Job’s second friend Bildad now takes an opportunity to speak to Job’s condition. He says “How long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be a mighty wind? Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right? If your sons sinned against Him, Then He delivered them into the power of their transgression. If you would seek God and implore the compassion of the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, surely now He would rouse Himself for you and restore your righteous estate. Though your beginning was insignificant, Yet your end will increase greatly.” Telling Job that if he would just admit his sin God would restore his blessing.
Job repeats his innocence and asks his friend how someone is supposed to prove they are innocent; what judge can a man take God before? Job then reiterates his plea to God to finish his period of testing and end his life. Job’s third friend Zophar then rebukes Job for thinking that Job could know the will of God. Zophar argues that if God brings trials into a persons life then, since God knows all, those trials must be deserved.
Jobs friends continue to insist that Job can cure the condition in which he finds himself; if Job would only repent of his sin then God would alleviate his suffering. Unfortunately, Job’s friends do not understand that God is not punishing Job. God allowed these events to come into Job’s life in order for Job to prove his faithfulness to God. The only proper response for Job to give is to turn to God and say, “I am miserable, take my misery. I am angry, take my anger. I am sorrowful, take my sorrow.” There is no one who can speak to Job’s condition accept God.
In the 1640′s George Fox was struggling in a similar manner to Job. He did not suffer the extreme loss of family that Job experienced, but Fox was trying to understand how God spoke to his sinful condition. He wrote in his journal:
But as I had forsaken the priests, so I left the Separate preachers also, and those called the most experienced people; for I saw there was none among them all that could speak to my condition. And when all my hopes in them and in all men were gone, so that I had nothing outwardly to help me, nor could I tell what to do; then, oh! then I heard a voice which said, ‘There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition’: and when I heard it, my heart did leap for joy. …and this I knew experimentally. My desires after the Lord grew stronger, and zeal in the pure knowledge of God, and of Christ alone, without the help of any man, book, or writing. For though I read the Scriptures that spake of Christ and of God, yet I knew Him not, but by revelation, as He who hath the key did open, and as the Father of Life drew me to His Son by His Spirit. Then the Lord gently led me along, and let me see his love, which was endless and eternal, surpassing all knowledge that men have in the natural state, or can get by history or books; and that love let me see myself, as I was without Him. I was afraid of all company, for I saw them perfectly where they were, through the love of God, which let me see myself.
At the end of the day our friends know nothing and Christ knows everything. Jesus Christ is the only one that can deal with our misery, anger, and sorrow. If we are looking for relief from any other source we are fooling ourselves. I must lean on the forgiving, accepting, loving arms of Christ when I struggle through life.
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