Job and His Friends

In the midst of reading the book of Job. Not many people like to read the book of Job. Some will read the beginning and skip to the end of the book. When I was young I too don't like to read the whole book of Job. Don't understand what they are saying or arguing about. After I graduated from law school, the book of Job seems to be an interesting book to read.

If one were to pay attention to what the 3 "friends" of Job said in the book, one would surely tend to agree wholeheartedly to what they are saying. In fact I believe that the principles that Job's friend used to confront Job are still indirectly and unconsciously adhered to by many of us Christians and non-Christians alike. "Surely the wicked will not go unpunished". "Your sin will find you out". "God is the Righteous Judge". "Vengeance belongs to God". All these principles will lead us to wrongly think that a misfortune is a sign of our sins and wrongdoing being punished. How often if not every time when something bad happens to us, we are lead to think about the wrong things we have done and are being punished for it. Such subtle thoughts being strengthened by the above "Scripture" verses will lead to wrong doctrines as what Job's friends have believed. Another Scripture that comes to mind is "God will discipline those whom He loves". Now with these beliefs in our mind.... surely what happened to Job is because of his secret sins or wrongdoing.

Jesus had to confront this wrong thinking even among his own disciples. He mentioned about the 18 victims killed when the Tower of Siloam fell. - Luke 13:1-5. Basically, Jesus taught them that bad things also happened to good people, and not necessarily because of their sins.

The next time bad things happened to other people, let me not judged/condemned them as sinners suffering for their sins. Just as God allows the rain to pour upon the land of the wicked and good people, so also bad things happened to the wicked and good people. The main thing is that in every circumstance it should bring us closer to God.