Is there anything worse than being betrayed by someone you love and have shared life with? Job had prestige and a great reputation before he lost everything, but his friends seemed to forget all of that.

“This man [Job] was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil . . . He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.” Job 1:1, 3

Most people would be proud to call such a man their friend and Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar loved Job well enough to rush to his side when disaster struck. They sat quietly with him for seven days, but when they opened their mouths their true characters emerged. They became petty, accusatory, jealous and shaming toward Job.

Eliphaz’s Second Speech

Eliphaz was ready for his second response to Job and this time he didn’t hold back. Before this he talked about an anonymous, fictional third party as an example of sin; now he spoke directly to Job.

“Your sin prompts your mouth; you adopt the tongue of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;  your own lips testify against you.” Job 15:5-6

Eliphaz used Job’s own complaints as evidence that he must have been hiding secret sins. No one would suffer the way Job said he suffered – unless he were evil.

“All his days the wicked man suffers torment, the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him . . . distress and anguish fill him with terror; troubles overwhelm him . . . because he shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield.” Job 15:20, 24-26

Job’s friend Eliphaz had turned completely against him. and he was brutal in his assessment of Job.

Job is Not Intimidated

 Job refused to be intimidated by Eliphaz.

“I have heard may things like these;  you are miserable comforters, all of you! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? Job 16:2-3

Anyone could be a critic, and Job had plenty of ammunition to use against his friends, but he didn’t bring it out. He wanted them to know that if the situation were reversed and they were in distress, he would build them up not tear them down.

“But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.” Job 16:5

Job refused to retaliate against his traitorous companions. One of the hardest things to do in deep distress is to refrain from lashing out at people who increase our pain. Job’s integrity controlled his tongue.

Torn to Pieces

His critic’s words exacerbated Job’s pain. He had lost everything and he felt like God was tearing him to pieces. People jeers felt like slaps in his face and it seemed like God was rushing at him like a warrior.

Job sat in the dust and covered his body with sackcloth, like a man in abject repentance. He cried his eyes out and prayed until he couldn’t find any more sins to confess, but he still suffered.

“ . . . yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure.” Job 16:17

Job needed someone greater than himself to get him out of this situation.

The Advocate

One of the most perceptive prayers ever spoken by anyone in the Bible is found in Job 16:18-21.

“Earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest! Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.”

Before a word of Scripture was recorded in the Old Testament – long before the plan of salvation was spelled out in the pages of the New Testament – Job knew there was an advocate for him in heaven. In the midst of Job’s torment he suddenly knew someone else was interceding for him. A divine friend was pleading with God on Job’s behalf.

Jesus Christ the Righteous One

 Those who knew Jesus in New Testament times later confirmed that he was the one Job saw. They wrote about Jesus as the witness, advocate and intercessor who pleads with God in heaven on behalf of people.

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” 1 John 2:1

“ . . . because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:23-24

As Job struggled in despair, God drew back a curtain and showed him Jesus. Job didn’t know who he glimpsed in that moment, but he knew this advocate cared about his tears and was pleading for him.

Bildad Curses Job

That brief glimpse of heaven couldn’t quite cancel out Job”s tribulations on earth. His friend Bildad spoke again and was even more aggressive than Eliphaz had been.

Bildad said terrible things to Job. His evaluation was that Job is completely, appallingly evil. He hoped Job would be swallowed up by his calamity, that he would never safe again and that the memory of him would vanish from the earth. He wanted Job’s tent to be destroyed, burning sulfur to be spread over the site, and no trace be left of Job.

Then he emphasized his curses by saying . . .

“Such is the place of one who does not know God.” Job 18:21

. . . as if he were speaking for God himself.

The Power of Words

What kind of power did Bildad’s words have over Job?

What kind of power do harsh words have over your life today?

Job didn’t crumple under the curses of his friends. He held on to the truth about himself and refused to believe those who said terrible things to him. Job kept returning to God, seeking truth even while God was silent, and he was rewarded with enough strength to keep going when he wanted to give up.

When Job realized he had an advocate in heaven interceding for him, he also realized that heaven was real. He didn’t need to fear utter darkness beyond the grave. God was paying attention to him. Job had hope that his advocate would prevail on his behalf and his prayers would be answered. Job believed he could be saved from eternal death.

Job discovered these truths by persistently seeking God.

What Job did, we can do. We don’t have to be swallowed up by sorrow; we can keep looking toward Jesus, our advocate in heaven and we can expect that our loving God will save us.