Contemplative Bible Reading

Job 42:7-10 (New Living Translation)

7 After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.”

9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

10 When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!

These verses are part of the (hi)story of Job. God is angry with Job’s three friends. They had sat by Job on the ground next to a miserable fire. They did not abandon him as many had done. They were true friends.

Yet, their advice to Job about God was wrong. They were so wrong that God was angry with them. They deserved punishment.

What follows is repentance, sacrifice, prayer, and forgiveness. The friends sacrificed ten livestock to God. This is not a little show. This is a big deal and a big loss of short-term and long-term money. These friends repented and sacrificed.

And Job forgives and prays for them. Job was suffering a great set of tragedies. On top of the loss of family, homes, and health, he had three people telling him it was all his fault and he needed to change his life. And his friends never said, “Come over to my place. Take a shower. Put on clean clothes. Eat well. We’ll bring a doctor over to take care of you.” Nope. It was just, “You are wrong and the sooner you admit it, the sooner you can do whatever you do after the loss of family, homes, and health.”

And God forgave. That is the end of the story. God forgave then and forgives now. Blessed be God. And please God, help me in my unbelief.