Daily Devotionals

Devotional: January 5th

Job 4:1-21

Now in their turn, Job’s friends begin to speak. What can these comforters say which will be of comfort? What wisdom can these wise men bring to instruct their unhappy friend and dispel his despair? Will they have, like the divine Teacher later, the tongue of the learned who can "speak a word in season to him that is weary"? (Isaiah 50:4). On the contrary, little by little, their speech only exasperates poor Job. It is not that their arguments are always false; we find here great truths which form part of the inspired Word. Some verses are even quoted in the New Testament (for example, Job 5:13 in 1 Corinthians 3:19). But Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar wrongly apply these truths in Job’s case. Like these three men, we can know many such truths — and use them at the wrong time. "A word spoken in due season, how good is it" (Proverbs 15:23).

In vv. 3 and 4, Eliphaz bears a good testimony to Job, who, before he was himself under testing, had lifted up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees (Hebrews 12:12). "Well," his friend says sharply to him, "now that it is your turn to be hit by misfortune, put into practice what you taught others." (see Romans 2:21).

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