Ep. 130. Job Part 3 | Job's Friends

EPISODE 130

JOB'S FRIENDS: JOB PART 3

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar all show up to grieve with their friend. At the outset, it seems as though they are going to be a blessing. But their knowledge of God, though mostly right, led them to a wrong conclusion. For the three friends, there was no other possibility than that Job was guilty of some grievous sin. They accuse Job, "Those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same." Yet Job was not, at this time, guilty of anything. They couldn't understand why a bad thing happened to a good person, so they concluded Job must be bad. 

We make similar judgments about those around us. Let's be honest: Bad choices and sinful behavior beget consequences. But sometimes trouble befalls the righteous for no fault of their own. For no fault of our own. How often have you heard a believer wonder if the difficult things facing them were because God was angry with them or disappointed in them somehow? We stand far off from the suffering and tell them (and ourselves) that they must have done something wrong for things to go so badly in their lives. And though that is often the case, it is not ALWAYS the case. 

The young man Elihu spoke rightly of God where the others had failed. You may notice he uses language similar to, and sometimes identical to, the language of the other friends. The difference is that he rebukes Job for finding fault with God. 

Please don't throw out everything the elder friends say since they aren't entirely wrong, but look carefully to discern their motive and intent. Try reading Job by reading Job's words and then going back through to read what his friends say. It helps to see their arguments as one cohesive thought and makes it easier to see what they are getting wrong.