Job’s three friends believed that Job had to suffer because he had sinned grievously. To back this up, the friends spoke in general terms about the destruction of the wicked – which Job was of course supposed to apply to himself. Sometimes they also addressed him directly and made specific accusations. Eliphaz did this in the greatest detail (Job 22:5-9). He claimed that Job had committed the following sins:
- Pawning without cause
- Taking clothes from the poor
- Not giving water to the thirsty
- Not feeding the hungry
- Using violence to gain property and prestige
- Sending widows away empty-handed
- Depriving orphans of their livelihood
The Testimony of God and Job
These accusations were simply not true! For the (unknown) writer of the Book of Job, through the Holy Spirit, said something quite different about Job: “This man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). And God testified twice in heaven before the assembled angelic host: “There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8; 2:3).
Job himself also contradicted the untenable accusations of his friends. Even if he did not shine with modesty, he was nevertheless sincere. Job spoke of how he had freed orphans and made the widow’s heart rejoice. He had stood up for the weak and had not abused his great influence to his own advantage, but had rather snatched his prey from the unjust. He had cared intensively for the poor, widows, and orphans and provided them with food and shelter (Job 29:12-17; 31:16-22).
No Evidence
Eliphaz could provide no evidence for his bold claims. After all, he came from a different region to Job and had no insight into his friend’s everyday life. Nor did he refer to reliable witnesses, but simply to his theory that God only brings misfortune on the lawless. If Job had lost his possessions and death had invaded his family, then this must be the just retribution for not helping others in their distress and condoning their deaths. Yes, it had to be like this!
Once Eliphaz and his friends had formulated and vehemently put forward their theory, there was no turning back for them. The discussion had to be won and the recalcitrant Job had to be verbally beaten out of the field. The idea of questioning their theory did not occur to them. They simply did not allow the thought that they might have judged the matter too one-sidedly. Eliphaz even spun a huge web of lies to give his arguments even more clout.
Lessons For Us
Scripture warns against “evil suspicions” (1 Tim 6:4). And how quickly it can happen that someone is accused of something! A brother becomes seriously ill or a sister suffers a terrible accident, and the question arises as to whether this is not a blow from God because of a sin that has not yet been exposed. When children go down unconventional and sinful paths, people are quick to speculate about the failings of their parents. Have the parents not been guilty of the same sin that is now evident in one of their offspring? When several siblings leave a local assembly, it is not uncommon for the brothers there to be reflexively suspected of lording it over the brothers and sisters and failing in their shepherding ministry. Of course, this could be true, but as long as there is no clear evidence and proof, these are only evil suspicions for which we must give an account to the One we are dealing with. Sometimes, even unpleasant people are accused of something so that we can uphold the negative judgment we have already formed about them and so that we don’t look like someone who has misclassified others. This is all wrong and very hurtful for the person in question. It is therefore understandable that Job exclaimed in the face of his friends’ tirades: “Behold, I know your thoughts, and the schemes with which you would wrong me” (Job 21:27).
Let us therefore carefully guard against unworthy conclusions, malicious insinuations, and thoughtless remarks that can lead to quarrels and bitterness and drive good friends apart. Anyone who has been the victim of suspicion can take the example of the reformed Job, who prayed for his friends who had become meek and were rebuked by God, thus opening the door to rich blessings (Job 42:10).
“Do not speak against one another, brethren.” (James 4:11)
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