Friday, March 28, 2014

The Subtle Error of Job's Friends

Job 21:34 KJV
How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?

The thought occurs to me that Job's friends answered Job much like Eve answered the serpent. Her words were not necessarily opposed to the words of God, but they weren't accurate either. One can find God's Word in her response but, when careful examination is made, we find that she both added to God's Word and injected a measure of judgmentalism that wasn't intended by God.

Job's friends spoke basic truth. Sometimes we read their words and have trouble seeing anything other than the truth in them. But Job insists there is falsehood in them, and he would know better than us. The falsehood exists:
In the attitude in which their words are given
These were meant to
  • Accuse
  • Demean and
  • Judge
Job. Though they had no evidence of wrongdoing or sin in the life of Job, their arrogance could not conceive of any other explanation for his suffering.

In the lack of balance in their words
Like Eve, they added to what was known of God a harshness that doesn't exist in the Word of God.


We must be careful that we are not guilty of the same error. When we apply God's Word in a tone of harshness and judgmentalism we turn the truth of God's Word into a lie.

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