The Better Friend: The Greater Jōb

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

(Job 2:11–13 ESV)

When suffering falls upon us, a good friend is better than gold. The above statement about Job's friends is their high point as friends. Seven days. Seven nights. Then it goes down hill. They proceed to hit Job with wave upon wave of criticism and bad theology. They kick a man when he is down. All of his children are dead. His wealth is gone. His wife is critical. Then his friends try to "help" him.

Job is looking for a good friend, an intercessor. "There is no arbiter between [God and me], who might lay his hand on us both," Job says. At this point, the depths of his despair would be hard to fathom for most of us. The darkness has set in, and he is alone in his grief. No one is with him in his suffering. I think it is readily seen that Christ is the one who is the fulfillment of Job's request. Jesus is the one who can lay his hand on both man and God. However, let's also remember that one of the reasons that Jesus can do this is because he was the forsaken friend. In the garden, he prayed and faced the horror of the cross while his friends slept. His friends flee. Peter denies knowing him. Finally, at the cross, his Father turns his face away, forsaking him. Though alone, Jesus persevered perfectly, and he arose victorious.

Maybe it's because we are so familiar with the story of Job. Maybe it's because we try to skim to the resolution of Job's unhappy state. But I think it's easy to miss that Job does something pretty remarkable. Job has suffered horribly, and that suffering was exacerbated by some less-than-stellar friends. What happens with Job's friendship with the three offenders? God's anger burns against Job's friends. It is at this point, that they need a mediator. What irony!

"After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: 'My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.'” (Job 42:7–8 ESV)

If you were Job, what would be your inclination at this point? I think many of us would have a hard time ever looking at these types of friends again. Our reflex would be a sense of vindication and justice.

"So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer." (Job 42:9 ESV)

Job stood between these sinful friends and his holy God, laying a hand on each. They made a sacrifice for their sins. He prayed for them. The Lord accepted Job's prayer. How sweet those words are! Again we look to the Forsaken One, Jesus. Those wounds by us became the wounds for us. His reflex is reconciliation. Jesus made the sacrifice. Jesus said the prayer. And we are not dealt with according to our folly.