Job 2:13

The three friends were careful not to upset Job. They sympathised with him.

They did not even leave him during the night. They sat on the ash heap with Job.

They were polite. Perhaps they expected to talk with Job. But Job was not ready to speak. His pain was too great. His troubles were too terrible. Job just wanted to remain silent. His friends respected this. So they were silent until Job spoke.

The friends’ actions in chapter 2 were good and right. Later, they would say many foolish things. But in chapter 2, they really cared about Job. They were patient. They were kind. They wanted to help their friend. And we can learn many things from them.

A week later, Job and his friends began to speak. They tried to explain Job’s troubles. They made many mistakes in their speeches. But they also learned many wonderful things about God. In the end, God forgave the friends. And God made Job successful again. But first, we will study their speeches.