Job 2:11-13
Job Suffered Greatly
11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
Job 42:1-6
God Can Do All Things
1 Then Job replied to the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”
We are told when Job's friends saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him...Then they began to weep aloud...They tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads...Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights...No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was...
Job suffered greatly...For me, the Book of Job is like no other on the problem of suffering...Job identifies with the pain of the world and he does not hold back in asking questions about suffering and why does it have to happen...Job addresses God in his questions and dialogue and he believers that God needs to hear it...And in his suffering, Job did not lose his faith, but keeps up his questions on why he was suffering...He argues that suffering is unfair in life, when it happens to the innocent...And when God comes out of the storm and speaks to Job, He does not address the unfairness of suffering...So God and suffering remain a mystery, but yet Job is okay with that in the end, when He has felt the Presence of God...Job says, “I know that You can do all things; no purpose of Yours can be thwarted...You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures My plans without knowledge?’...Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know...“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’...My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You...Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”...
Job understood he did not understand suffering and why suffering happens...God does...And God will give us the information we need...