4 thoughts on “Job’s Friends”

  2. Stephen says:

    John,
    I think that this was an unfairly short post for a bright-spark like you! It really needs a longer post which I have not time for.

    However, a brief expansion: there is much about the speeches of Job’s friends which is beyond reproach. Their views on God, His justice and righteousness, forgiveness, punishment of the stubbornly wicked is all good stuff. But it was all wrongly applied to the dire situation that Job found himself in. One commentator (I can’t remember which) notes that they never really listen to Job and so talk at him without engaging with him. No surprise, then, that as you read through the speeches the debating temperature rises, until the friends eventually fizzle out in the 3rd round of speeches.

    For all their rightness, it was Job who was vindicated, not them. Hence, though they were right, they were wrong.

    There are great pastoral lessons in Job about how to apply doctrine in situations. Still finding out what they are…

  3. jene' says:

    First they did what all good friends should do. They shared his suffering, in silence. They understood that words can be useless in times of great distress. Consider yourself blessed if you have a friend who will sit silently by your side supporting you.

  4. Stephen says:

    Jene’,
    Yes, you’re right. Everything seemed to start well, didn’t it? The friends seemed caring and compassionate. It is indeed a great blessing to have friends who remain like that. The problem seemed to come when they thought themselves wiser than they actually were.

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