motives – there are shadows. Only in Him are there no shadows at all. Job knows this – for he has seen God and Job realizes that his hands are dirty. No amount of scrubbing that one does on his own hands will get them clean. That is why Job says in verse six, “I can’t stand myself – I will go, sit and repent in a pile of dirt. From dust I was made – to dust I will return.”

7And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 8Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD commanded them; for the LORD had accepted Job. Job 42:7-9 (NKJV)

THE LORD SPEAKS TO JOB’S “FRIENDS”

It may seem strange to some to place an outline of the book in the comments of the last chapter of the book – yet I think that is the best place for it. If you have read through the entire book it is always good to go back and review what has happened so that you can get a handle on it. So here is a breakdown of the book of Job:

First Part - The Historical Intoduction - Job 1–2

Second Part - The Argument - Job 3–42:6
I. The first series in the controversy –Job 3–14
(1.) Job opens the discussion by cursing his birth-day, and by a bitter complaint of his calamity –Job 3
(2.) Speech of Eliphaz –Job 4–5
(3.) Answer of Job – Job 5–6
(4.) Speech of Bildad – Job 8
(5.) Answer of Job – Job 9–10
(6.) Speech of Zophar – Job 11
(7.) Answer of Job – Job 12–14
II. The second series in the controversy – Job 15–21
(1.) Speech of Eliphaz – Job 15
(2.) Answer of Job – Job 16–17
(3.) Speech of Bildad – Job 18
(4.) Answer of Job, Job 19
(5.) Speech of Zophar – Job 20
(6.) Answer of Job – Job 21
III. The third series in the controversy – Job 22–31
(1.) Speech of Eliphaz – Job 22
(2.) Answer of Job – Job 23–24
(3.) Speech of Bildad – Job 25:1-6
(4.) Answer of Job – Job 26–31
IV. Speech of Elihu – Job 32–37
V. The close of the discussion – Job 38–42:6
(1.) God speaks to Job – Job 38–41
(2.) The response and confession of Job – Job 42:1-6

Third Part - The Conclusion – Job 42:7-17
(1.) The Lord speaks to Job’s friends – Job 42:7-9
(2.) Job is restored – Job 42:10-17

Let us now pick up at verse seven:

God speaks directly to Eliphaz the Temanite and says: “I am angry with you – because you have not spoken honestly about Me like Job has. I am also angry with your two friends – Bibdad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite – all of you are in the same boat – you have all done the same thing.”

Notice that God does not mention Elihu. Gill’s commentary says:

“No notice is taken of Elihu, nor blame laid on him; he acting as a moderator, taking neither the part of Job, nor of his friends, but blaming both: nor did he pretend to charge Job with any sins of his former life as the cause of his calamities; only takes up some indecent, unguarded, and extravagant expressions of his in the heat of this controversy, and