about this statement made at the very end of the book of Job? Consider all that Job endured, all of his immense suffering and pain, and all of his loss and sorrow. Don’t forget all of his turmoil within as he grapples with why all of this is happening. And you must not neglect to mention the turmoil without brought on by his “friends” who harm him more than help him. All of this is followed by the correction and insight he received directly from the Lord at the end of all that suffering. But how does the story end? The very end of Job says, “after this Job lived.”
After this Job lived and experienced joy again. Job’s suffering was a very dark and horrible time in his life, but he lived before this time of suffering and he lived after this time of suffering. This is not to minimize at all what he went through, but the Holy Spirit wants us to see that he lived after this time of anguish. Job saw good days again, and experienced the joy of friends, family and the blessings of life again.
After this Job lived and was blessed by God. Job 42:12 says that “the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.” God never stopped being the loving God and Father of blessing to his servant and friend Job. Even though Job walked through the dark valley, the Lord always walked with Job and after the dark valley. Job didn’t stay in the dark valley, he came through it with His Lord.
After this Job lived and saw the character of the Lord. At times in the midst of the pain, Job wondered and questioned what God was doing. Job questioned why he didn’t die at birth (Job 3:11). He asked why God had hidden his face from Job and considered Job as His enemy (Job 13:20). Job asked what in the world had he done to sin against the Lord to deserve this treatment (Job 7:20). But “after this,” Job lived and experienced that God was always compassionate and merciful.
Look at what James wrote about Job.
James 5:11 – Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Friends, you may be in a dark valley, but if you are with the Lord, you will “live after this.” The Scriptures are full of teaching that the suffering we go through is temporary and it feels like forever, but in reality it is but for a moment. It is as Peter says, “for a little while” (1 Peter 1:6), and as Paul wrote is a “momentary affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
You know what? The same phrase is used of Noah after the flood. “After the flood, Noah lived 350 years” (Genesis 9:28). The flood was quite the traumatic test. But after this Noah lived.
You will live after this. You will be different. You will never be the same. You will have scars. But you will live after this. You, like Job, will live after this and be blessed by God. You, like Job, will live after this and see the character of God. You, like Job, will live after this and experience joy again, in this life and in the one to come.