LESSON 1, JEMIMA:

Job, after his great ordeal, was blessed abundantly.

He and his wife even had ten more children.

"So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren." Job 42:13-15

For a few days I want to study the three daughters of Job.

They are interesting, I think.

It is quite unusual that none of the boys' names are listed. But all the girls' names are!

"Seven" sons and "three" daughters. Each of these numbers is generally viewed favorably by Bible Teachers. I have heard them called "perfect" numbers. "Seven" usually represents the "completion" of a matter. The Book of Revelation for example is full of this type of symbolism. Seven sets of "seven," in fact. And "three" is perhaps most often considered in reference to the Trinity, the Godhead, the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.

Nonetheless, Job had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first, Jemima."

The girls' names are given, no doubt, for a reason. God's Word is a perfect Book.

"Jemima" means "day by day." It is literally a doubling of the noun "yom," a twenty four hour cycle of the sun. At least where it shines.

The implication of the Name is one of endless daylight! Endless life and vitality, "day by day."

Since three daughters are listed, and since the Trinity may be implied, I easily saw God the Father in Jemima's name.

God's major Old Testament Name is, as you know, "Jehovah."

In the middle of that great Name is the little Hebrew verb "hayah," meaning "to be." Or loosely rendered, "I am!"

The God who is!

The God Who is here today!

And again tomorrow!

And forever more!

"Day by day by day!"

See it?

God is now giving Job a sign of permanence!

No more major tests!

No more multiple deaths in the family!

No more Satanic attacks, not like that last one anyway!

A sense of stability has begun to settle around the old saint, around Job.

And that security is best represented in his oldest daughter!

Jemima!

This is for sure. There is a "spirit" around a godly Christian lady. She reflects brilliantly that "spirit," that "attitude," too!

Ladies just do this, much better than men!

What a gloriously influential "impact" they have, on everyone around them!

A grumbling lady infects her whole household! Proverbs 21:9 illustrates. "It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house."

It is equally obvious that the diligent, busy bee Lady called the virtuous woman impacts her house too, for good! Proverbs 31:28, "Her children arise up, and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praiseth her." A house full of encouragement and gratefulness!

All because of her, the Lady in charge!

Three daughters, three teachers, of godly things!

Thank the Lord for the Ladies!

There's much more to learn from these three girls as well, beginning again tomorrow morning, Lord willing.

Job, better times are here!

From now on!

Day by day!

                                                                     --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Thank you, Jemima.

LESSON 2, KEZIA:

Job had three daughters, during the time of his restoration, at the end of the Book that bears his name. "So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. Job 42:12-14

The second young lady is our subject today. Her name is "Kezia." In Hebrew that's spelled "Qetzsiyah," really our word "cassia." Today we know this little noun as the name of a certain fragrant spice. It is made from powdered bark, from a tree of course. It is much like the more commonly known spice "cinnamon."

I think Kezia's name is a pretty direct "hint" toward our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Psalm 45 talks about Him, Jesus. And it says to Him: "All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad."

Jesus and cassia!

Jesus and Kezia!

Same idea, parallel thoughts.

I think we have been given the names of Job's three daughters, not his seven sons' names, to learn a lesson about God's Care and Love for this old saint, for Job.

Earlier we learned that Jemima spoke of God the Father!

Now Kezia, God the Son!

In what ways?

Kezia, cassia, comes from the bark of a tree! Surely this is a hint of the Cross of Calvary, the Tree upon which Jesus died.

"Kezia" as a name is derived from the verb "qatzsa," meaning "to scrape" something. Also "to cut" something! Again I see here insinuations of Jesus' Sufferings on that cruel Cross! He was bruised, scraped, cut for you and me!

And Kezia or cassia is fragrant, very much so! So is Jesus' Death ultimately sweet smelling to the Nostrils of God the Father. He was pleased in His Son's Sacrifice to save sinners!

And this is important too. Cassia is medicinal, or has been so used for years. It heals certain maladies! Oh, how that typifies Golgotha and what happened there! Jesus, through His precious Blood, has healed my sin sickness!

But why would Job need a daughter named after Jesus' greatest Victory? Because all the way through the forty-two chapters of the Book, the Patriarch searches and longs and reaches for the Son of God!

"I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." There's more than a hint of Jesus here, Job 19:25.

Jesus again, Who is our Daysman! Job longed for a Mediator, a Go-Between, to help him find God! "Neither is there any Daysman betwixt us, that might lay His hand upon us both." Job 9:33

In fact, in many ways Job himself is a picture or a "type" of Jesus! I plan to list these for you before our Study is completed.

A daughter to remind Job of His Saviour!

Not a son, a daughter!

Oh, one more Job verse. Job is this determined to remain faithful and live for God! "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." Job 13:15

Well Job, God did not slay you!

But Jesus, God's Son, was slain ... for you!

Yes, let's admire Jesus' Name any way we can!

And Kezia certain does that!

What a name!

                                                                --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 3, KERENHAPPUCH:

Job's three daughters.

For some reason God lists their names, specifically.

"And Job called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch." Job 42:14

Today we have arrived at the third name, Kerenhappuch. Really it includes two separate words in Hebrew. ""Keren" means a "horn," like on an ox or a bull. But those horns, once the animals were dead, had other uses too. For example, as storage receptacles for certain commodities. Especially easily spoiled items.

"Happuch" means "powder," often associated with the color "red," bright "red," according to one ancient author I discovered. A man who preached twenty years from the Book to Job, to one single congregation! Joseph Caryl was his name.

A very interesting use of "happuch" occurs in 2nd Kings 9:30 where Jezebel "painted her face" with such a powder, make-up in other words!

Now we know cultural meaning of Kerenhappuch, "a small storage horn, primarily for the safekeeping of a ground red powder, most often used for make-up!"

Red paint!

But wait a minute!

Before we Preachers attack her, let's do some reasoning from God's Word.

Red is a Bible emblem of the blood! Always, or nearly so, the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ!

And the powder, to be applied to the body? Another hint that the Blood of Jesus must also be personally appropriated!

Wow!

And Who does that?

Who "placed" me in the Body of Christ, back when I believed on Him as my Saviour?

The Holy Spirit!

God the Holy Spirit did!

I am Blood-stained today!

Blood washed!

Ornamented by the Holy Spirit of God!

Also He adorns me in other lovely ways!

With fruit!

Love and joy and peace, among others!

Tokens of beauty, to draw others to Jesus!

Our spiritual make-up!

If I am anywhere near right, and I think so, the names of Job's three daughters tell a lovely story!

Please do remember Job, in all his hard times, in all that grief and suffering, when he could not find God anywhere! As in: "Oh that I knew where I might find Him! that I might come even to His seat!" Job 23:3

Well, all the while, through all those inexplicably dark times, God was nearby!

The Father was there!

The Son was there!

And the Holy Spirit too!

Job was never truly, fully, completely forsaken!

And as a little "love token" of such care, God gave Job three lovely daughters, each bearing a name that directly or indirectly reflects a Member of the Godhead, our Almighty God Himself!

Jemima, God the Father!

Kezia, God the Son!

And Kerenhappuch, God the Holy Spirit!

God with us, always!

Just an idea! Give your children names with some spiritual connotation too! Little living sermons!

                                                                     --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 4, BEAUTIFUL:

They were beautiful!

That's exactly what the word means, "beautiful."

I'm speaking of Job's Daughters. There were three of them, named at the end of the great poetic Biblical Book of Job.

 "So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch." Job 42:12-14

Here's the sentence I have in mind, one verse later that the Text I just printed. "And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job." Job 42:15

Wow!

The adjective "fair" is the key word here, as far as their appearance is concerned. And "yapheh" means "pleasant, comely, beautiful!" Even "handsome" a few times. Its verbal root "yaphah" means "to be bright, to shine," obviously in splendor, the radiance of healthy beauty!

"In all the land," too!

This is unusual beauty.

Now we know these girls were beautiful spiritually. Each of their three names typifies or reflects in some way God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. Job's first "set" of children were godly, apparently his second group was too!

But the word "yapheh" predominantly refers to physical beauty. Something you can see.

It's used of Sarah, Abraham's Wife, and a beautiful woman. "And it came to pass, when Abraham was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon." Self-explanatory, Genesis 12:11

So was Rachel lovely, striking in her appearance. Goodness, we are here being told she had a good figure. "Leah was weak eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured." Genesis 29:17

Rebekah, too! "And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up." Genesis 24:16

So was the Shulamite Lady in Song of Solomon, beautiful! The King thought she was the loveliest woman in all the land! "O thou fairest among women." Song of Solomon 5:9

Christ thinks the Church to be this beautiful as well! "That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5:27

Let's face facts. Physical beauty is a reality. Some have it. Others do not, or not as much anyway.

Job's daughters did!

And they kept their physical beauty in check. Subordinate to the spiritual issues of life. Which made them all the more lovely in God's Eyes!

Still, the Bible acknowledges beauty!

Sheer, exhilarating beauty!

Thank God for it!

Sir, if your Wife is lovely, beautiful, tell her! Let her  know you appreciate the time and effort and diligence she has invested in her appearance!

Praise her for not getting lazy after the wedding! Compliment her for not gaining excessive weight or becoming a bitter, angry individual!

Enjoy the fact she keeps her hair combed! And dresses nicely! And that lovely smile on her face!

Wow!

After all, you are the chief recipient of all these benefits!

Just think about it.

And to top it all, we Christians sure do have a beautiful Saviour! His Name is Jesus Christ the Lord! And it is of Him that Scripture thunders, "His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend."

Altogether Lovely!

Jesus!

But first this phrase was used of a human being!

Thank God for beauty!

Without it the world would surely be a drab place.

Very much so.

                                                            --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 5, THEIR INHERITANCE:

The girls not only were given very meaningful names.

They were absolutely beautiful too, Job's Daughters.

Then, not only these things, they were even included in the family inheritance! Such a thing was unknown in those ancient days, or nearly so anyway.

Read with me. This is what's said about Jemima and Kezia and Kerenhappuch, "Their father gave them inheritance among their brethren." Job 42:15

An unprecedented act, in the Old Testament, best I can find! Other daughters occasionally received such inheritances, but only because they had no brothers at all. These girls did have male siblings, seven brothers in fact.

This leads me to ask, "Why did Job 'will' some of his land to his daughters, defying local customs?"

Because Job was so godly?

Because he had so much property?

Because the girls were so well named?

Because they reminded him again and again of the goodness and Presence of God?

Because they were so pretty?

Why?

We do not know.

But we can deduct a fact or two from this scene.

Girls are as important as boys!

In God's Eyes.

And it should be so in men's eyes too!

Job will not leave them out of his Will.

Not only that, ladies need provision, just like men do.

A Christian Mom who stays at home and rears the children and cooks the meals and cleans the house ... still deserves some money of her own!

Don't hand me that "She's not working" line!

She certainly is!

Some money to buy a new dress.

Or a gift for a loved one.

Or to do whatever she pleases.

Job provided for his daughters.

"Their father gave them inheritance among their brethren."

And that little noun "inheritance," in Hebrew spelled "nachalah," also means "heritage."

Girls can share in that too!

Daughters of Job!

A godly family.

Dads, godly Dads even, allow your girls access to the family blessings! To that golden heritage! To the testimony and reputation you have built over the years! They are your children, too!

Let them delight in being your offspring!

Job certainly did.

And by the way, there is no hint that the brothers, any of the seven, ever objected to their sisters being given such a future!

They were not jealous.

Nor did the girls want any more than their fair share!

They were not greedy.

Sounds like good Children, all ten of them.

Job's second Family!

I'm so glad the Ladies were not left out!

Jesus never slighted them.

Nor did Luke.

They are essential to the Life of Christ and the whole Gospel Story.

Thank you Lord for Christian Ladies!

Even pretty ones!

                                                                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

Dare I say it?

This just may be one of the most important verses in all the Bible. We men had best rejoice over it. "And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man." Genesis 2:22

Thank God for Job's three Daughters!

FINAL LESSON, JOB HIMSELF:

Job and his three Daughters!

We have studied them the past few days.

Now some concluding remarks.

If each of these three girls' names symbolizes the Trinity, especially in Its Personhood, then surely we are being taught something about Job too.

The ladies: "And Job called the name of the first daughter, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch." Job 42:14

Do note that Job named them! No mention of his wife occurs whatsoever, not now. Therefore I assume the spiritual meanings of the daughters' names are given deliberately and purposely.

What we name our children certainly reflects some things about our own values and priorities.

If you name your first daughter after God the Father, the second after God the Son, and the third seems to mirror aspects of God the Holy Spirit ... well, somebody is trying to say something!

So, what about Job?

After his ordeal is over, after the tests have ended?

He received twice the possessions he originally had!

And in a way, twice the children!

But, and here's what I am trying to say, surely Job increased in some ways, the man and his character and godliness!

I personally believe he is twice the man he was before the disasters hit!

Listen to God describe the post-crisis Job. "And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job." Job 42:7-8

Wow!

God used that title "MY SERVANT JOB" four times, in two verses!

True, the Lord called Job this twice earlier, in Job 1:8 and 2:3, but not in this rapid-fire succession!

God is commending Job!

In a very obvious way!

The noun "servant" translates "ebed," meaning a "slave," one who labors incessantly!

Twice early in the Book, MY SERVANT JOB!

Four times in the last chapter of the Book, within two verses, MY SERVANT JOB!

Twofold growth!

Twofold praise!

Twofold recognition!

Twofold reward!

This must account for such frequent repetition of Job's name and title.

And the "hint" that Job has grown so much in his knowledge and experience of God is this, the way ne named his daughters!

Way to go, Job!

I think this man well may be the most godly man in all the Bible, for all time, outside of the Lord Jesus Himself.

What a title!

SERVANT OF THE LORD!

Let's all hope we can some day be known in such a commendable manner!

Maybe even called that by the Saviour, at the Judgment Seat of Christ. When He commends his children for their faithful living!

Amen.

                                                                  --- Dr. Mike Bagwell