In Job 19, Job rebuts the accusations of his friend Bildad. He admits that God’s actions are beyond his understanding. He describes his sadness at having lost much of his family and many of his closest friends. But at the end of the chapter, his faith shines through as he says, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.”

Bildad previously spoke in Job 8, where he was very critical of Job. He speaks again in Job 18 but offers nothing new to the conversation. As he did in his first discourse, Bildad’s second discourse consists of him accusing Job of being a sinner and blaming his wickedness for his current misery. He thought Job’s state perfectly fit that of a wicked man who was being punished by God.

Job continues to struggle with despair in chapter 17, returning to the idea that he longs to find rest in death and the grave. At the same time, he had questions about whether there really was any rest to find in death. He asked God to stand up for him sense his friends were devoid of wisdom, understanding, or even a willingness to hear him out.

Job 16 is Job’s rebuttal to his friend Eliphaz’s accusations in chapter 15. Job was frustrated with his friends for shaming him instead of offering comfort. He was also very frustrated with his situation and even put some of the blame on God for his suffering. But at the end of the chapter, his faith shines through and he expresses his confidence in God as his vindicator.

Eliphaz is once again the speaker in Job 15. His comments are similar to those he made in chapter 4, accusing Job of empty words, hiding unconfessed sin, and disrespecting God. He proposed that Job’s pride was keeping him from repenting, and then went on to restate is confidence in the traditional wisdom that God always punishes evil people on earth.

Job begins the 14th chapter discussing the frailty of mankind in comparison to God. He wonders why God cares about him sense his days on earth are so few. He ponders the hope of resurrection as a way to escape his misery. The chapter concludes on a note of despair, as Job meditates on the hopelessness of a man who God opposes.

In Job 13, Job makes it clear that he is frustrated with his friends. He calls them worthless physicians and accuses them of misrepresenting God. Job didn’t want to hear from his friends anymore, he wanted to hear from God. He wanted to speak to God face to face and get real answers to his questions. Job wrote, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him; yet I will argue my ways to His face.”

In Job 12, Job rebuked his 3 friends for their lack of logic. They thought God always punished the wicked and blessed the righteous, but Job pointed out that that was not always the case, many wicked men lived in peace without punishment. Job pointed out their oversimplified worldview. His friends thought they were super smart, but Job was their worthy opponent, and he no longer saw the world as they did.

In Job 11, Zophar, the last of Job’s 3 friends speaks up. He shared the same opinion about the reason for Job’s suffering as his other 2 friends. He harshly rebuked Job for babbling and questioning the all wise God. He was confident that God was punishing Job less than he deserved. He told Job his only way out of his misery was to repent of his hidden sin.

Job vents his emotions in chapter 10. He was confused as to why God created him if He was just going to condemn him to such a terrible fate. From Job’s small perspective, he suggested it would have been better if he had died before his mother gave birth to him.

Job chapter 9 is Job’s response to the accusations of his friend Bildad. Bildad articulated his oversimplified view of the nature of God in chapter 8, and Job refutes it here in chapter 9. Job wanted to bring his case before God and have God vindicate him, but he also knew that God was so great that no man could stand before Him. Job wanted an arbiter, someone who could go between him and God and plead his innocence.

In Job 8, Job’s second friend, Bildad spoke up for the first time. He wasted no time rebuking Job for pretending to be righteous. Bildad had a very oversimplified view of God. He thought God would always bless righteous people and always humble evil people. His view convinced him that Job was guilty of some kind of hidden sin, and he wasn’t shy about rebuking Job even though he had no proof of Job’s sin.

Job despaired of life in chapter 7. He talked about the difficulty and brevity of human life. Job mistakenly thought that it was God who was tormenting him. He spoke directly to God and asked Him to leave him alone so he could have some relief.

In the sixth chapter of Job, Job talks about the weight of his suffering being heavier than all the sand of the sea. He longs for death because at least there is relief in death. In the second half of the chapter, he rebuked his 3 friends. Instead of offering him comfort and friendship they arrived ready to rebuke him for a sin they weren’t even sure he committed.

In Job 5, the Eliphaz continues his monologue expressing his confidence that God is disciplining Job for some secret unconfessed sin. Eliphaz oversimplifies the nature of God by suggesting God always elevates the righteous and always humbles sinners. He encourages Job to confess his sin and accept the Lord’s reproof, which will allow God’s blessings to return to him.

In Job 4, Eliphaz, one of Job’s 3 friends, responds to Job’s suffering. He suggests that Job’s suffering is due to some kind of hidden sin in Job’s life. He suggested that Job was reaping what he had sown, even though he wasn’t aware of any specific sin Job had committed.

In Job 3, after sitting with his friends for 7 days, Job expresses his deep despair by cursing the day of his birth. He didn’t understand why God allowed him to be born if suffering and loss was to be his fate. He trusted that God’s light was still with him, but he couldn’t make sense of his circumstances. Job 3 begins the poetic section of the book in which Job and his friends discuss the reasons for his suffering.

After failing to turn Job’s heart away from God in Job 1, Satan told the Lord Job would abandon faith if his health was taken from him. God gave Satan permission to test his theory. Satan afflicted Job with disease and sores that covered his body, but Job’s faith remained steadfast. At the end of the chapter, Job is joined by 3 friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) who come to comfort him.

In Job 1, Satan appeared before God and God challenged him to test His servant, Job. Job was a righteous man who loved God, but Satan was convinced he could turn his heart. Satan caused Job to lose all his possessions and his 10 children, but by the end of chapter 1, Job’s heart still belonged to God. Satan’s oppression of Job is the setup for the rest of the book.