Parents, friends, and advisors find themselves with the opportunity to say, “I told you so.” They easily can add, “You should have listened to me.” The statements are true, but they may not be helpful in the moment. The truth may only add to the frustration or embarrassment.
Job’s friends sat silently with him in his misery. For a week, they were simply present. They did not offer advice. They suffered with him. Then, Eliphaz decided to help Job with some wisdom for the moment.
Eliphaz noted Job’s righteous life and his confidence in God (see Job 4:6). Job and his friends were familiar with God’s ways and expectations. He said struggle was the way of humanity because of their sinfulness and frailty (5:6-7). Job needed to present his case to God (5:8) and see how God responded. They all knew God was faithful to correct His sinful children and bring restoration to them (5:17).
Like those who could say, “I told you so,” Eliphaz was saying things that were true but not necessarily helpful. Job was miserable. His grief was beyond description (6:2). He had had more than a week to consider what was happening in his life, and he could not think of one way he had denied God and His words (6:10, 7:20). He knew what Eliphaz said about discipline was true but had no idea what he had done wrong (6:24).
Ask God to give you the wisdom to know when to suffer with others in silence and when to speak timely truth.