Job 2:11-13

As the patriarchs of Israel were moving from place to place in Canaan, and God was preparing a nation through which to send Jesus, he was also actively working throughout the world. In northern Arabia, in the land of Uz, there lived a man named Job, who was prosperous and well-established. Job owned land as far as the eye could see, had vast herds, operated a shipping company, and produced donkey’s milk, a delicacy of the time. Many years later, it was said that Cleopatra bathed in donkey’s milk.

Above all, Job loved God. He was upright and blameless, devoted to serving the Lord. He lived a disciplined life of integrity and was the spiritual leader for his large family. He was the most remarkable man in all the East. Then, one day, he lost everything.

The narrative leading up to Job’s tragedies is found in chapters 1 and 2. Satan accused God of buying Job’s devotion. This prompted God to give Satan full reign in testing Job—without taking his life—to prove this accusation false. The intense trials forced Job from his spacious home to a refuse dump, where he sat in humility and excruciating pain, surrounded by three friends. The nineteenth-century Scottish writer Alexander Whyte expressed it well: “Till Christ came, no soul was ever made such a battleground between heaven and earth as Job’s soul was made.”[1]

Job’s story begins with his distress (Job 1-3), moves to his defense (Job 4-37), and ends with his deliverance (Job 38-42). We are focusing now on Job 4-37.

Over the last few times, we examined the messages from Job’s three friends. They alternately detailed how his life had unraveled. Their speeches were characterized by bluntness, sarcasm, and harshness, showing little compassion. Furthermore, their arguments remained consistent:

• Job, God is just.
• Job, God punishes sin.
• Job, your tragedy is the result of your sin.
• Job, repent!

After each friend spoke, Job responded (see the outline of Job at the end of this devo). Job’s replies echo five themes. We’ll use these themes to drill down on Job’s words and thoughts. ^[2]

• Disappointment with his friends.
• Declaration of God’s greatness.
• Disillusionment of God’s ways.
• Despair with life.
• Desire for exoneration with God.

Before we start Job’s rebuttals, I want to take today to discuss what we can learn from the three friends. There are many lessons; let’s focus on two of them.

The Ministry of Presence
We all have many acquaintances, but few true friends. A true friend stands by you through good times and bad. I know Job’s friends were harsh in their messages, and I would not excuse that behavior. However, what should be acknowledged about these three is that when they learned of Job’s tragic losses, they dropped everything, traveled a long distance, and sat silently for the first seven days. During that time, they offered their best support.

Job 2:12-13
And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. ¹³ And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

If you know of a friend going through a hard time, do what Job’s friends did initially. Practice the ministry of presence.

Here’s a message from Cliff, a person going through this study.

I have a friend, Bob, who is one…of my childhood friends. . . We went to the same schools and played on our high school football team. Bob was an offensive lineman for the Maryland Terrapins and has suffered in recent years with a health issue that made walking difficult. After a long stay in the hospital he is now in an assisted living facility. I found myself avoiding contacting him lately . . . because I didn’t know what to say. These passages from Job . . . made me realize I should not avoid Bob and stay in touch. 

That makes me smile.

The Ministry of Biblical Theology
Job’s friends had much to say about God and Job’s situation. However, they conveyed the wrong message to the wrong person with the wrong motives. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar adhered to what we refer to as prosperity theology. This distorted understanding of God believes that when we do good things, God always blesses us, and when we do bad things, he punishes us.

A friend sent me a cartoon depicting a WWE-style wrestling ring. A thin, frail man lay on the mat, flat on his back. Next to him were the words, “Prosperity Theology.” Standing on the top rope, preparing to jump, was a three-hundred-pound man with not an ounce of fat on him. Across his chest were the words, “Job.” Job was about to leap off the rope and stomp on prosperity theology. And that’s exactly what the book of Job does!

In his book called The Faith, Charles Colson wrote about the suffering of Christians worldwide. His words provide needed truth:

[The inevitability of Christian suffering] is why. . . prosperity gospel is so abominable: it sets a person up for a terrible fall when the first hardship comes, as it will. Whatever glimmer of faith the person might have had may well be snuffed out.

So the real question is not whether we will suffer but how we will react to adversity when it comes. We can see it as a miserable experience to be endured, or we can offer it to God for His redemptive purposes.[3]

This is the real question. When we suffer, will we offer it to God for “His redemptive purposes”? God is writing our story, even in our suffering. Let’s surrender our pain to him.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Job 2:11-13
Reread Job 2:11-13. What do you learn from Job’s friends in this passage? 

Talking to God
You may need to re-engage with a friend who is going through a difficult time. Ask God to give you the courage and wisdom you need.

Have Questions?
Be sure to send your questions to our team. We are happy to assist you as you explore God’s Word. Submit your question below, and we’ll reply soon.

Last week, Craig Wolfley went to be with the Lord. Craig was a former Steeler and the color analyst for the Steelers Radio Broadcast. Today, in tribute to Craig, we re-release a podcast I did with him a few months ago. Be sure to share it with a friend.

Outline for Job

Job’s Distress: 1–3

1. His Prosperity—1:1–5
2. His Adversity—1:6–2:13
3. His Perplexity—3:1–26

Job’s Defense: 4–37

1. The First Round—4-14
   1. Eliphaz: 4-5, Job’s reply: 6-7
   2. Bildad: 8, Job’s reply: 9-10
   3. Zophar: 11, Job’s reply: 12-14
2. The Second Round—15-21
   1. Eliphaz: 15, Job’s reply: 16-17
   2. Bildad: 18, Job’s reply: 19-20
   3. Zophar: 20, Job’s reply: 21
3. The Third Round—22-37
   1. Eliphaz: 22, Job’s reply: 23-24
   2. Bildad: 25, Job’s reply: 26-31
   3. Elihu: 32-37

Job’s Deliverance: 38–42

1. God Humbles Job—38:1-42:6 (see 40:3-5 and 42:1-6)
2. God Honors Job—42:7-17
   1. God rebukes Job’s critics—42:7–10
   2. God restores Job’s wealth—42:11–17^[4]

[1] Quoted in Charles R. Swindoll, Job: A Man of Heroic Endurance (Thomas Nelson: 2004), 42.

^[2] Roy B. Zuck, “Job,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 728.

[3] Charles Colson, The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 125.

^[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Patient, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 11.