In chapter 14 of Job we see the fruit of the bad counsel and psychological approach of Job's friends. Their poor personal psychology about Job's problem produced within Job poor doctrine in both his mind and life. Or, perhaps it was there all the time and they simply gave it life. But, it is a fact that bad doctrine can lead to bad psychology. When we don't view God correctly we can easily go down the wrong road to wrong diagnosis and wrong psychology of human behavior. Job, in this chapter, is still responding to Zophar's rebuke. Remember that Zophar is the harshest of all Job's critics. Job has heard the complaints and defends himself in chapter 12-13. In this chapter he reveals some very poor doctrine. Both his pain of suffering and their words of condemnation have allowed him to draw the conclusion that "no one can make the unclean clean again" (14:4). Paul tells us that is not so in Romans 4:17-18. God can not only make the unclean clean He can make the dead come to life again. Job is now seeing life as a futile end with nothing left after death (14:12-13) and his hope is now gone (4:19) even though he once had hope (Job 13:5). If Job was centered toward good and truthful doctrine he would focus himself on good and truthful behavior. Job's friends, rather than a source of truth, have become a source of irritation and ridicule. Rather than pointing Job to God they have smothered what little life was left in him. We can be so bad at counseling our friends who hurt. We too can focus so much on what we see that we forget to encourage faith and point the hurting to God the Healer. Our bad doctrine will always lead to bad psychology for others.
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