Job’s three friends stand up to make little speeches, I guess to try to make him feel better.

The first, Eliaphaz, reminds Job about how he used to be the man who gave the hopeless hope, and also gives him a little pep talk about how “God bruises… but He binds up, He wounds, but His hands make whole.”
Eliaphaz prophesies that things will come good for Job: “You shall know that your tent is in peace; you shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss. You shall also know that your descendants shall be many, and your offspring like the grass of the earth.”

An interesting thing to say to a man who has lost all his children!

Then Bildad and Zophar, his other two friends make speeches: Zophar says, You say you are pure, but “oh that God would speak, and open His lips against you, that He would show you the secrets of wisdom. For they would double your prudence.” In other words, maybe you’re not as righteous as you thought, Job.

Zophar goes on to say, if you put iniquity away from you, “you would forget your misery, and remember it as waters that have passed away. Your life would be brighter than noonday. You would lie down and no one would make you afraid, yes many would court your favour.”

But of course if Job were that perfect, he would not be human anymore, surely.

On the theme of wisdom, here is some from Proverbs: “Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses: How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke, surely I will pour out my spirit on you.

“Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no-one regarded, because you disdained all my counsel, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes….”

I can’t pretend to know exactly what this means, except that we turn from God and his calling so often and trust to ourselves. but I like the thought that God’s spirit of wisdom is called female.

Dear Father, When You rebuke me, or call me name, please let me hear You. Please help me see Your will, Your face, in my life and please help me look for You always. Please help P recover and give N strength and comfort. Thank You for my faith. Please give me more! In Jesus’ name, Amen