I was continuing my daily bible reading in the book of Job. As I started chapter 32, I had to go back and start over. Verse 3 stopped me.

“Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.” (Job 32:3)

Wait. What?

I’ve read the Bible through 30+ times, and have never realized there were FOUR men other than Job in the story.

…This is embarrassing, and convicting. I’m silently hoping I’m not the only one…

I really have no defense. I’ve heard and read statements over and over about Job’s three miserable comforters, which they were. But that catch phrase became part of the foundation of my knowledge of Job’s story. I never even realized a fourth man entered the story.

My lack of knowledge is due to the fact that I never studied deep enough to pull all the names of the characters out and learn them individually.

Here they are just in case you thought there were only three, as well:

-Eliphaz the Temanite

-Bildad the Shuhite

-Zophar the Naamathite

-AND Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite!

The Living Word

We never reach a point that we stop studying the Word of God. Even stories we have read countless times still hold unlimited nuggets of truth. God’s Word is alive, and is ever revealing, layer upon layer. There’s always a need and a way to study deeper.

If we are satisfied with a superficial knowledge of the Word of God, that’s easily obtained with a quick read through. But if we want to know the deep things buried in the Word of God, it requires digging deeper, and mining them out.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.“ (2 Timothy 2:15)

Warm Regards In Jesus’ Name!

-Pat