The contents of the book of Job are the expressions of the sentiments of godly men, including Job, his three friends, and the young man Elihu, plus the speaking of God. The expressions of the sentiments of the five godly men were according to the experiences of their godly life and were based on human concepts concerning the relationship between God and man. They were uttered before the law was given, yet they were filled with the principle of good and evil. The logic of the speakers was according to the line of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:9), and, based on this, they considered God’s justice and righteous judgment very much. Much of their debate in this book resulted from their different views concerning God’s judgment. Job’s friends thought that what he was suffering was a matter of God’s judgment. However, Job’s sufferings were not God’s judgment but God’s stripping and consuming that God might gain Job so that he might gain God more. See note Job 9:15¹ and note Job 10:13^1a, par. 2.

Although they contradict God’s purpose for man, the words of Job, his three friends, and Elihu were recorded under the inspiration of the Spirit of God to serve God’s purpose of exposing the mistake of these five godly men in their knowing of God. Thus, man may be enlightened to realize that, according to the good pleasure of God’s heart’s desire, man should be filled with God to be the expression of God only, rather than the expression of man’s perfection in his uprightness and integrity.

Or, perish forever.