The Old Testament character, Job, had gone through many trials that God allowed him to experience. In Job 1, the book named after the man, it is quickly learned that Satan was allowed to test the faithful, godly man, and he did. In all the trials Job went through, Job never shook his fist at God or blamed His Creator for his difficult times.
Although Satan did his worst to get Job to turn away from God and tried to shake Job’s faith, other challenges were just as vexing. They were the consoling “help” from Job’s three friends: Eliphaz, Bilidad, and Zophar.
The friends intent was to help Job. They sat quietly for a long time with their suffering friend. Soon, however, most of their conversation tried to pin the blame on their friend. It was reasoned that affliction was always a judgment on sin and that Job must have sinned to cause the wrath of God to fall.
The suffering saint agreed that could be true, but that he was not guilty of any iniquity. His denial did not bode well with those attempting to get Job to get right with God.
After his friends’ insistence that Job had to be guilty, God spoke with Job. The Creator made it clear that man knows so little about Him and certainly does not know why God does what He does.
When the Lord was done speaking with patient, faithful Job, He then spoke to Eliphaz. He told the man and to tell the other two friends, that they did not speak of God as righteous Job did. Because of their not believing Job and falsely suspecting Job was in sin God was angry at the three. He commanded them to make a sacrifice for their sin and Job would pray for them.
“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. 8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.” Job 42:7-8
Although sin certainly has its consequences, not all trials are punishments. God sometimes uses the difficult times in our lives to draw us closer to Him. Not one respected, godly person got that way without going through fiery trials. Their hard times tested their faith. They leaned and waited patiently for the Lord to guide them through, and that is how they spiritually grew.
Sometimes, as in Job’s situation, the trials were to show others how a God-trusting person should behave and be faithful in all circumstances. In Job’s case, one of those who needed to see how people should trust God was Satan.
So many of us fail, as did Job’s three friends. We hear or see someone going through hard times, and immediately assume they are being punished by God. We need to learn as did Eliphaz, that we have no clue what God is doing in another’s life. Leave the judging to God. He knows what He is doing and why!
“God doesn’t give us what we can handle; God helps us handle what we are given.” — Author Unknown
