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Job
Rinus:
Ola
From the book of Job--what EXACTLY did Job's friends speak that was wrong about God?
God in the end does say:'I am angry with u(Eliphaz) and ur two friends,because you have not spoken of me what is right,as my servant Job has...'(Job 42:7)
Extol:
They insisted God was punishing Job, when He was really testing him.
Excerpt from Ray:
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,9330.msg118938.html#msg118938
This brings up another very important subject. When many believers find themselves in trials and hardships, they often feel that they must be doing something wrong, and that God is not please with them--maybe you believe God is even punishing you for your sins. Let me tell you something: in all these trials that I am personally going though the last couple of years, I have never once felt that God is punishing me for my sins. Let's not forget the lesson of Job. God did not assign Satan to crush Job with horrible diseases because God wanted to get Job to repent of his sins. God was not punishing Job, He was TESTING Job, and guess what? Job passed the
test. God did not tell Eliphaz to sacrifice seven bullocks and seven rams for Job's sins, or for Job's short-comings, no, God told him to sacrifice them for the sins of himself and his two friends. The three of them condemned Job for doing wrong, when they could not point to one single wrong that Job committed. Job said to God: "Thou knowest that I am NOT WICKED; and there is none that can deliver out of Thine hand" (Job 10:7). Furthermore, God Himself stated that Job was "...a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God and suns evil" (Job 1:8 ).
Rinus:
I think there's more to the book of Job than meets the eye.
Did u notice that Job had 3 friends AND 1 other young man with him?The young man(Elihu) was the last to speak.Apparently,God uses a young man to rebuke Job.Kinda like God sending a 17yr old Boxer to humble Floyd Mayweather's arrogance!
Notice how God is angry with Job's 3 friends,except the young man.what about the young man?Did the young man speak what is right?
Some of the things Job is accused of by the young man are,"justifying himself rather than God."(Job 32:2)
The young man also accuses Job of being innocent in his own eyes.(Job 33:9 and 34:5)
The young man also accuses Job of being unequally yoked.(Job 34:8)
And this is a BIG one,at least according to the NIV, and I quote:"Beware of turning to evil,which you(Job) SEEM to PREFER to affliction."(Job 36:21)-Those are the words of the young man to Job,interesting hey?Looks like Job was not as innocent as he thought he was.Only God can say Job is "blameless and upright," not man justify himself before God.
Anyway,interesting story this book of Job.I was interested in what EXACTLY(quote them) did Job's friends speak that was not right about God.They clearly said something abt God which was wrong coz God says so,"You have not spoken of ME(GOD) what is right,as my servant Job has."
Kat:
Hi Rinus,
Job's argument had been that all mankind was dealt out good and evil in this life and God was not a respecter of persons, whether they were good or bad, in doing so. That bad people sometimes can and do prosper in this life, while it was not always that way for good people. And that the reward and punishment was in the next life, yet to come. Now his fault may have been that he came across as a bit arrogant and self-righteous and God called him on that, but said what he had spoken was right and called Job His servant.
Now these friends of Job's on the other hand were saying that God deals (rewarded or condemned) people 'in this life' according to their righteousness or wickedness and that God does not bring severe trials on good people and that the wicked were always punished now. And since Job was being so greatly afflicted, then God must consider him to be a bad person or he would never have had such sever trials.
Now God directly speaks to Eliphaz, perhaps because he was the eldest and the main spokesman, also the other 2 friends (Bildad and Zophar) as well, because they seemed to follow his lead, all speaking harshly to Job. But on the other hand Elihu was not mentioned, probably because he had kind of stayed out of condemning Job and just mediated. Now God was angry with them, stating what they were saying wrong things of God and Job. His friend were judging and condemning Job falsely and this provoked God anger/wrath on them... maybe a clue to His attitude in the next age, many similarities here.
It's interesting that God required that they go to Job, putting him in a position of superiority over them and they were to offer sacrifices to God. Another significant thing was that Job would pray for them... Job was called God's servant and he was justified by God and now was the mediator between God and these He had condemned. Maybe here Job is a type/symbol of Christ/elect in the next age.
So that is my brief and simple understanding, hope it is helpful.
mercy, peace and love
Kat
John from Kentucky:
When God said Job was blameless and upright, He was speaking in a relative sense, comparing Job to other men.
Actually, in an absolute sense, Job was sinful and evil, as are all mankind; remember the Scriptures, "There are none righteous, no not one", and "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
It is very important to understand the concept of relative and absolute in order to properly understand the Scriptures, which Ray discusses in his Lake of Fire articles.
What is interesting is that Satan couldn't find anything wrong with Job, which is one of Satan's main jobs--to find evil in mankind and eat the dust of the ground.
Actually God never says what was wrong with Job or his sins.
What God did was to compare Himself--God--to Job.
After Job listened to God, he understood and repented of his sins. If Job were perfect, then there would have been no reason for him to repent.
I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eyes see You.
Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:5-6
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