What Is Right

[God] said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. (Job 42:7-9, NIV 1984).

My Musings – Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar were friends of Job, who came to his side to comfort him in all his trouble. “When Job’s three friends…heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.” (Job 2:11-13, NIV 1984).

It appears that they started out with the best intentions (“sympathize with him and comfort him“) and approach (“no one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.“). Often in our grief and despair that is all we want, friends by our side to comfort us in silence. For words cannot change what has happened, and often have the opposite effect of sympathy and comfort. Sometimes unintentionally, sometimes intentionally. The latter was the case with Job’s three friends. They accused Job of some wrongdoing that brought all the troubles upon him. That is why they were rebuked by God.

My Advice – A couple of life principles come to mind from how Job’s friends mishandled their counsel to Job.

Two ears and one mouth – “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.” (James 1:19, NIV 1984). To their credit, Job’s friends were slow to speak. But throughout the rest of their time with Job, they did very little listening. They may have heard what he said, but they did not listen to what he said. Ears to hear that did not hear.

Obstructed eyes – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:1-4, NIV 1984). Job’s friends were quick to jump to the conclusion that his sin was the issue. This is spite of the fact that as friend they must have witnessed how God described Job to Satan. “He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8, NIV 1984). They were incapable of “seeing” any other explanation for what had happened to Job despite any evidence. “A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (Deuteronomy 19:15, NIV 1984).

Be “a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24, NIV 1984). While there may be a time for rebuke, until that time comes, be the friend that “rejoices with the truth. [That] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:6-7, NIV 31984). See clearly, listen carefully, and speak sparingly.