Death of a vision - Job 15-17

Job's friend, Eliphaz, now let's Job know that he has "seen" (15:17) that wicked men get what they deserve. His purpose for giving Job his observations of life is to let Job know that if Job were righteous all this bad wouldn't be happening to him. Job, of course, continues to plead that he is pure (16:17). Job pleads with his friends to stop their verbal assault (isn't it sad that a friend must ask other friends to stop abusing with their words?)(16:20-22). In that pleading for relief Job makes a powerful statement as to where his thoughts are: In 17:11 Job is recorded as saying, "My days are past, my plans are torn apart, even the wishes of my heart." In that one phrase Job is telling his friends that his vision for life is dead. His aspirations and desires are dead. In modern terms we would call this moment for Job, the "death of a vision." There may be no greater pain than the death of a vision - the time when what you had dreamed would happen is suddenly and obviously gone. We see this often on the sports field where someone had hoped for a great victory yet it ended in defeat. We see this in divorce when someone had hoped for a great life together but permanent separation cloaks their life. We can see a death of a vision when a child dies before you see them experience the great moments of life. Death of vision can take your very life with it. Job is in this place. He ends the section searching for his "hope" (17:15). His friends words have not brought consolation and pointed him to God. They have hastened despair and death. When we offer words to those who hurt let's not repeat Job's friend's mistake. Let's offer words of hope and consolation to build faith in God and a vision for restoration. God, at the end of the book, restores Job's vision. Which friend was pointing Job to a better view of the end, when God wins? Do you do that for your friends?