And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10
They call Job’s friends Job’s comforters, almost sarcastically,
because comforters are supposed to comfort
These friends weren’t so comforting
They were not performing their functions well
They blamed Job for his circumstances
They judged him according to their humanness
They told him what he should do
They had all the answers
God let them go on while Job was stripped
and had lost everything he held dear
His comforters told him his circumstances were his fault
They were wrong
Job debated with them throughout the entire book of Job
For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them. Job 17:4 I had this very scripture happen to me during what I considered myself to be in a similar-to-Job state of affairs. When I tried to explain it to a few close friends, none of them had a clue what I was going through and were not able to relate except in a superficial sense. It was the most alone I have ever felt as an adult. The only one who knew what I was going through was God. My dog did try to help and he was a real comfort. My true comfort was in the Holy Spirit.
Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. Job 16:1&2
Bildad: Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God. Job 18:21
Job: He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree. Job 19:10
Zophar: He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly. Job 20:15
Job: Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on. How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood? Job 21:3&34
Elephaz: Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Job 22:26
Elephaz was doing the job of a dutiful Pharisee: teaching Job what he was doing wrong so he could be forgiven and healed and move on with God.
God told the Comforter-friends they were wrong:
You have not spoken well as has my servant Job
And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord 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. Job 42:7
God finally said, he shall pray for you and I will forgive you
And God gave them tasks to perform as well
Job prayed for them
And then Job received double of all that he lost
This suffering Job experienced was a process
Remember when Jesus told Peter, Satan has asked that he might sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you? And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Luke 22:31&32
Yes, we might have to go through siftings and sufferings and that does not mean we are doing something wrong nor does it mean someone else is doing or has done something wrong. Don’t be like Job’s Comforters. Strive to be like a useful vessel of the Holy Spirit.