Miserable Comforters

INTRO

We just finished Eliphaz’s verbal vomit! He supplied 16 consequences for the wicked (implying Job). Job was forced to give rebuttal to Eliphaz a second time. He had to rebut all of his friends multiple times.

TEACHING

Job 16:1–5: In these verses, we see what Constable described as “Job’s disgust for his friends.”¹Nelson’s Commentary paraphrased the verses in this way: “Speaking of trouble, rather than comforting me in my troubles as a good counselor should, you have increased my trouble despite your claims to the contrary.”²

Do you remember what Job called his friends a couple of chapters ago? He called them worthless doctors. They had done nothing up to this point but ridicule, judge, and discourage. In verse 2, Job called his friends “miserable comforters.” MacArthur wrote, “Job’s friends had come to comfort him. Despite seven blissful days of silence at the outset, their mission had failed miserably, and their comfort had turned into more torment for Job. What started out as Eliphaz’s sincere efforts to help Job understand his dilemma had turned into rancor and sarcasm.”³Let’s go back to Job 6:15; 8:2; 13:4 and look at all the names Job called his friends.

Job pointed out that he could judge and shake his head at his friends, as in Psalm 22:7, if they were in his position. But Job would rather encourage and assuage their pain. How would you treat someone in Job’s position? To see how to encourage and help others, it is important to understand Matthew 7:12. In that passage we see that we should treat others how we want to be treated. This verse is also referred to as “the golden rule.” Author Greg Faulls identifies five ways to live out the golden rule.

Here are the five ways:

1. Forgive as you wish to be forgiven.4 (Matthew 6:12; Colossians 3:13). For Job to encourage his friends, he would have to forgive them for constantly bombarding him with negativity. Forgiveness is something we really don’t want to do. We would rather move on from a hurt or slight rather than stick it out and forgive. We need to forgive each other.
2. Help as you wish to be helped.5 (Colossians 3:13). This is all about accepting one another. If you see another person in need you should desire to help them. We need to help each other.
3. Encourage as you wish to be encouraged.6 (Hebrews 3:13). Job should probably stop calling his friends names. I don’t think you can encourage if you can’t forgive. Faulls wrote, “Ben Franklin once said, ‘Most men die from the neck up at age twenty-five because they stop dreaming.’”7 This happens because people stop encouraging each other.
4. Understand as you wish to be to be understood.8 (John 8:7). Job’s friends showed no understanding or empathy for Job. They had no desire to understand Job.
5. Look for things to do to lift and bless those around you.9 (Philippians 2:4). How do you get to the point where you can encourage those who have hurt you? You must go out of your way to show that you value and care for people. Look at a situation and ask: How can I help?

Job 16:6–17: Constable refers to these verses as “Job’s distress at God’s hand.”¹⁰Job’s perspective of God was that God had been angry with him, and he was being punished. Job actually referred to God as his enemy. MacArthur wrote, “Job refers to God as ‘my adversary,’ who has shattered, shaken, shot at and sliced him (vv. 12–14).”¹¹Wiersbe wrote that “Job’s response [to Eliphaz and his friends] is to utter three heartfelt requests: first, a plea to his friends for sympathy (vv. 1–14); then a plea to God’s justice (vv. 15–22); and finally, a plea to God to end his life and relieve him of suffering (Job 17:1–1).”¹²

9 Faulls.

As Job pleaded for God’s justice, he compared himself to a wounded animal. Job had no one left to turn to so he put on sackcloth, buried his face in the dust and wept with humiliation and contrition. This seems like a hopeless situation.

Job 16:18—17:2: Constable refers to these verses as, “Job’s desire for a representative in heaven.”¹³Job had no friends and felt as though God had abandoned him. Constable wrote, “Job called on the earth not to cover his blood (v. 18) so it might cry to God for vindication (Genesis 4:10). Job did not want people to forget his case when he died. He wanted someone to answer his questions and to vindicate his innocence even if he was not alive to witness it.”¹⁴Even though Job was in distress, he could only turn to God.

MacArthur wrote that Job’s “pleading would be for a verdict of innocent on behalf of a friend or neighbor in a court setting before the judge/king.”¹⁵ Job was asking for an intercessor, for someone to defend him to God. God provided that intercessor through Christ (1 Timothy 2:5.

CLOSING

Job needed an advocate, an intercessor, and a mediator. God provided these things through Christ.

1 John 2:1–2: “My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.”

Romans 5:8: “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!”

Hebrews 7:25: “Therefore, He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.”

Jesus becomes the fulfillment of Job 16:21. Jesus is able to save anyone who comes through Christ. He wants to give every single one of us life!