Job and his friends   

Job 1:20 After he learned of the death of his children.

Job 2:7 Satan smote Job with boils that covered his whole body.

·       2:8 as he sat among the ashes he scraped the boils with a broken piece of pottery.

Ø    Covering of ashes: shame, humiliation,

Ø    2Sam 2:13, 19 Tamar David’s daughter after her brother Ammon forced her to lay with him.

Ø    Jonah 3:6 sat in ashes he was humiliated over his prophesy not being fulfilled.

V2:11 Job’s “friends” made an appointment to come together to morn with Job and comfort him.

V2:12 Its seems they were surprised at Job’s condition. His appearance was much worse than they could have imagined.

·       they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. Lam 2:10; Acts 22:23 .

·       It seems the book of Job set the standard for this type of morning (Ezek 27:30-31 over Tyre)

Ø    Appealing to heaven making their grief know in heaven.

·       Their actions were in response to their astonishment concern for their friend.

V13 Silence for seven days and seven nights: the customary period of mourning for the dead.

·       Gen 50:10 for Jacob  & 1Sam 31:12-13 for king Saul

·       I wonder if they felt that Job’s death was at hand.

·       Sometimes it is better to keep silent when you don’t know what to say. But seven days and seven nights of silence? What could have went through their minds during this time of silence?

His Three Friends Job 2:11

·       They were aged also: Job 32:6

·       Yet younger than Job 30:1

·       They thought they were equal to Job in knowledge and wisdom. 15:8-10 They wanted Job to know they also have the knowledge passed on by very aged men. 

·       Job 19:22 Job felt they were not satisfied with seeing Job suffer physically but wanted him to suffer mentally and spiritually. (Zech 1:15) Job’s friends were as the heathen nations God brought upon Israel that went too far and made Israel’s affliction much worse.

·       Job 19:14 with Ps 41:9, 55:12-13; the failure of familiar friends

Ø    Enemies are expected to speak against you, familiar friends should uphold you.

Eliphaz the Temanite

·       Perspective: A personal experience 4:12-16

·       Jobs because was foolish and silly 4:2-4

·       Repent (to turn back to God) 22:21-23

Bildad the Shuhite

·       Perspective: Tradition 8:8-10

·       Job suffered because he had forgotten God and was a hypocrite 8:13-15

·       Seek God and ask for forgiveness 8:5-6

Zophar the Naamathite

·       Perspective: Dogmatic 20:4-7 what old men believed from the beginning

·       Job suffered because he perfect in his own eyes, wicked, hypocritical 11:4-6

·       Stretch out his arms toward God Search; put away his iniquity and wickedness 11:13-15

Could Jer 20:10 describe the ulterior motive behind the speeches made by these men?

·       Could jealousy be behind their accusing Job of some secret deep sin?

·       Could they have been waiting for such a time when Job was taken down a peg?

Ø    Job 4:3-5

Ø    Psalm 38:16

Psalm 34:24-28 To call these three men enemies of Job is stretching the point, but we will see that calling them friends is also.

We must be careful when we look upon a Christian who is suffering physically that we do not wrongly attribute his suffering to sin. We do know there can be physical consequences to sin that needs to be acknowledged,

We must uphold him mentally and spiritually.