Job 2:13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

Job’s friends came to console Job in his grief. I can understand how they felt, not having the words to comfort their dear friend. Seven days they kept silent. That is a long time to remain silent.

Then Eliphaz said to Job in 4:8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

What was running through the mind of his friend that he should try and comfort Job with these words?

Job 5:2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

Pour it on.

Bildad speaks in 8:6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

Are you sure these are friends?

Zophar says in 11:3 Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

Okay, I’ve heard enough. Why would men that love Job speak to him in this way?

What I find difficult here is not that these men misspoke but that they used biblical precepts and scriptures to wound Job above that which he already suffered. You will find scriptures similar to these in Psalms and Proverbs but here they are poorly used. They are taken out of context, much like I picked and chose to use them here.

All the good which might have been done in anything else said is undone in these words.

Ecclesiastes 5:7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

Let my words be few.

Genesis 17:10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

Exodus 4:25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

Zipporah, Moses’ wife, was a Midianite. Midian was a son of Abraham by his second wife after Sarah died. Circumcision was not a custom passed down to Midian from Abraham as far as I can tell from my readings.

Why did Abraham stop obeying God?

I occasionally have these conversations with my brothers and sisters in Christ about failing to keep covenant with God. The most common response is “Why would they do that?” It is not within their hearts to even understand how such a thing might happen.

There is however something within me that says that if I cannot understand how such a thing can happen, then I too might be in danger. Not that I would, could or desire to stop obeying, but that if there were a warning sign, perhaps I could avoid failure.

Because I do not see anything in scriptures, I am led to believe that the answer lies within the hearts of men. Is there anything in my heart that could lead me to this?

Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Why Abraham, why?