Speaking Amiss in the The Book of Job

At the commencement of this study of the book of Job I invited the reader to first give consideration to the last chapter in the book and, in particular, to verses seven, eight and nine. Taking a further look at these verses we are surely struck with the fact that Elihu is not mentioned. This fact indeed has no doubt strengthened the hand of those who contend that chapters 32 to 37 could be left out of the book without affecting the continuity of the narrative or in any way depriving it of any essential matter. But in the foregoing article an endeavour was made to show that these chapters which present to us the words of Elihu are indeed essential in order to bring out at least one salient point, namely that Job was not chastised, or punished, for his rebellious words, but for his sin.

Job’s friends were at great pains to remind Job that he had deserved all that God had brought upon him, nay more than that, in the words of Zophar—“But that God would speak and open his lips against thee—know therefore that God exacteth of thee Iess than thine iniquity deserveth.” Well these were certainly not the words of comfort that Job would look or! Nor are they at all helpful to him in his search for the reason why this calamity had befallen him. Job had no need of a reminder that God was angry with him, he acknowledges that; “I am one that is a laughing stock to his neighbours, a man that called upon God and he answered him, the just, the perfect man is a laughing stock!”

There is however, one occasion where one of his friends brings to light what is considered as the cause of all Job’s trouble. Bildad said “If thy children have sinned against Him (God) and He have delivered them into the hand of their transgressions—” Is this what Job feared, that his children were sinning against God?

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Author: J. P. Jack

Keywords: slander, speaking amiss, Job's miserable counsellors, adversary, Job's adversary

Bible reference(s): Job 1:9-11, Job 2:9-10, Job 42:7-9

Source: “The Book Of Job,” The Believer, No. 1, 1972.

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