Read Job 2—3
When Job’s three friends … heard about all the troubles that had
come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together
by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.
Job 2:11
All three of Job’s friends were old (Job 32:6), but we assume that
Eliphaz was the oldest. Eliphaz put great faith in tradition (15:18–19),
and the God he worshipped was an inflexible Lawgiver.
Bildad was a legalist. For some reason, Bildad was sure that Job’s
children had died because they also were sinners (8:4). The man
seemed to have no feeling for his hurting friend.
Zophar was surely the most dogmatic of the three. He is merciless
and tells Job that God is giving him far less than he deserves for his
sins (11:6)! Interestingly enough, Zophar speaks to Job only twice.
Either he decides he is unable to answer Job’s arguments or feels that it
is a waste of time trying to help Job. All three men said some good and
true things, as well as some foolish things; but they were of no help
to Job because their viewpoint was too narrow. These men perfectly
illustrate Dorothy Sayers’ statement, “There’s nothing you can’t prove
if your outlook is only sufficiently limited.”
Something to Ponder
What can you learn about being a friend from Eliphaz, Bildad, and
Zophar?