Jobs friends didn't get it
Jobs friends didn't get it [∞]
The Four Voices of the Word of God in the Old Testament: Correct but Misunderstood in Christ
Each of Job’s friends speaks with one of the four voices of the Word of God from the Old Testament—Prophet, King, Priest, and Judge. Their words are entirely correct in principle, yet they fail to grasp how these truths apply to Christ, who is listening as Job.
These voices reflect the partial revelation given in the Old Testament, which was true but incomplete. They spoke divine principles but could not yet comprehend the mystery of Christ’s suffering as redemptive rather than punitive.
1. Eliphaz (Prophet) – "God reveals truth, and suffering comes from sin."
- What he got right: The prophet declares that God speaks through revelation and that suffering is a consequence of sin (Job 4:12-21, 5:17).
- What he misunderstood about Christ: Christ’s suffering was not due to His own sin but was substitutionary—He bore our sin (Isaiah 53:4-6). Eliphaz assumed Job (Christ) must be suffering for personal wrongdoing rather than for the sake of others.
🔹 Eliphaz saw suffering as correction for the sinner. He did not see that Christ, though sinless, suffered for sinners and begat the bride.
2. Bildad (Judge) – "God rules justly, and only the righteous stand."
- What he got right: The kingly voice upholds divine justice and order, declaring that God does not pervert justice (Job 8:3-6). The righteous are rewarded, and the wicked perish.
- What he misunderstood about Christ: Christ’s suffering was not proof of guilt but of His mission. He was fulfilling justice by standing in place of the guilty (2 Corinthians 5:21). Bildad saw suffering as judgment on the wicked, not realizing that Christ was bearing judgment for the wicked.
🔹 Bildad saw justice rightly but did not see the cross as the way justice would be satisfied.
3. Zophar (Priest) – "God purifies through repentance and righteousness."
- What he got right: The priestly voice calls for repentance, saying that restoration comes through turning to God and purity of heart (Job 11:13-19).
- What he misunderstood about Christ: Christ did not suffer because He needed to repent, but because He was making atonement for others. Zophar’s words apply to sinners, but Christ was the sinless one who was interceding for sinners.
🔹 Zophar saw the need for purity but did not see that Christ was the High Priest who would purify others through His own suffering.
4. Elihu (King) – "God is perfectly just, and all must submit to His judgment."
- What he got right: The judge proclaims that God cannot be unjust, that He repays everyone according to their deeds (Job 34:10-12).
- What he misunderstood about Christ: Christ was not being judged for His own sin but for ours. God’s justice was not being violated but fulfilled in Christ’s suffering (Romans 3:25-26). Elihu’s words describe general truth but fail to account for the mystery of substitutionary atonement.
🔹 Elihu saw that God is just but did not see that Christ was taking justice upon Himself to justify others.
The Four Voices Were True, but Incomplete
Each of these voices spoke the truth but failed to grasp the mystery of Christ.
- The Prophet saw suffering as correction, but did not see Christ suffering for others.
- The Judge saw justice, but did not see Christ fulfilling it through mercy.
- The Priest saw the need for purity, but did not see Christ purifying others through His own suffering.
- The King saw God’s justice, but did not see it satisfied in Christ’s death.
This reflects how the Old Testament revealed truth in part, but the full meaning was only understood in Christ. As Jesus said to His disciples:
"O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:25-26)
Christ Listened, Fulfilled, and Completed the Voices
As Job (a type of Christ) listened to these voices, Christ in His life and suffering was fulfilling their words in a way they did not anticipate. The Old Testament was true, but it was only in the cross and resurrection that its meaning was fully revealed.
