When Job’s friends come into the picture Job becomes slightly more irritable because they are all basically saying the same thing. They charge Job with having committed some sort of sin because according to them only sinners suffer. Instead of comforting Job as friends should, they instead make him feel bad about himself and don’t give him any constructive advice. First Eliphaz asks, “Think now, who that was innocent ever perished?” (4:7-8) The advice he has is for Job to confess his sin to God. Job knows of no particular sin that he may have committed and therefore poses the challenge to his friends to show him his error. He says “Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone wrong.” (6:24) After this first brief encounter with his friend Job decides to ask God some questions regarding his status. Job asks God how he has sinned. What has he done to him? This questioning of God and doubt may on the surface seem rude on Job’s part, but this questioning and lack of understanding is exactly what God likes. He would much rather prefer that than what Job’s friends do when they claim they know everything about how God functions and works. Then, Bildad and Zophar approach Job as well after each time he asks God a question or complains about his suffering. They always rebuke him saying he has sinned, that he has used strong words when addressing the God and that to obtain restoration he needs to seek him as soon as possible. Zophar even claims that Job’s punishment is less than he deserves which is preposterous when he doesn’t even know why God is doing what he is in fact doing. Who is he to assess whether the punishment good enough?
Job basically agrees with what Bildad says at one point about God not casting away the blameless nor upholding evildoers, but at the same time asks the question, how can one be righteous before God? Questioning is good. This is what Job does and the friends don’t do. They just lay out the facts without any additional thinking. Zophar, reproaches Job for trying to search out the deeper meaning of God when in fact that is what everybody should be doing. God is very complex, deep and without any particular kind of pattern in terms of his actions. He says that if Job repents then he would be pure, steadfast, free of fear and misery. Job mocks his friends by saying that wisdom will die with them.
Job calls his friends miserable comforters. In addition to them, his brothers, close friends, servants, wife and young children have also forsaken him. He says God has done many bad things. According to Bildad and Eliphaz Job will not be able to enjoy what he has accumulated and the sweetness of evil will be like cobra venom. Job makes a good point by saying “Why do the wicked live on, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? (21:7) This remark shows that God isn’t always the same. There isn’t always one reoccurring theme. Later when Job argues with Bildad and Eliphaz again he still maintains his integrity, righteousness and a clear consciousness. He does this through the entire course of the book and is always consistent. He describes the difficulty of finding wisdom by saying it comes from God, who has revealed it to man. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar think they already have all the wisdom they need.
When Elihu comes into the picture he sort of lays out everything that already has happened in a nice concise summary. He is both angry at Job for justifying himself and not God and at the three friends for condemning Job and not providing a valid solution. As Job has already been doing, Elihu recommends for him to just do nothing and let all the wondrous works of God to take place. There has to always be faith in everything that God is doing. At the end God goes through a bunch of things that he has done from making the earth and sea to the nesting of the eagles, and after he says “shall the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Anyone who argues with God must respond.” (40:2) Job maintains his composure and rightfully answers that he is in fact unworthy. Then God summons the behemoth and leviathan displaying his power once again and proving that he is capable of anything. Job understands this, but unfortunately the three friends did not and this is the cause of God’s statement at the end.
Therefore, at the end God is fair to say that the three friends in fact “have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has ” (42.7) Although Job constantly questions and complains to God about his suffering he never he never directly charges god with being wrong. He never crosses the line and humbly submits to God when told that the answers to his questions are beyond his ability to understand. For this reason Job is righteous and can be seen as a prime example of how the righteous should act in times of suffering. It is difficult to bring everything that God does into one perfect little tangible puzzle. No matter what the circumstances may be God, needs to be trusted. Suffering is not always the result of personal sin and this is clearly evident in the Book. Job is very patient, and he withstands and endures everything that is happening to him. In the end he rightfully gets tenfold back in return for his righteousness.
