January 21, 2024 -- Job 42:7-9 -- Why did God accept Job's prayers and why was God angry with Job's friends?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

7 After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job's prayer.
Job 42:7-9 ESV

Job, the upright and blameless man, was tormented by the Devil. He lost all his children. He worshiped God. He lost his possessions and his wealth. He worshiped God. His flesh was consumed with boils and sores and his wife nagged him, encouraged him to curse God and die. Job had many questions for the LORD his God. His friends seem orthodox. How does one understand this? I am reading the philosopher-theologian Peter Kreeft. Here is his answer.

These men are accused of not speaking rightly about God, as Job has. “But they had spoken perfectly rightly about God, and Job had spoken wrongly. Kreeft will be quoting from the philosopher Martin Buber.

“Wrong,” says Buber. Since God is the Thou who can only
be addressed and not expressed and since God’s divinely
revealed name is I Am, not It Is, therefore, Job, who talks
to God, pleases God, unlike the three friends, who never
talk to God, never pray, and never talk about him and thus
do not please God.
I said, “That’s right.” Suppose I was teaching a class, and
two of my students interrupted my lecture by breaking out
into loud, animated conversation about the professor: “Do
you think Professor Kreeft is crazy?” “No.” “Yes, he is.”
“No, he isn’t.”
“Wait a minute!” I would say. “Hello, I’m here.” I wouldn’t
be offended that they thought I was crazy. That is quite
reasonable, but not that you would talk about me in front
of me without realizing that I’m here. Well, that’s what we’re
doing to God all the time.”
Chapter 3, Making Sense Out of Suffering. Peter Kreeft.
Socrates in the City. Edited by Eric Metaxas. Toronto:
Penguin Group, 2011, page 69.

Now that makes things clearer. How often we people, even Christians, talk about God, with Him right there—He is everywhere—and do not speak to Him. Engage Him. Worship Him. Ask Him. Cry out to Him. Yield to Him? Today is Sunday. Get to a Bible-believing gathering of Christians where others will join you in speaking to God, worshiping God. Get to this gathering with the expectation you will learn how to engage in a conversation with Him, that begins now and stretches to eternity

Those who speak to God, know Him by His Son Jesus Christ can, with Job pray:
“I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You;
therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:2,5-6

Faithful God, now Your people see You in Jesus Christ, Who is revealed in Scripture’s every page. Help us, God of glory to speak to You, ask of You, wrestle in our prayers and thoughts with You, until, by Your Spirit’s powerful presence in us, and in the community of believers around us, we know You ever more fully into eternity. Amen.

https://youtu.be/UV8bv4QuDtM?si=He8oSdE26fnMeAik “Behold Our God”

Copyright © 2024 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.