Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Hope 26 Job's Friends 12/1-3/20

01-03 December 2020 – Hope Series 26 – Manna by Dot & Tony Callies

                                    Theme: Hope for Job's Friends

Job 42:7a - Then the Lord said to Eliphaz, "I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not been right in what you have said about Me, as My servant Job was." 

God made it clear that Job's friends were wrong. Eliphaz and his two friends judged Job and said that Job suffered must have caused by some great sin. God became an advocate to Job against Eliphaz and his two friends. This is a warning for us not to make any rash judgments about a person we "think we know" because God may be working in ways we know nothing about. [Jesus said, “Judge not!” Matt. 7:1]

Does Job’s friends have any hope of forgiveness? Yes, God gave them an instruction what they need to do. They were to take some animals and go to Job for burnt offering. God said for Job to intercede for them.  When Job prayed for his friends, The Lord gave back everything he had lost, but this time, twice as much (Job 42:8-10).

What can we learn from this? When Job received much criticism, Job was still able to pray for his three friends. Is it difficult to forgive someone who had accused us of wrong doing? Job gave us a perfect example that Job forgave his friends. Job prayed for them when they had hurt him. Could we forgive our friends who hurt us?

God called Job a good man and God had Job prayed for them. Their only hope was through Job's intercession for them. If your friends had hurt you and God might be angry with them for hurting you, would you pray to God and ask Him to spare them from His anger and cover them with the blood of Jesus and ask God to save their soul?

The key to all this one verse: "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up." (James 4:10) I have quoted this so often when I had faced some challenges of criticism. God will reward you when you pray for them. There's peace in forgiveness.

So trust God today!

Dorothy

 

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