All Sin and Fall Short

It can be easy to criticize Job’s friends. From our perspective, knowing the entire story, we know that he had not sinned, and that opinions of his friends largely were inaccurate. But, before judging them harshly, we need to remember that these people knew God. They sincerely cared about Job. Yet, in the end, as God declared, none of them spoke “what is right.” And God was angry with what they said.

They seemed blinded by their biases and prejudices, feeling that each perfectly understood the things of God, and Job’s situation. Each felt justified in their interpretations, and sure that their views would be vindicated. But, in the end, their confidence was misplaced and their understanding was incomplete.

While God did teach and correct Job, the Bible says that “in all this, Job did not sin in what he said” (Job 2:10). God did not condemn him for his honesty while criticizing his friends because of their prejudices, biases, and presumptions.

These are mistakes not just possible for new Christians. The fact is that all of us can be guilty, even the most mature, experienced disciples of Jesus. As the Bible tells us, no one is righteous, “no, not one.” That “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23). We all need to be on guard against being proud and confident in ourselves. If Job’s friends could be wrong, so could each of us!

The actions of Job’s friends should be a warning. To remind us to stay humble before God. On guard against pride. People committed to prayer.