Page 49 - Reading Job to Know God

17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for
adversity.” You do not have to go too deeply into life, especially the
Christian life, to realize that adversity is an acid test of friendship. When
you are in trouble, then you see who your real friends are. Even in the
world they have that proverb. You can tell who your friends are when
you’re down and out. There is some truth to that. Real friendship, and I
am talking about Bible friendship, is a mighty miracle of God, and it is
based on love, which is the fruit of the Spirit. That is why I like to relate it
to Song chapter 8:6 and 7,

“For love is as strong as death, many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers overflow it.”
If it is real, it is going to stick through thick and thin, even though in Job
16:2, Job calls these friends “miserable comforters”, or the New
American Standard Bible calls them “Sorry comforters are you all.” He
was not happy with these men, but as Morgan points out, at least they
came. At least they came to see him and to sympathize with him. So I
suppose we should credit them for that.
The second thing G. Campbell says is that they shut up for seven days and
seven nights. They sat in silence. Verse 13: “Then they sat down on the
ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one
speaking a word to him.” I do not know why they sat for seven days and
seven nights. Perhaps it is because seven days and seven nights was the
official Bible time for mourning the dead. Maybe they thought he was
right on the brink of death. You get that from Genesis chapter 1, verse 10,
and also First Samuel 31:13.
We often say or think something like this. I hope I said the right thing. I
hope I didn’t say the wrong thing. Well, it is a lot deeper than saying the
right thing or saying the wrong thing. It is a special work of grace that
makes us say nothing at all and keep our mouths shut. I like First
Thessalonians 4:11 “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.” If you
have the King James it says, “Study to be quiet.” It is not easy to be
quiet. “Study to be quiet.” Unseasonable words are often an aggravation
and an abrasive acid inside the wound of those who are suffering. And so
we need to walk softly before the Lord. Silence in the will of God may be
a great balm of healing.
I am convinced that for every Christian who needs to trust God for
boldness to speak, at least ten Christians need to trust God for the grace to
shut up. I believe you will find that to be true. That is a great proof of
God’s grace. One reason that it is an illustration of grace is that it goes
against our nature to be quiet. Morgan points out that they ought to be
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