Betrayed by Friends

What a disappointment Eliphaz’s words have been to Job.

He likens his experience to a caravan of travellers in the desert who are searching for water. They have hope and joy when they see swollen streams of water in the distance, but when they reach the streams they have dried up.

Similarly, Job had hope and joy when his friends arrived. He expected sympathy and understanding, but was deeply disappointed. Friendship has failed, Job and he remains alone. Oh, his friends are still there - but he is alone in his misery and confusion with their accusations adding to his torment.

Job has strong words for Eliphaz, “I’m desperate and you should help me. How can you sit there and insinuate that my suffering is my own fault. Stop accusing me falsely. My reputation is at stake.”

He’s not asking them to give him anything - just to believe in who he is. How can those who know him believe that it is his own sin that has brought this suffering? Like Satan, they attack his character.

So often in life, we betray our friends by making character judgments based on our interpretation of the evidence rather than questioning the evidence in light of what we know about the person. Job is justifiably angry. Surely his friends know his character.

Anyone who has been falsely accused can relate to Job’s mental anguish. How he longs for his friends to stand with him in his agony.

Hearing Job’s agony adds a poignant dimension for me as I think about Jesus’ struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus asks his closest friends to stand with him, to watch and pray, as he agonizes over the consequences of the coming betrayal and false accusations. And their friendship failed. They fell asleep, leaving him totally alone.

Respond in Prayer

O God of mercy, help me to recognize the deep needs of those around me - the need to be known and believed for who they are, the need to have someone stand with them in their struggles. May I neither judge falsely nor fall asleep. Amen.

Lynn Smith