When Comfort Turns To Condemnation

When Comfort Turns to Condemnation

Job 6:14-16, 21-22 NKJV
[14] “To him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend, Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. [15] My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook, Like the streams of the brooks that pass away, [16] Which are dark because of the ice, And into which the snow vanishes....[21] For now you are nothing, You see terror and are afraid. [22] Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to me’? Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?

     Job could not take it any longer. He challenges Eliphaz and his other friends. His accusations expose the danger of careless counsel: words meant to heal can actually wound deeper. Eliphaz’s counsel was empty and harsh (Job 6:25–26). Job describes his words as “windy” and unhelpful. Instead of comfort, Eliphaz offered arguments that increased Job’s pain.  Harsh truth without love is cruelty. Counsel must carry grace. When someone is broken, they don’t need a lecture—they need empathy. " Job here made his most basic accusation against Eliphaz: “You should show me kindness, even if it were true that I had forsaken the fear of the Almighty.”
    Guzik summarizes Smick: “Verse 21 is the climax of Job’s reaction to his friends’ counsel. They offered no help. The verse is like a sermon about the special strength needed to be willing to make oneself available when we see others in a truly dreadful condition. The risk involved makes us afraid.” Guzik sums it up: "Job wasn’t asking his friends to pay him money or to ransom him from kidnappers. All he wanted was some words of comfort, and he heard none". Has anyone been in a moment like this?
    Eliphaz failed the test of friendship (Job 6:14–15). Job says: “A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends.” Eliphaz was like a dried-up brook—absent when needed most. True friendship is proven in crisis. We should be a fountain of encouragement, not a drain of hope. Eliphaz represents well-meaning but misguided counsel. He had empty words instead of comfort. He misjudged instead of being understanding. He showed betrayal instead of loyalty. He ran on presumption instead of truth. How's your friendship? Good morning.

A Covenant with the stones

A Covenant With The Stones 

Job 5:23-27 NKJV

[23] For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field, And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. [24] You shall know that your tent is in peace; You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss. [25] You shall also know that your descendants shall be many, And your offspring like the grass of the earth. [26] You shall come to the grave at a full age, As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season. [27] Behold, this we have searched out; It is true. Hear it, and know for yourself.”

    Eliphaz is coming to the conclusion of his first speech. He began by saying that the person God favours will have a covenant with the stones of the field. He is describing the blessings of a person whom God favours and disciplines rightly. To “have a covenant with the stones” is a metaphor that points to:

    1. Having harmony with creation. Stones, which could symbolize rough, hard, and resistant obstacles, will no longer oppose but cooperate with you. Agricultural safety: In the ancient world, farmers feared stones in their fields because they ruined plowing and harvest. A covenant with stones means the land itself will yield without resistance. Security in life’s environment: Even nature’s harshest realities (stones, beasts) become allies instead of enemies.

    2. Symbolically, it describes peace with the inanimate creation. Stones represent permanence and hardness. Having covenant with them means your steps are secure, your foundation is firm, and creation itself bears witness to God’s favour on you. It also means overcoming obstacles. The imagery suggests God makes what normally frustrates or hinders into something that works for your good.In total, a covenant with stones and beasts paints a picture of complete peace—no hostility from the seen or unseen realms, no disturbance from environment or creation.

   3. Theologically, it means God reconciles us with creation through His covenant: Just as Adam lost harmony with creation in the Fall, in Christ God restores peace with all creation (Romans 8:19–21, Colossians 1:20). The covenant extends beyond human relationships. It touches even the physical order of the world—your “field” (work, land, calling) aligns with divine blessing.The believer’s security is not left untouched. Nothing in nature—stones of stumbling, wild beasts, storms—can undo the covenantal favour of God.

    These connections will then  bring forth peace in all spheres: whether in your dwellings, your endeavours or your relationships. Eliphaz has coined a full thesis of life, except he has misplaced it's application. God was involved in Job's case. I think He is involved in yours as well. Good morning.

The Man Whom God Corrects

The Man Whom God Corrects

Job 5:17-22 NKJV

[17] “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. [18] For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. [19] He shall deliver you in six troubles, Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you. [20] In famine He shall redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword. [21] You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes. [22] You shall laugh at destruction and famine, And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

    Eliphaz now suggests another possible explanation for Job's predicament. Now he thinks that what's happening to Job is actually God's correction in the way Job had lived. 

When most people hear the word correction, they think of punishment, failure, or rejection. But God’s correction is none of these. It is His hand of love guiding us back into the path of life. So Eliphaz missed the point again.

     Hebrews 12:6 reminds us that God’s discipline is proof of our sonship: He corrects us because He loves us, not because He has abandoned us. His Word warns us like road signs on a highway. Circumstances may redirect us like Jonah in the belly of the fish. Sometimes, He uses people—like Nathan confronting David—to point out what we cannot see. And often, His Spirit quietly nudges our conscience, like a smoke detector that goes off before fire spreads.

      Though correction can sting, its purpose is beautiful: to protect us from harm, to form holiness in us, and to prepare us for greater service. Like a goldsmith refining gold in fire, God uses correction to burn off what is impure and bring out the beauty He already sees in us. The right response is humility and repentance, not resentment. Correction is not a sign of God’s anger but His affection. If we receive it with gratitude and obedience, it will yield the “peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11). 

    Eliphaz is correct in  his view of God's help and restoration. He only missed Job's circumstances. Eventually, Job laughed at destruction. You will laugh as well, in Jesus Name. Good morning.

The Consolation of jobs three friends

The Consolation Of Job's Three Friends 

Job 2:11-13 NKJV

[11] Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. [12] And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. [13] So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

      For seven days and seven nights, they sat on the ground with Job and did not speak a single word. This was an act of profound, silent solidarity. They recognized that Job's grief was so great that words would have been inadequate and perhaps even an intrusion. Their presence alone was the consolation, a powerful demonstration of their empathy and a willingness to simply sit with their friend in his pain.

    According to Poole, " Seven days and seven nights was the usual time of mourning for the dead, Gen 50:10; 1Sa 31:13, and therefore proper both for Job’s children, who were dead, and for Job himself, who was in a manner dead whilst he lived.”  After this, the begins a discussion in the next thirty five chapters trying to place the reason for these infirmities.

   Morgan says that " Job suffered more at the hands of these friends ultimately than by the attacks of the foe, yet some recognition must be made of the goodness of the men.” 

    Bradley finally submits that, " We leave Job and his friends seated in silence. There is calm around them, but we feel that the air is heavy, and that there is a tempest in the sky. We shall hear the storm burst and the thunder roll when next we meet.” How do you respond to others in their crises? How do you evaluate what happens to others? Sometimes being silent may speak loads of sympathy than hurrying to talk. Someone says that " Silence is the genius of fools and one of the virtues of the wise." How do you react to others in trouble? Good morning.

Curse God And Die

Curse God And Die 

Job 2:7-10 NKJV

[7] So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. [8] And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. [9] Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” [10] But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

     The title is spoken by Job's wife after he had lost everything and the enemy turned it's attack on Job's health. He is afflicted with painful sores, and sits in ashes, a sign of deep mourning. Some scholars are sympathetic to Jobs wife after they lost everything. According to them,She was watching her husband, whom she loved, suffer in excruciating pains. So from a human perspective, she may have felt that death was the only escape from such unbearable suffering. Maybe this was her way of expressing her grief and frustration with God. 

      Within the larger narrative, her words are a direct temptation to Job. The devil had told God that Job would curse Him if the blessings were taken away. Knowingly or unknowingly, Job's wife's words were to prove satan's claims. In v10, Job told her that she speaks as a foolish woman. That's the central theme of the book of Job. It is the human tendency to question God's goodness and justice when suffering occurs. She's not presented as a villain but as someone whose faith has faltered in the face of very tough pains.

     How do you respond to situations that may appear as if God is silent? How do you react when others think God is punishing you for your secret crimes. How do you feel when others submit that you're a victim of your parental sins. Do you just accept them? Is there a way out in the New Testament? You have to follow up this vignettes. You'll be happy you did. Good morning.

Skin For Skin

Skin for skin!

Job 2:3-6 NKJV

[3] Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” [4] So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. [5] But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” [6] And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”

    The phrase "skin for skin" is a proverb Satan uses to accuse Job of being in a selfish, transactional faith. It's an ancient saying with a meaning similar to "a person will give anything to save their own life."According to Lawson, the phrase in Job’s ancient culture,..." was a bartering term meaning to trade one skin for another." The devil is here accusing Job of being willing to risk the skin of his children and livestock in order to protect his own skin.” 

    It's important to take a closer look at this accusation. What is a transactional faith? Transactional faith is a mindset that views one's relationship with God as a quid pro quo or a business-like exchange. In this view, people believe that if they perform certain actions—like praying, attending church, or giving money—God is obligated to provide them with specific blessings or outcomes in return. This can lead to a belief that good deeds or adherence to religious rules will guarantee prosperity, health, or protection, while a lack of blessings is a sign that one has not done enough or has committed a sin.

    This type of faith often treats God like a vending machine: you put in your good deeds and prayers, and a blessing is dispensed. When the expected blessing doesn't come, it can lead to feelings of disappointment, guilt, or the belief that something is wrong with one's own faith or actions. 

The primary motivation is to receive a benefit, whether it's salvation, financial gain, or personal comfort. This is in contrast to a relational or transformational faith, which focuses on knowing and loving God for who He is, not just for what He can provide.

    To move toward a more relational faith involves shifting the focus from "what can I get?" to "who is God?" and "who am I in relationship with God?" It emphasizes that God's love is unconditional and not based on our performance. This shift involves:

​Prioritizing relationship over rules: Focusing on building a personal, loving relationship with God rather than simply following a list of rules or obligations.

     We have to learn to trust that God's plan is not always a direct response to our specific requests. His love remains constant even when prayers aren't answered in the ways we expect.We have to recognize that faith is a gift and not something that can be earned or bought.Touching Job's health was not to change things, neither should it be for you. Good morning.

The Enemy's Premtive Strike

The Enemy's Pre-emptive Strike

Job 1:13-17 NKJV

[13] Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; [14] and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, [15] when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” [16] While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” [17] While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

     A pre-emptive strike is a first-strike attack. In the military, it may be done as an act of self defence, but in spiritual warfare it is used by the devil as an act of dominion. This strike is  launched with the intention of crippling your ability to retaliate. The term is most commonly used in the context of nuclear strategy, where a first strike would aim to destroy the opponent's nuclear arsenal (e.g., missile silos, submarine bases, bomber airfields) and command and control centers, thus preventing a devastating counterattack. This is what America did to Iran recently . So all the people who would have gathered around Job in prayers and intercession were wiped out by that pre-emptive strike. The strike continued till v.20 when Job declared that he came out of the mother's womb empty, and will return same.

     The very goal of any response is not just to retaliate, but to re-establish deterrence and prevent further escalation. In spiritual warfare, some prayers are preventive, others are fostering. You have to know the difference and when to apply which. There are prayers you can pray alone, and there are prayers you must extend it's influence by co-opting others. In Job's case, many did not even understand what he was experiencing. At a time, the wife told him to curse God and die. You must have prayer partners. It's time to repel the bombardment of the enemy. Start today. Good morning.