Will It Ever Stop?

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: “Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him? Is it any advantage to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect? Is it because you’re so pious that he accuses you and brings judgment against you? No, it’s because of your wickedness! There’s no limit to your sins. [Job 22.1-5]

It just seems there is no end to the things Job and his friends say about each other and about God. Some of what they say seems right while other things they say just sound downright mean. Will it ever stop?

And yet, in the end...

After the LORD had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. [Job 42.7]

Based on the absolutely brutal rebuke God gave Job beginning in Job 38, there is no way to conclude that Job had spoken accurately about God up to that point. However, Job repented:

Then Job replied to the LORD, “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” [Job 40.3-5]

And then after further rebuke by God, Job repented a second time:

Then Job replied to the LORD: “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” [Job 42.1-6]

It is ONLY at this point that we see Job speak accurately about God! Before Job repented, nothing he said was accurate! His repentance was the only accurate thing that came from his mouth!

In contrast, Eliphaz and the other two friends, based on what God told him in Job 42.7, had not yet repented, and therefore, had not yet spoken accurately about God. Theirs was just a torrent of mindless words like Job's had been.

We must not forget however, that Job did not start out needing repentance. In fact, everything Job said up to the point his friends arrived was indeed accurate. It was only after seven days and nights of silence upon the arrival of his friends that Job was no longer praised as "...the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil." When Job started talking after those seven days and nights of silence, he and his friends all engaged in inaccurate pointless banter about God.

The beauty of what is addressed here is that, even after the mind-numbing argument between Job and his friends and all the inaccurate things they said about God (some true, some half-true, and some not true at all), God was quick to forgive at Job's sincere repentance (it took Job two tries though). 

Upon Job's sincere repentance, God's claim that Job had "spoken accurately about Him" proves the totality of forgiveness God is capable of! How amazing is that!

Father, You know how I struggled to hear what You were saying to me today. Like Job and his friends, I got caught up in the emotion of their argument. Forgive me for even thinking I could ever understand the mindless and senseless bantering that Job and his friends were erroneously engaged in. Forgive me for thinking I can understand the mindless and senseless bantering among Christians today... Help me as I realize I just need to shut my mouth and let You speak to me as You will. So be it.