Offerings and Prayers

Job 42:7-9

While Job and God were coming to terms with each other, I imagine that Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu, and whoever else happened to be hanging out at the heap were just watching the show.  They could have even been nodding along in agreement, thinking it was about time ol’ Job got what was coming to him, maybe even pleased that someone finally got through his thick skull. 

I imagine that the nodding stopped short, though, when God turned to Eliphaz and addressed him. 

Job 42:7:  After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” (NRSV)

Oh, snap.  All that might, that power, that countenance turned your way when all you were trying to do was help your friend.  The three friends might have been better off not getting involved.

But involved they are, and there’s no turning back now.  They’ve been called on the carpet, but for what exactly? For “not speaking of God what is right,” as Job has?  What does that mean?  How did Job speak of God that was right, and how did the friends speak of God that was not?

I know we just learned about how sometimes we just need to let go of our desire to understand, but c’mon.  This seems like a lesson we can’t learn without a little more information.

But we don’t get more information.  At least not about what Job did right, exactly, and what the friends did wrong, exactly.  We do get more information, though, about how to fix it. 

God doesn’t punish the friends. God doesn’t turn them over to Satan to kill their livestock or their slaves or their kids.  God gives them a way to make it better.  God tells them what to do to fix it.  It’s kind of a weird, OT prescription, but it’s pretty clear: 

Job 42:8:  Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; 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 done. (NRSV)

It kind of reminds me of those burnt offerings that Job used to do unprompted on behalf of his kids when they had a party … just in case.

Only it’s not that.

It’s the actual people who actually screwed up doing the actual offering.  They’ve been told they messed up, and now they’re told how to make it right.  The friends have to get the bulls and rams and make the offering, but they have to get Job involved, too.  Apparently Job has to be the one to pray in order for God to accept it. 

What is that about?  Why does Job have to pray for the friends?  Why can’t they take care of it themselves?  Does God not care about their prayers? 

Maybe this is how God saves the whole lot of them:  together.  Perhaps it’s a package deal.  All for one, and one for all.  God arranges an odd co-dependency where we all have to participate to make the world right again.

The friends have to burn stuff.  Job has to pray.  Offerings and prayers.  It takes both, but not from the same person.

Has Job prayed for anyone other than himself since his kids died?  Has Job even thought of any needs besides his own?  Maybe, but if so, I don’t think he talked about it, and he’s been talking a lot.

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again:  suffering is a selfish thing.

The friends got themselves into hot water by trying to help Job; Job can get them out of hot water by trying to help them.  We have to do some of the work on our own, but maybe in the end we need each other.  We need each other to heal, to forgive, to be restored.  We have to do our own work, but we have to figure out a larger, communal work, too.  A new creation.  A new way to be.  A new way to be together.  We all have to take part.

Job 42:9:  So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer. (NRSV)

There it is again:  acceptance.  The struggle, the violent chaos, the driving each other crazy?  It’s over.  God accepts Job’s prayer.  It is suddenly that simple.