Dr. Lawrence Butler, The Bridge Church, Pembroke

For several lessons we have looked at the suffering of Job, a man of God who was singled out to endure the most horrendous suffering any human being could possibly experience. He lost his family, lost his wealth, lost his household servants, lost respect in the community, lost his wife’s kindness and suffered the indignity of his close friends blaming him for causing all this ignominy.

However, there is an end to this story and that is where I want to look today.

This ending should remind us to be careful of censuring people who are experiencing difficult and unusual circumstances. The Lord may be doing something of which we are unaware, and to be critical may cause us to be called into question by the Lord God.

Listen to what happened to Job’s three slandering friends. “And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath” (Job 42:7). They were commanded to go and have Job pray for them so God would forgive them for their foolishness (“folly” in the KJV).

In past studies of the scriptures I have presented several lessons dealing with forgiveness. This is the real path to restoration with the Lord. Job’s friends had to repent and seek forgiveness, and Job had to grant that forgiveness to take place in his heart also.

Notice what happened when Job prayed and forgave. “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10). What a wonderful turn in the story – God rebuked, three friends repented, Job prayed and forgave, and God turned away the captivity of Job while restoring his blessings.

Forgiving people is quite important to the Lord because He died for our forgiveness, something of which we could never be worthy. If you think releasing people from guilt simply because they said I’m sorry just isn’t enough, remember this scripture.

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). He forgave when no one said, “I’m sorry.”

Sometimes we can pray and forgive our way out of trouble and back into God’s favor.