Suffering

[Xeno.of.athens]

It's impossible, it seems, to live a life where suffering is completely absent. And some people suffer greatly. So, God in his mercy to Israel wrote a book about suffering (of course God himself didn't take a pen up to write, he inspired a human being to do the writing). The book is called Job. It's a bit of a mystery. It tells a story of a good man; he is called perfect by God. That is high praise indeed. He suffered greatly through no fault of his own. He was the object of merciless attacks from Satan, yet God allowed it. For much of the book Job cries out for an explanation because he knows he did nothing that deserved the sort of suffering he went through. He wanted God to explain it to him. God did not explain. Job had some friends come to explain it all to him; can you imagine how infuriating it is to have somebody who is not suffering tell you why you're suffering and how to avoid further suffering? Job's friends did that to him. I think some people today do the same thing to Job; they have an explanation for why Job suffered, of course their explanation is as useless as Job's friends' were. The conclusion of Job's story is this:

Then Job answered the Lord, and said: I know that thou canst do all things, and no thought is hid from thee. Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge. Hear, and I will speak: I will ask thee, and do thou tell me. With the hearing of the ear, I have heard thee, but now my eye seeth thee. Therefore I reprehend myself, and do penance in dust and ashes.​

(Job 42:1-6 DRB)

G K Chesterton, a Catholic writer, offered this comment at the end of his introductory essay for the book of Job:

The book of Job is chiefly remarkable, as I have insisted throughout, for the fact that it does not end in a way that is conventionally satisfactory. Job is not told that his misfortunes were due to his sins or a part of any plan for his improvement. But in the prologue we see Job tormented not because he was the worst of men, but because he was the best. It is the lesson of the whole work that man is most comforted by paradoxes. Here is the very darkest and strangest of the paradoxes; and it is by all human testimony the most reassuring. I need not suggest what high and strange history awaited this paradox of the best man in the worst fortune. I need not say that in the freest and most philosophical sense there is one Old Testament figure who is truly a type; or say what is prefigured in the wounds of Job.​

 

[AlexB23]

It's impossible, it seems, to live a life where suffering is completely absent. And some people suffer greatly. So, God in his mercy to Israel wrote a book about suffering (of course God himself didn't take a pen up to wrote, he inspired a human being to do the writing). The book is called Job. It's a bit of a mystery. It tells a story of a good man; he is called perfect by God. That is high praise indeed. He suffered greatly through no fault of his own. He was the object of merciless attacks from Satan, yet God allowed it. For much of the book Job cries out for an explanation because he knows he did nothing that deserved the sort of suffering he went through. He wanted God to explain it to him. God did not explain. Job had some friends come to explain it all to him; can you imagine how infuriating it is to have somebody who is not suffering tell you why you're suffering and how to avoid further suffering? Job's friends did that to him. I think some people today do the same thing to Job; they have an explanation for why Job suffered, of course their explanation is as useless as Job's friends' were. The conclusion of Job's story is this:

Then Job answered the Lord, and said: I know that thou canst do all things, and no thought is hid from thee. Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge. Hear, and I will speak: I will ask thee, and do thou tell me. With the hearing of the ear, I have heard thee, but now my eye seeth thee. Therefore I reprehend myself, and do penance in dust and ashes.​

(Job 42:1-6 DRB)

G K Chesterton, a Catholic writer, offered this comment at the end of his introductory essay for the book of Job:

The book of Job is chiefly remarkable, as I have insisted throughout, for the fact that it does not end in a way that is conventionally satisfactory. Job is not told that his misfortunes were due to his sins or a part of any plan for his improvement. But in the prologue we see Job tormented not because he was the worst of men, but because he was the best. It is the lesson of the whole work that man is most comforted by paradoxes. Here is the very darkest and strangest of the paradoxes; and it is by all human testimony the most reassuring. I need not suggest what high and strange history awaited this paradox of the best man in the worst fortune. I need not say that in the freest and most philosophical sense there is one Old Testament figure who is truly a type; or say what is prefigured in the wounds of Job.​

Looks like the Weathering Discouragement devotional ties into your post, cos it covers suffering as well, and how God can guide us through our suffering. God has gone through a lot more hardship compared to us in the Second person of the Trinity as Jesus, as He was tortured and died on a cross in the first century for our sins as Savior. This is why we must try not to complain about our sufferings, and let Jesus carry our baggage on the cross for us Christians and myself. The Good Shepherd takes care of His flock, no matter how difficult the changes are in our lives.

Job 38:1; 8-11 (NIV): "Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’”?"

Lamentations 3:19-24 (NIV): "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fails. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’"

Weathering Discouragement devotional:

Withstanding Discouragement

Hello folks. Today's devotional covers how to weather discouragement. This one is for you, my brother, @Lost Witness . :) Date July 6, 2024 | Weathering Discouragement Verse Job 38:1; 8-11 (NIV): "Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who shut up the sea behind doors when...

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[RandyPNW]

Yes, Job certainly foreshadows Jesus, who was "acquainted with sorrows." We are all "acquainted with sorrows" in some measure. It is comforting to know that we are not alone in this, and that Jesus understands it and intercedes for us in the midst of it. Our attitude often goes "south" during these times.

We are told not to judge by appearances. Job's friends did that. We should learn from that. We don't always know what others are going through, strictly by their appearance.

This story tells me that God sometimes tests us and gets glory by seeing us stand by him in the storm. The story also tells me what Job learned, that God can never do wrong, that He is the exclusive source of righteousness. We can never accuse Him--we must get our goodness from Him.

So when we suffer we should not accuse Him. But we should cry out for grace, seeing how far from God we really are in terms of virtue. We're absolutely dependent upon Him.

And we can rest assured that He sees and will not forget. And He will revisit the situation ultimately, to let all be known. And it will be a great healing!

 

[Bob Crowley]

I'm not a fan of the book of Job. As Chesterton noted "for the fact (is) that it does not end in a way that is conventionally satisfactory."

God doesn't explain to a grieving, desperately ill man why he is suffering, but merely flaunts His power.

Then there is the fairy tale ending - Job get his health back, his wealth back, another family and all the rest. The only thing missing is the fairy tail convention "... and they all lived happily ever after."

That said, there is so much suffering and there has been so much suffering, that it seems to me that God foresaw it as inevitable when He made other creatures. In Genesis we read the Spirit brooded over the waters. No doubt there is allegory in that term, but I wonder what He was brooding about?

Finally God Himself suffered in the form of His Son. And Christ's suffering would have cost God dearly.

People suffer; animals suffer; the demons suffer; the souls in Purgatory suffer; Christ suffered; and the doomed suffer.

There's a lot of it. What I find unanswerable is why God who in His original estate lived in Trinitarian purity in a perfect heaven created a system with so much suffering?

Or was it unavoidable?

 

[bling]

It's impossible, it seems, to live a life where suffering is completely absent. And some people suffer greatly. So, God in his mercy to Israel wrote a book about suffering (of course God himself didn't take a pen up to write, he inspired a human being to do the writing). The book is called Job. It's a bit of a mystery. It tells a story of a good man; he is called perfect by God. That is high praise indeed. He suffered greatly through no fault of his own. He was the object of merciless attacks from Satan, yet God allowed it. For much of the book Job cries out for an explanation because he knows he did nothing that deserved the sort of suffering he went through. He wanted God to explain it to him. God did not explain. Job had some friends come to explain it all to him; can you imagine how infuriating it is to have somebody who is not suffering tell you why you're suffering and how to avoid further suffering? Job's friends did that to him. I think some people today do the same thing to Job; they have an explanation for why Job suffered, of course their explanation is as useless as Job's friends' were. The conclusion of Job's story is this:

Then Job answered the Lord, and said: I know that thou canst do all things, and no thought is hid from thee. Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge. Hear, and I will speak: I will ask thee, and do thou tell me. With the hearing of the ear, I have heard thee, but now my eye seeth thee. Therefore I reprehend myself, and do penance in dust and ashes.​

(Job 42:1-6 DRB)

G K Chesterton, a Catholic writer, offered this comment at the end of his introductory essay for the book of Job:

The book of Job is chiefly remarkable, as I have insisted throughout, for the fact that it does not end in a way that is conventionally satisfactory. Job is not told that his misfortunes were due to his sins or a part of any plan for his improvement. But in the prologue we see Job tormented not because he was the worst of men, but because he was the best. It is the lesson of the whole work that man is most comforted by paradoxes. Here is the very darkest and strangest of the paradoxes; and it is by all human testimony the most reassuring. I need not suggest what high and strange history awaited this paradox of the best man in the worst fortune. I need not say that in the freest and most philosophical sense there is one Old Testament figure who is truly a type; or say what is prefigured in the wounds of Job.​

Job is a lengthy topic, so briefly:
Job is not called "perfect", but Job 1:"...Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil."
Jesus is "perfect", but not Job.
Job is blameless (has not done anything "wrong" up to that point in his life), but doing nothing wrong is not man's objective nor would Job be satisfied with that (a baby is innocent and has done nothing wrong, but that is not where we want to stay).
Here are some questions to get you thinking:



1. Was Job spiritually more mature at the end of Job’s story than at the beginning?

2. What problem did Job finally show that he needed correction?

3. Would Job have easily acknowledged this problem prior to the disaster, because he would have realized he had this problem?

4. Would God have known of Job’s problem prior to satan’s visit?

5. Did satan manipulate God to get at Job or did God manipulate satan to get satan to do stuff God could not do (hurt innocent people) and bring Job to the point of accepting God’s understanding of his problem?

6. Does this give us an example of the degree to which God will go in order to help us to grow spiritually?

7. Is this an example of the role satan plays indirectly helping good people become even better?

8. It is “unfortunate” that some of Jobs children went to be with God in heaven and leave Job and his wife, but how big of a price will God pay to help us (send his only son)?

9. We always need to remember “death” is not bad in and of itself (atheist consider a harsh death to be the worst thing possible) it is the way good people get to be with God and the way bad people quit doing bad stuff.

At the end we see a changed Job:



1 Then Job replied to the LORD:

2 "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.

3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'

5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.

6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."

The fact Job talks of “repenting”, means he realized he sinned, so what was Job’s sin?

Here seems to be the problem: Job said: Job 31: 35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing. 36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown. 37 I would give him an account of my every step; I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—

From this and previous verses Job has lower God to his level like he could argue his case before God and win. Job would not have admitted that deep in his heart early on he saw God as being like some superior human being and not above making any mistakes, so it would take a huge upheaval in Job’s life to get him to realize this weakness in himself.



Job was humbled in the end, but why go through all this, would there not be an easier way? If God had spoken directly to Job prior to all this, would Job not have listened? I would say, “NO”. Job would have said, “I know the Lord” (when he really didn’t) Job would not have said what he did say in the end and that is what he needed to say. How do you get Job to say what he did without going through what he experienced? If you had asked Job in the beginning, “do you know the Lord”, he would have said, “yes” for he knew the Lord better then anyone else at the time. God does not want you to just be the best, but the best you can be and that is what Job wanted.

Just some thoughts, I really love Job and thank God for this story.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Job is not called "perfect", but Job 1:"...Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil."
Jesus is "perfect", but not Job.

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil. (Job 1:1 ASV)
And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil. (Job 1:8 ASV)

 

[bling]

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil. (Job 1:1 ASV)
And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil. (Job 1:8 ASV)

Do you think Job was a clone of Christ?
Do you think Job was perfect like Christ is perfect?
"Perfect" can be defined many different ways, I think the ASV is miss leading.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Do you think Job was a clone of Christ?
Do you think Job was perfect like Christ is perfect?
"Perfect" can be defined many different ways, I think the ASV is miss leading.

Does it matter what my opinions are when it is YHWH who declared Job perfect? My opinions are just dust before the Lord.

 

[bling]

Does it matter what my opinions are when it is YHWH who declared Job perfect? My opinions are just dust before the Lord.

It is how you define the word perfect and what the true meaning of the Hebrew word is in the passage.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

It is how you define the word perfect and what the true meaning of the Hebrew word is in the passage.

A standard dictionary definition will do in most cases, it certainly works for Job 1:1,8

 

[bling]

A standard dictionary definition will do in most cases, it certainly works for Job 1:1,8

This is from Barne's notes:
And that man was perfect - ( tâmam ). The Septuagint have greatly expanded this statement, by giving a paraphrase instead of a translation. "He was a man who was true ( ̓́ alēthinos ), blameless ( ̓́ amemptos ), just ( ́ dikaios ), pious ( ́ theosebēs ), abstaining from every evil deed." Jerome renders it, "simplex - simple," or "sincere." The Chaldee, ׁ shālam , "complete, finished, perfect." The idea seems to be that his piety, or moral character, was "proportionate" and was "complete in all its parts." He was a man of integrity in all the relations of life - as an Emir, a father, a husband, a worshipper of God. Such is properly the meaning of the word tâm as derived from tâmam , "to complete, to make full, perfect" or "entire," or "to finish." It denotes that in which there is no part lacking to complete the whole - as in a watch in which no wheel is missing. Thus, he was not merely upright as an Emir, but he was pious toward God; he was not merely kind to his family, but he was just to his neighbors and benevolent to the poor. The word is used to denote integrity as applied to the heart, Genesis 20:5 : be tām le bābı̂y , "In the honesty, simplicity, or sincerity of my heart (see the margin) have I done this." So I Kings 22:34, "One drew a bow ּ le tumô in the simplicity (or perfection) of his heart;" that is, without any evil intention; compare II Samuel 15:11; Proverbs 10:9. The proper notion, therefore, is that of simplicity. sincerity, absence from guile or evil intention, and completeness of parts in his religion. That he was a man absolutely sinless, or without any propensity to evil, is disproved alike by the spirit of complaining which he often evinces, and by his own confession, Job 9:20 :

If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me;

If I say I am perfect, it shall Proverbs me perverse.

So also Job 42:5-6 :

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear,

But now mine eye seeth thee;

Wherefore I abhor myself,

And repent in dust and ashes.

Compare Ecclesiastes 7:20.

Job is not "perfect" like Christ is perfect.

 

[Clare73]

I'm not a fan of the book of Job. As Chesterton noted "for the fact (is) that it does not end in a way that is conventionally satisfactory."

I dunno'. . .

The outcome for Job was
deeper heart knowledge and realized fellowship with God (42:3, 5, 8, see 19:26-27, Ps 42:1-2, 63:1, 84:1-2),
double possessions (42:10)---type of spiritual possessions (Heb 10:34, 1 Pe 1:4-5),
long life - (42:16)--type of eternal life (Jas 1:12).

I see Job as a type of Christ:
the Righteous One (Ac 7:52, 3:14)
sorely afflicted by God (Isa 53:3-5)
because of a controversy with Satan (Ge 3:15, Jn 12:31, Mt 12:29, Lk 10:18-19),
who was emptied and humbled (Php 2:5-8)
for his greater glory (Heb 12:2, Php 2:9-11, 2 Co 4:17)
and exalted to intercede for his friends (Ac 2:33, Heb 7:25, see Job 45:7-10)

God doesn't explain to a grieving, desperately ill man why he is suffering, but merely flaunts His power.

I understand God to be saying:

I am all-wise and all-just (Isa 40:13-14, Ps 89:14),
I do what is best and what is right (Dt 32:4, Ps 119:68, Da 4:37),
TRUST ME, and lean not on our own understanding (Pr 3:5).

The sovereignty of God requires our trust, not our understanding.

Then there is the fairy tale ending - Job get his health back, his wealth back, another family and all the rest. The only thing missing is the fairy tail convention "... and they all lived happily ever after."
That said, there is so much suffering and there has been so much suffering, that it seems to me that God foresaw it as inevitable when He made other creatures. In Genesis we read the Spirit brooded over the waters. No doubt there is allegory in that term, but I wonder what He was brooding about?
Finally God Himself suffered in the form of His Son. And Christ's suffering would have cost God dearly.
People suffer; animals suffer; the demons suffer; the souls in Purgatory suffer; Christ suffered; and the doomed suffer.
There's a lot of it.

What I find unanswerable is why God who in His original estate lived in Trinitarian purity in a perfect heaven
created a system with so much suffering?

"TRUST ME, and lean not on our own understanding." (Pr 3:5)

Or was it unavoidable?

It is infinite divine wisdom's best means to the best end.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Job is not "perfect" like Christ is perfect.

He is a type of Christ and therefore is like Christ. But Job is not Christ.

 

[bling]

He is a type of Christ and therefore is like Christ. But Job is not Christ.

Job is blameless, but has a problem that will only come out under extreme pressure and pain. Read my post 5.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Job is blameless, but has a problem that will only come out under extreme pressure and pain. Read my post 5.

Did you read post #1?

 

[Guojing]

Job represents the righteous remnant of Israel during Jacob's trouble, while his 3 friends represent the remaining unrighteous Israel.

Basically Job's story is a story of the nation of Israel, and what will happen during the time of Great Tribulation.

 

[bling]

Did you read post #1?

Yes I read it and do not agree with this one statement: "or a part of any plan for his improvement." Job was blameless at the beginning (he had done nothing wrong), but under extreme stress Job shows his weakness:
Job said: Job 31: 35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing. 36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown. 37 I would give him an account of my every step; I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—

From this and previous verses Job has lower God to his level like he could argue his case before God and win. Job would not have admitted that deep in his heart early on he saw God as being like some superior human being and not above making any mistakes, so it would take a huge upheaval in Job’s life to get him to realize this weakness in himself.

God lets Job know He is not on Job's level.

 

[com7fy8]

Does it matter what my opinions are when it is YHWH who declared Job perfect? My opinions are just dust before the Lord.

God can communicate with us. You can test this >

There is suffering which is our fault.

1. "Obviously, if I ignore safety standards and injure myself, it is my fault.

2. My weakness of selfish character can help make me weak so I suffer much worse, than I would in living in God's all-loving love. While I am being attentive and submissive to God and being all-loving, I am not suffering in fear and worry and boredom and loneliness and unforgiveness and blaming and doubting. But in my self-concerned ways I can easily suffer in emotional trouble, even in only imagining that something might happen to me!

As I grow in Jesus, I develop in creativity for handling suffering and using it for God's good, instead of isolating myself in only trying to rescue myself. But yes God does make me creative to do a better job, even practically, to ease and solve the cause of suffering.

I would say He taught me to stop my back problem, using practical methods. Then I offered to help someone else who said he had trouble walking because of back trouble. He blurted how he had had the trouble for thirty years while walking away.

Yes, we can make our problem even worse.

Possibly, for a while there Job was not helping himself, including by talking with those "friends" about it. But once he had a real talk with Jesus . . . he said he repented in sack cloth and ashes. So, meeting with Jesus changed him in a deep way, I would say. And so, he was more with God so he could handle more wealth, and in his case God did prosper him much more.

And look at how our Apostle Paul developed after having a little talk with Jesus >

2 Corinthians 12:7-15 >

He could then take "pleasure" in his troubles > 2 Corinthians 12:10 >

Because he was operating in God's grace of God's love which has Heaven's pleasant rest. And this grace also changed Him more into how God is all-loving and "unconditional" in how He loves > 2 Corinthians 12:15 < Paul became more like this, in the sufficiency of God's grace.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Yes I read it and do not agree with this one statement: "or a part of any plan for his improvement." Job was blameless at the beginning (he had done nothing wrong), but under extreme stress Job shows his weakness:
Job said: Job 31: 35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing. 36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown. 37 I would give him an account of my every step; I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—

From this and previous verses Job has lower God to his level like he could argue his case before God and win. Job would not have admitted that deep in his heart early on he saw God as being like some superior human being and not above making any mistakes, so it would take a huge upheaval in Job’s life to get him to realize this weakness in himself.

God lets Job know He is not on Job's level.

I see, you disagree with G K Chesterton's essay. (see here)

Job did not sin in anything he said, the scriptures say so. He remained blameless to the end, and his repentance was for not knowing rather than for sin. Not knowing is not a sin. Consider what YHWH says at the end.

And it was so, that, after Jehovah had spoken these words unto Job, Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite, my wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Now therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept, that I deal not with you after your folly; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as Jehovah commanded them: and Jehovah accepted Job.​

(Job 42:7-9 ASV)

Two friends. It is astonishing that Eliu is not also reprehended, as he was no better than the rest. Some answer that God had passed sentence upon him first. Others maintain that he spoke with greater dignity of God’s judgments, and that his ignorance was blameless; while others remark, that he was connected with some of the three friends, or only came accidentally to enter into the debate. God gives sentence in favour of Job, though with some reproof for his manner of speaking. ---

As. They had maintained false doctrines and shewed a want of due respect and compassion for their friend; (Tirinus) whereas Job’s assertions were true. (Calmet) ---

How then can he be accused of denying the divine justice, or of speaking disrespectfully of Providence? God seemed to interrogate him on this account, though he approved of his sentiments, because some might draw such inferences from his words as all his friends did. But Job entertained no such ideas. He was not guilty of such folly, ver. 8. Septuagint, "Thou hast sinned, and thy two friends, for you have spoken in my presence nothing true like my servant Job."

 

[bling]

I see, you disagree with G K Chesterton's essay. (see here)

Job did not sin in anything he said, the scriptures say so. He remained blameless to the end, and his repentance was for not knowing rather than for sin. Not knowing is not a sin. Consider what YHWH says at the end.

And it was so, that, after Jehovah had spoken these words unto Job, Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite, my wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Now therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept, that I deal not with you after your folly; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as Jehovah commanded them: and Jehovah accepted Job.​

(Job 42:7-9 ASV)

Two friends. It is astonishing that Eliu is not also reprehended, as he was no better than the rest. Some answer that God had passed sentence upon him first. Others maintain that he spoke with greater dignity of God’s judgments, and that his ignorance was blameless; while others remark, that he was connected with some of the three friends, or only came accidentally to enter into the debate. God gives sentence in favour of Job, though with some reproof for his manner of speaking. ---

As. They had maintained false doctrines and shewed a want of due respect and compassion for their friend; (Tirinus) whereas Job’s assertions were true. (Calmet) ---

How then can he be accused of denying the divine justice, or of speaking disrespectfully of Providence? God seemed to interrogate him on this account, though he approved of his sentiments, because some might draw such inferences from his words as all his friends did. But Job entertained no such ideas. He was not guilty of such folly, ver. 8. Septuagint, "Thou hast sinned, and thy two friends, for you have spoken in my presence nothing true like my servant Job."

​

This story tells me the extent to which God will go to help people to grow Spiritually.​

Look at the story of the rich man and Lazarus: Why was this wonderful person Lazarus treated so poorly?​

God Loved Lazarus and the rich man, so God provide the rich man daily with the very best opportunity to experience “Godly type Love” (Just giving a little help to Lazarus). It is truly sad for God, Lazarus, the rich man and all of us, that the rich man did not ceases this perfect opportunity to help Lazarus.​

God Loves Job.​

This is what Job said: Job 42: 42 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”​

God can repent (be forced by man’s actions to change what He said or wanted to do) and not do anything “wrong”, but Job’s repenting is not like God’s repenting in that Job despises himself (that is not God) and repents in dust and ashes. Job repented of doing something wrong and I see what Job said to God as being wrong.​

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