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Advice from Friends |
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Overwhelmed by suffering, Job was not comforted but condemned by his friends. Each of their views represents a well-known way to understand suffering. God proves that each explanation given by Job's friends has less than the whole answer. |
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Who They Were |
Reference |
How They Helped |
Their Reasoning |
Their Advice |
Job's Response |
God's Response |
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Eliphaz the Temanite |
They sat in |
Job is suffering because he has sinned |
Go to God and present your case to him. (5:8) |
Stop assuming my guilt. (6:29) |
God |
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Bildad the Shuhite |
silence with |
Job won't admit he sinned, so he's still suffering. |
How long will you go on like this? |
I will say to God .... Tell me the charge you are bringing against me. (10:2) |
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Zophar the Naamathite |
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Job's sin deserves even more suffering than he's experienced: |
Get rid of your sins. (11:13, 14) |
I will be proved innocent. (13:18) |
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Elihu the Buzite |
God is-using suffering to mold and train Job. |
Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom. (33:33) |
No response |
God does not directly address Elihu. |
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God |
Confronted Job with the need to be content even though he didn't know why he was suffering |
Did not explain the reason for the pain |
Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? (40:2) |
I was talking about things I did not understand. (42:3-5) |
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