Scroll to the bottom for thoughts/discussion questions!
One-sentence summary: Job's friends continue to condemn him as an evildoer, Job continues to assert his righteousness- that he was righteous to the best of his ability- and also declares his resolve to stay faithful to God and his belief that God will ultimately vindicate him.
Another light-hearted day in Job. He says again that he hates his life, and that he will speak in the bitterness of his soul. He asks God to remember that he is clay. He wishes for death.
A third friend speaks, and it seems like the worst counsel yet. He says that Job's multitude of words should have a response. He says that although Job thinks his doctrine is pure, he wishes God would speak and give him actual wisdom. He tells Job that God actually repaid him less than what he deserved. (Wow. You wonder why Job would ever have this kind of person as a friend!)
He tells his friends to actually show the wisdom they profess by how they act toward him. Job reiterates that he was in right standing with God to the best of his ability. He calls his friends "worthless physicians" for their "counsel." He still thinks God has done this to him, which leads to his famous line: "Though he slay me, yet I will trust Him." He says he will continue to declare his case before God (that he did right by God to the best of his knowledge and doesn't deserve this) and believes that he will ultimately be vindicated. Because of his intense misfortunes, he has come to fear God, and he begs God to remove the fear of Him so he can call upon Him again and speak with Him, knowing He will answer. He asks God to make him know his transgression and sin (a distinction.) He says God is making him inherit the iniquities of his youth. How many live in fear that God will punish them for some past sin? God wants to take this away for good so we can talk to Him!
Thoughts/Questions:
Sometimes it is only in adversity when you discover what is truly inside someone.
God addresses false theology in this whole book. Our view of God matters and affects how we treat those around us.
Job appears to have more faith than all his friends, although they doubt him. They think that in asserting his "righteousness," he is claiming God is unfair and does not reward the just, but actually, in a way, Job is saying that God doesn't have to do anything at all- though he is wrong on many accounts of where suffering originates from and does speak in ignorance. He is also admitting that there are many questions for which he doesn't have an answer. (This all gets a bit confusing!)
How many live in fear that God will punish them for some past sin? God wants to take this away for good so we can talk to Him!