Job 4–14: Friend Speeches 1 - 12th April 2026

from chapter 4 to 14. The second

conversation is from chapter 15 to 21

between Job and his friends. And the

third conversation is chapter 22 to

Isaiah 22 · chapter mention

chapter 27.

And this morning, what I want us to do

is just look at the highlights from the

first conversation between Job and his

friends. The first conversation is

Isaiah 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4 to 14. We're just going to

look at the highlights of this first

conversation. And first, what I want you

to see is just the the shape of the

conversation before we get to what we

learn about in the conversation. Look at

the shape of the conversation. Chapter

4, verse one, who speaks first. Then

Elephaz the Temonite answered and said,

so Elephaz, he speaks first. He's the

first friend to speak and he speaks from

chapter 4 to chapter 5. And then what

happens in this conversation in chapter

6? Job replies. Chapter 6:1, Job

answered and said, and Job speaks his

answer to Elephaz from chapter 6 all the

way to chapter 7. And then the second

friend speaks,

Bildad. Chapter 8 verse 1. Then Bildad

the Shouite answered and said, but this

time he doesn't speak for two chapters.

He speaks for one chapter trying to

understand Job's suffering and then

again in this conversation Job answers

back says in chapter 9 verse one then

Job answered and said and Job speaks

from chapter 9 to chapter 10 in response

and then finally there's Zofar the third

friend he speaks in chapter 11 verse one

it says Zofar the Neatite answered and

said

and he speaks for only one chapter and

he says fewer words than any of them in

all the conversation

and then Job replies in chapter 12 verse

one but Job doesn't reply with one

chapter Job doesn't reply with two

chapters Job speaks back with three full

chapters

now there is a reason for that pattern

there is a reason why the friends

conversation gets smaller and Job's part

of the conversation gets bigger. And

we'll look at that for the moment. But I

just want you to see the back and forth

that is happening as they're trying to

understand what is going on with Job's

suffering.

And there's a few things that I want us

to learn as we look at this

conversation. We're going to be flipping

back and forth throughout these

chapters. There's a few things that I

want us to learn as those who experience

suffering. Our friends, they are going

to come and talk to us and they should

and they are going to use words. And the

first thing I think we learn as we look

at these friends conver this friend

conversation is this that when we

suffer, friends will use good words.

So I want you to notice that in this

conversation that when we suffer,

friends will use good words. And I hope

that's the case for all of us as

Christians. We will suffer and hopefully

our Christian friends will come to us

and they will hug us and they will be

with us and weep with us. But we hope

that they will say good words

to us.

A strange thing happens sometimes to

Christians who are suffering.

Sometimes they don't want to hear that

God is sovereign.

Sometimes they don't want to hear that

God is good

because the reaction is I already know

that stuff. Don't tell me.

But it is right for us as Christians to

say good words to people who are

suffering. And I believe as you look at

these these friends speeches now you do

have to look hard for the good words.

But I think you can firstly see good

words in these friends speeches. And the

good words that you see are good words

about God. First turn to Elephaz's

speech. His is the first. Elephas's

speech in Job 5:8.

Job 5:8

Elephas says good words about God. Job

Job 5:8

5:8. He says this, "As for me, I would

seek God, and to God would I commit my

cause, who ha who does great things

and unsearchable, marvelous things

without number. He gives rain on the

earth and sends water on the field. He

sets on high those who are lowly, and

those who are mourn are lifted to

safety. He frustrates the devices of the

crafty so that their hands achieve no

success. He catches the wise in their

own craftiness and the schemes of the

wily are brought to a quick end.

These are true words about God.

Sometimes when people look at the words

of the friends, they say that all of

their words are bad. But actually when

you look at some of their words, you see

they say true words about God. And he

speaks that to Job and his suffering.

You need to know that the Lord, he does

great things. You need to know that the

Lord is marvelous. You need to know in

your suffering that the Lord, he is

unsearchable. And Elephaz says those

good words.

Then you turn to the next friend,

Billad, in chapter 8, and you have to

search a little bit harder for the good

words in in Billad's speech. In chapter

8:3 he says this, "Does God pervert

justice or does the Almighty pervert the

right?"

In asking those questions, he is

implying something of God, something

good of God, that God is indeed just. He

says, "Does God pervert justice?" The

implied answer is no. God does not per

pervert justice which means he is always

just and good.

And so Alfaz says good words about God

and Bildad says good words about God.

And Zofar as you search his speech in

chapter 11 when Zofar speaks to Job

again you have to search quite hard for

the good things that he says.

But he speaks and he says this in

chapter 11 verse7

when he's speaking of the wisdom of God

he says

can you find out the deep things of God

can you find out the limit of the

almighty

it is higher than heaven

what can you do deeper than shol

what can you know its measure is longer

than the earth and broader than the sea.

God's wisdom, the Almighty's wisdom is

without limit, he says. And so all of

these three friends

speak to Job in his suffering and they

speak good words about God in suffering.

A strange thing happens to Christians

sometimes when they see other Christians

suffering.

We find it hard to speak to them.

And then when we do speak to them, we

forget to speak to them about God.

We forget to speak to them the good

things about God.

It should never be awkward to speak to

another Christian about God.

And for those of you who are suffering,

sometimes we falsely think, I don't need

to hear about God in my suffering. I

know all these things about God.

Oddly enough, this temptation has

happened to me. I preach about God. I

teach about God. I don't need to hear

the words about God. That's wrong. I do.

I need to hear good things about God. I

need to hear truth about God in my

suffering, even though I think that's

not what I need.

So, good friends need to speak those

good words about God to one another. And

this is partly what these friends do.

And some of this, it must be said

that it does encourage us in the church.

It does encourage us to pursue

friendship, doesn't it?

You know, there the books in the Bible

that teach most about friendship

are the wisdom books of the Bible.

Meaning

the wise thing the wisest thing you

could do in life is be a friend of God.

And another wise thing you could do in

life be friends to others.

So as you look at friendship, a big

theme in the book of Proverbs, the

wisdom book of the Bible is friendship.

A big theme in the book of Job is

friendship.

And it is something that we need to

pursue.

Says in Proverbs 27:9,

Proverbs 27:9

"Oil and perfume make the heart glad,

and the sweetness of a friend comes from

earnest counsel."

We need friends in our time of

suffering.

What can happen in our time of suffering

is this. as a defense mechanism. We

retreat and try and avoid people.

I would encourage you, that is a unique

temptation that suffering people

experience. You retreat and you go into

your shell. I would encourage you push

forward and come towards people. Don't

retreat and walk away from people.

Pursue friendship. And the thing is

people just think friendship just

happens. Oh, friendship just happens to

us. It just happens to us. And then

we'll give out to the young man when the

young man says, "Oh yeah, love will just

happen to me. She'll just find me.

She'll just come and get me. She'll just

land on my front door." No, young man.

She won't land on your front door. You

have to go and pursue her.

Go and get her.

Pursue.

And yet when it comes to our

friendships, we just sit back and we

say, "No one's my friend.

I don't have any friends. I'm all alone.

No, we pursue friendship.

And that's at the heart of the gospel.

Jesus, who is he? Jesus, the friend of

sinners. What did he do? He pursued us.

And so, we need to pursue others in

friendship. And as we do in our times of

suffering, those friends will come to us

and they'll speak good words to us.

So we learn from these conversations

that in our suffering, friends will

speak good words to us. But we also need

to learn that in our suffering, the

friends will also speak insensitive

words to us.

When you are suffering,

people will say insensitive words.

They'll just say the wrong thing. And

when you're suffering, you should not be

so sensitive to those things. It's good

that people say things to you, but you

need to realize and understand that

friends will say insensitive things to

you. And Job's friends, they are experts

at saying insensitive things.

Look at Elephas's speech. Go back to Job

4 verse one.

Look at Elephas's insensitive words.

Chapter 4 verse one. Then Elephaz the

Timite answered and said, "If one

ventures a word with you, will you be

impatient?

Yet who can keep from speaking? Behold,

you have instructed many, and you have

strengthened the weak hands. Your words

have upheld him who was stumbling and

you have made firm the feeble knees.

But now it has come to you and you are

impatient. It touches you and you are

dismayed.

Is not your fear of God, your confidence

and the integrity of your ways your

hope.

What is Elephaz doing? Actually,

Elephaz,

he is I'm going to say this. It doesn't

sound like this, but he is gently

rebuking Job. And I say gently because

wait for the other speeches. He's gently

rebuking Job and being insensitive. And

what is he saying?

He's saying he repeats this word twice

in verse two and in verse 5. Job, you

are being impatient.

You imagine hearing those words.

I've lost my house. I've lost my

servant.

I've lost my children.

I've lost my health. You've seen me

silent for seven days.

I've cried out and wished I've never

been born.

You're calling me impatient.

They're insensitive words.

And I believe the the friends are saying

insensitive words because they have bad

theology. We'll get to this in a second,

but basically their bad theology is

this. Good people will always get

blessing and bad people will always get

suffering.

And so their conclusion is, Job, you're

just being impatient.

Insensitive words. Friends will say

insensitive words.

Then we look at the start of Billad's

speech. Turn to chapter 8 verse one and

we'll see his insensitive words. And

these insensitive words, they get kind

of worse. But look at this. Buildadapter

8 verse one. Then Bildad the Shouite

answered and said, "How long will you

say these things and the words of your

mouth be a great wind?"

Does God pervert justice or does the

Almighty pervert the right? If your

children have sinned against him, he has

delivered them into the hand of their

transgression.

Again, notice the focus on words.

Elephas says, "Will you accuse me of

saying wrong? If I use these words

against you, will you be impatient with

my words?" And Bill Dad, he now

criticizes his words with insensitive

words by saying, "When you speak, Job,

it's just like a great wind coming. Your

words are like wind, Job. You're just

blowing smoke. Job, you're a windbag

when you talk."

Job has lost everything.

These are insensitive words, aren't

they?

And then as you move to the last

friend's speech,

well, just just first of all look at

look at Job's response to this and it's

quite curious. He calls him a windbag

basically in chapter 8 verse 2. And then

Job responds in chapter 9:1. Then Job

answered and said, "Truly,

I know that it is so, but how can a man

be in the right before God?" He doesn't

give out to him for saying he's a

windbag. He just says, "I know that it

is true." Why? Because Job actually

believes that bad theology

that good people get blessing and bad

people get suffering.

But he doesn't understand why he is

experiencing the suffering because he

doesn't believe that he's truly been

bad.

So he doesn't criticize the friends.

And then finally we get to Zofar's

insensitive words.

And Zofar is the worst of them all. It

just gets worse and worse as the

conversation progresses. Zofar 11 verse

1.

Then Zofar the Neamothite answered and

said, "Should a multitude of words go

unanswered and a man full of talk be

judged right? Should your babble silence

men? And when you mock, shall no one

shame you.

Job, you're just full of talk.

Job, you're full of babble. Why don't

you just be silent, Job?"

He even alludes to the fact that Job is

a worthless man and even stupid in 11.

For he knows, speaking of God, for he

knows worthless men when he sees

iniquity.

Will he not consider it? Verse 12, but a

stupid man will get understanding

when a wild donkey's cult is born a man.

What is he alluding to the fact? You're

just full of words. You're just full of

speak.

In other words, the way his speech goes,

and it sounds awful. No, no, no. Oh, I

lost my children. I lost my house. I

lost my servants. I lost everything.

Job, you're just No, no, no, no. Full of

talk,

awful,

insensitive

words.

Finally,

Job does get really annoyed and this is

why he speaks for three chapters in

response.

Chapter 12:1. Then Job answered and

said, "No doubt you are the people

and wisdom will die with you. But I have

understanding as well as you. I am not

inferior to you. who does not know such

things as these.

Do you notice the way he speaks?

Oh, no doubt. You're the people. Oh,

yeah. Wisdom wisdom is going to die with

you.

It's like he's saying to one of them,

you're the man. Of course, you're the

man. You have all wisdom and wisdom's

just going to go to the grave with you.

Wherever you go, wisdom follows. Oh,

yeah. You're all so great.

And in the end of this conversation,

he's not just addressing Zofar, but he's

addressing all of the friends.

Their words are insensitive.

They're not being careful.

We need

as we speak to people who are suffering,

we need to be careful with our words.

We need to choose our words carefully.

That's what wisdom would say. If you

want to know the books in the Bible that

talk the most about words, where do you

turn? The wisdom books.

The book of Proverbs instructs us be

careful with our words. The book of

James, the wisdom book of the New

Testament, encourages us, be careful

with the tongue. It's like a fire.

So those who would be wise in life,

those who would be good and wise friends

will not only speak good words, but they

will be careful not to speak insensitive

words.

Proverbs 10 11 says this,

"The mouth of the righteous is a

fountain of life, but the mouth of the

wicked conceals

violence."

Your words

can speak life

or your words can speak death.

The answer is not not to speak. The

answer is to be careful when you do

speak

that you speak into people's suffering

with thought and care. Not like these

friends.

often in our suffering, we'd prefer to

crawl up into a little hole and we'd

prefer people just not to speak to us. I

want to be alone. Um, and I've had that

feeling recently.

Don't want people to speak to me. Want

to be left alone.

Um, and I had that feeling when when mom

was getting quite sick just near the

end. this Friday night Bible study.

Guess where I didn't want to go.

You're a pastor. You should want to go

to everything.

Didn't want to.

Don't want anybody to ask me.

Don't want to talk to anybody.

But I know what I would preach.

Push in.

So I pushed in

and I went

and a friend Steve asked me, "How are

you doing?

How's your mom?" Not good.

And there in the Bible study, he said,

"Can I pray?"

Those were good words.

That's exactly what I needed. Someone to

pray, not to teach me what's happening.

not to sit down and give me a theology

lesson,

just to pray.

Standing there at the Bible study, he

put his arm on me and he prayed.

Good words,

good friend, good things to say.

Now, before that, if someone had said,

"He's going to ask you, then in the

middle he's going to stand and put his

hands." I'd say, "No way.

That's exactly what I needed.

We need to be careful with our words

when people are suffering. And it the

answer is not to say no words, but the

answer is to say good and godly and

careful words.

So these friends in one sense they do

say good words about God and in the

other sense we've seen that these

friends they do say insensitive words

that they shouldn't say

but the final thing I want us to look at

is the reason why they say these

insensitive words

and the reason why these friends say

insensitive words is because they have

bad theology. ology.

And what I want you to understand is

that in your suffering,

sometimes people will speak bad words to

you. And when I say bad words, I don't

mean like swear words. Um, hopefully

not. What I mean by bad words is

sometimes people will speak bad theology

into your suffering.

And I've seen this before and you should

prepare yourself for it. Even

well-meaning Christians will speak bad

theology into your suffering.

There was a friend of mine that was

dying.

People were saying they were praying and

people were praying for a miracle for

that friend.

But some people promised that friend

that they would get healing.

Promised

that they will get healing.

Guess what?

The friend died.

Brothers and sisters, we should pray for

a miracle in people's lives. We should

pray for miracles. But miracles are

exactly that. They are miracles.

Meaning, they are not the norm.

They're not the norm. Do you know what

the norm is in this broken and and

desperate world? The norm is suffering.

That's the norm.

The norm is one day all of us will die.

That is the norm.

So it's bad theology to come to someone

and promise them healing when that is

never guaranteed.

And that is the reason why these friends

are saying what they're saying because

they believe a bad theology. And the bad

theology is this. Here's their bad

theology.

Good people will always be blessed

and bad people will always suffer.

That's their bad theology. So what's

their conclusion about Job? Job, if

you're suffering, guess what? That must

mean you're a bad guy. That must mean

you're suffering because of sin in your

life. The technical term for this bad

theology is retribution theology.

It's not just you reap what you sow. It

is you will always reap what you sow.

It is their version of the prosperity

gospel. If I live a good life, if I

behave in a good way, I will always get

blessing. If I'm a sinner and live a bad

life, I will always get suffering. And

that's their bad theology.

They're constantly saying in the

conversation, Job, you must be guilty.

And Job, though he knows and understands

the theology, says, "Guys, I don't know

what's going on, but I'm not guilty. I'm

innocent."

And so, you see this theology throughout

their speeches. Look at Elephas's bad

theology.

In chapter 4, verse 7, Elephaz says

this, "Remember,

who that was innocent ever perished?

Or where were the upright cut off? As I

have seen those who plow iniquity

and sow trouble reap the same. Do you

see the theology? It's the bad theology.

It's it's the bad words. It's the

retribution theology.

Job remember

who that was innocent ever perished.

Good people never have bad things happen

to them. This is the theology that we

believe. And remember, the reason he's

saying remember to Job is because this

is the theology that Job preached and

this is a theology that Job believed.

Remember, none of this would be

happening to you

unless you've sinned in some way. He

goes on in this bad theology to say in

chapter 5 6 he says this again for

affliction or trouble does not come from

the dust nor does trouble sprout from

the ground but man is born to trouble as

sparks fly upward. What's he saying?

Trouble isn't just coming from nowhere.

It's not just coming from from the dust.

There's no smoke, Job, without fire. The

reason you're suffering is surely

because of your sin. That's the bad

theology.

But Job replies there, the friends are

saying you're guilty. And Job replies

saying he's not guilty.

And Job's response in chapter 6 verse

24, he says this to his friend

Elephas.

Verse 24, teach me and I will be silent.

Make me understand how I've gone astray.

Tell me what I've done and I'll be

quiet.

Show me my sin and I'll turn around.

Then he says he's innocent again in

verse 27 of chapter 6. But now be

pleased to look at me for I will not lie

to your place face. Please turn. Let no

injustice be done. Turn now. My

vindication is at stake. Is there any

injustice on my tongue? Cannot my pallet

discern the cause of calamity? Do you

hear what Job is saying? Look me in the

eyes. Look in my face. I've done nothing

wrong. I am innocent.

That's how he defends himself to

Elephas. And then we see this bad

theology with Billad and Billad's

speech. Job, you're only suffering

because you must have sinned. Your

children are only suffering because you

must have sinned. Chapter 8:3.

Does God pervert justice? Or does the

Almighty pervert the right? If your

children have sinned against him, he has

delivered them into the hand of their

transgression. Do you know the awful

thing that he's saying here?

Job, the reason your children died was

because of their sin.

if they didn't sin, they wouldn't have

died. Terrible theology.

And then he goes on to say again in this

bad theology, he says that the that the

you know that the reason you are

suffering is because of your sin. In Job

Job 20 · chapter mention

chapter 20, chapter 8 20, he says this,

"Behold, God will not reject a blameless

man, nor take the hand of evildoers.

If you're blameless, it will all be

good. You're suffering, Job, because of

your sin. And Job comes back and he says

again, I know the theology. I understand

the theology. I believe that theology

before, but I don't know what's going

on, guys, because I am not guilty. He

responds to Bildad in chapter 9 20 and

says this

chapter 9 20 though I am in the right my

own mouth would condemn me. Though I am

blameless he would prove me perverse. I

am blameless. I regard not myself. I loa

my life. It is all the one. Therefore I

say he destroys both the blameless and

the wicked. What is Job saying? I'm

blameless. I'm blameless. I'm blameless.

I'm not guilty. I've done nothing wrong.

And then finally, we get to Zofar. And

Zofar is bad theology.

He says this in in chapter 11 verse4.

For you say, "My doctrine is pure and I

am clean in God's eyes." But oh that God

would speak and open his lips to you and

that he would tell you the secrets of

wisdom. For he is manifold in

understanding. Know then that God exacts

of you less than your guilt deserves.

Job.

God is doing what is right here. You are

suffering because of your sin. You need

to repent. And Job, what you're getting

off lightly compared to your guilt.

Horrible things to say. He's lost

everything.

And Zofar is telling him, "You are

getting less than your guilt deserves."

These are terrible friends, aren't they?

This is why

Job responds and says to them

in Job chapter 13 verse4,

Job 13 · chapter mention

"As for you, you whitewash with lies,

worthless physicians are you all, oh

that you would keep silent, and that

would be your wisdom.

You're liars. You're bad physicians.

You're worthless

because of their bad theology.

Sometimes in your suffering, friends

will speak bad words to you. Bad

theology to you.

The Lord believes that all of the words

that these friends said were bad

theology. Turn just for a second to Job

42.

Job chapter 42:7.

And here is the verdict on the words

that these friends have said.

Job 42:7.

Job 42:7

After the Lord had spoken these words to

Job, the Lord said to Elephaz the

Timite, that's the first friend who

spoke. My anger burns against you and

against your two friends. For you have

spoken of me what what is right. For you

have not spoken of me what is right, as

my servant Job has. Now therefore, take

seven bulls and seven rams and go to my

servant Job and offer up a burnt

offering for yourselves. and my servant

Job shall pray for you. For I will

accept his prayer, not to deal with you

according to your folly,

for you have not spoken of me what is

right, as my servant Job has."

Which means as we read these next

conversations, conversation one,

conversation two, conversation three,

and we hear the words of the friends, we

should be saying these words are wrong.

These words are not honoring to God.

These guys

have bad theology.

Sometimes in our suffering, our friends

will say wrong words to us,

bad words to us.

What does that mean for us in order for

us to be a good friend? Here's what you

should do. First, you should pursue

friends. It's a wise thing. Pursue

friendship. The best way to get friends

is to be a friend.

Pursue friendship with others. Second,

seek to speak good words to others.

Seek to speak good words to those

friends. Third, be sensitive with your

words. Oh, I just speak my mind and

people have to deal with it. It's my

personality. I just say what comes out.

It's not biblical.

What's biblical is to be careful with

what you're saying. Not just to speak

whatever your heart says, but watch what

you're saying. Be careful and be wise.

And then also to be a good friend.

Do you know what you need? Good

theology.

You shouldn't just seek to read the

Bible

to be a good friend. You need to study

the Bible. Cuz guess what's going to

happen to your friends when they're

suffering? Your friends when they're

suffering, they're not going to go to a

commentary.

Your friends, when they're suffering,

they're not going to go and try and find

a theologian.

Your friends, when they're suffering, do

you know who they're going to go to?

You.

And in the moment when they turned to

you, my prayer is that everyone in this

church would have good theology to

speak.

So how do you pursue that?

Every time the Bible is taught,

study it deeply.

Don't just listen passively and have it

flash right over you. Study it deeply.

when you go to the men's and the women's

study, actually do the study. Sit down

and do the study. And yes, there will be

nights where you haven't done the study.

Okay? You know, the great sinner walks

in who hasn't done the study. Who cares

about that? Some nights you'll walk in

and you won't have the study done. Fair

enough. But we have an obligation, don't

we? If we're going to be good friends to

speak good theology.

What these friends are speaking is bad

theology

because sometimes it is true that good

people suffer.

This is what happened with Job. At the

be very beginning of the book of Job, it

says of Job, the very first words of the

book of Job, it says of him, he was a

man blameless and upright who feared God

and turned away from evil. And God

speaks of Job in the very first chapter

and says he is blameless and upright and

fears God and turns away from evil.

And then when speaking to Satan, the

Lord said that Job is blameless and

upright and turns away from evil.

He wasn't a perfect man.

He was a blameless man. And yet he

suffered.

Sometimes in this world, good and

blameless people will suffer.

And that's the reality of this broken

world.

It is bad theology to say that they will

never suffer.

It is bad theology

because it is anti-gosspel theology.

The perfect one suffered.

Pontius Pilate was right

when he said of Christ,

"There is no guilt in this man."

And yet people said, "Crucify him.

Crucify him."

An innocent man suffered for you and me

that the guilty ones, you and me, might

go free.

That's good theology.

Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you for your word that we

have this morning. We thank you that you

speak it directly into our hearts. And

we pray, Lord, that as we speak your

word um to one another, that we will

speak truth and good theology to one

another. Help us to be good friends.

Help us to share good words, speak

sensitively to one another, and have

good theology to teach one another. Help

us, Lord, pursue friendship with each

other and friendship most importantly

with you. I pray this in your holy name.

Amen. We might just um instead of

responding with song, we might just