The Easy Answer

Illustration - lost wallet in toolbox, looked everywhere.

We begin in chapter 4 the cycle of Job’s three friends and their advice.

They have not said a word for a week, and it is time for them to speak. Again, as we said last time, we have to give some grace to Job’s friends - for it does not appear that they were purposefully trying to add to his suffering with their advice.

Nevertheless, what we find is that out of all of them, and their advice is similar, they all seem to be looking in the wrong places for the reason for Job’s suffering.

Eliphaz and Bildad speak three times, Zophar speaks two times, and then later another friend Elihu will speak once.

Job will respond to all of their speeches. And in all of it, there are themes that run through.

For one, the speeches grow shorter as they go.

Second, both the friends and Job grow more impatient with one another as they speak.

While all the friends refer to and admit God’s power and sovereignty, none of them actually address God in prayer, while Job does.

The friends typically go back and forth between rebuke and advice, and Job keeps going back to God with his complaints and longing for comfort.

Main theme of the speeches: The wicked suffer, the righteous are blessed - so Job must be wicked, right?

The speakers seem to be in a “contest” of ideas. Historical debate, prize for best speech.

But a contest of ideas always proves unbelievably confusing and discouraging in face of real trouble.

There are glimmers of hope in Job’s speeches, even though his friends’ unhelpful rebukes leave him longing for life to be over. He still turns to God each time, even in his lack of understanding.

Job’s first friend, Eliphaz, gives the basic, easy answer to Job’s suffering – you deserve it! But such a simplistic view of trials leads only to more despair, for we all deserve it. In God’s mercy, there must be more.

Eliphaz - Job, you deserve it!

a. Job, you reap what you sow - 4:1-11

b. Job, God told me to tell you this! - 4:12-16

c. Job, this is what I would do - 5:8-17

Job - That’s not helpful!

a. There’s no consolation in your words - 6:1-10

b. Please, tell me where I was wrong! - 6:24-30

c. God, why did you bother with me? 7:17-21

Psalm 8:4 ESV

what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Job’s friends talk to Job about God, and they talk to Job about Job. Job talks to his friends about God, but chiefly, he talks to God about God.

That, in the end, will be Job’s connection to integrity.

If we take any one of the statements by Job or his friends in isolation, it is hard to find any that are totally untrue. They all have their merit.

But the final relief does not come from finding the best possible answer. The final relief does not come from the one who cracks the code or recites the magic formula. The final relief doesn’t even come for Job when he heeds the best possible advice.

The final relief comes to Job who turned to God all along, and the final relief comes from God Himself. God, the savior.

We will note that throughout all Job’s speeches, and complaints, he does not mention his sickness or his losses - his main concern is his seeming loss of connection with God. In the end, God will show that was never the case.