Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

Today, as Job continues the speech he began making yesterday, he shows us how much he longs for the past,

specifically starting with his relationship with God.

He reflects on a time when he felt the nearness of God in a way that he described as friendship.

In 294, he says, the friendship of God was upon my tent. Knowing about someone is different than

having a friendship with them, and it's certainly different than saying you feel like their

friendship dwells in your home with you. It made me stop and reflect on how I view God.

Do I just know who he is and to know about him, from what others say about him? Or do I know him

personally? Or do I feel like I have an intimate relationship with him that is part of my everyday life.

Job not only laments the loss of that nearness, but he also limits the loss of his reputation.

People used to listen when he spoke and be in awe at his wisdom. Now they won't stop advising him

and they think he's a fool. The only thing that changed was his circumstances.

His wisdom didn't vanish. They were judging his wisdom and his righteousness based on his

life's circumstances. Previously, Job's friends had accused him of mistreating the poor.

But here, Job tells us about all the ways he's extended his hands to the needy and fought for

justice.

Now, not only are his friends not fighting for him, but they're fighting against him.

And because God revealed his vantage point to us in the first chapter of this book,

we know which scenario is true. We know who to believe here. We know his friends are wrong.

This is the lowest point of Job's despair.

All along, he has been acknowledging that God is responsible for his circumstances,

because even though he isn't the active agent, he's still sovereign over it and allowed it.

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