After verbalizing some of his agony, he now addresses his friend.

“A despairing man should receive loyalty from his friends, even if he abandons the fear of the Almighty” (Job 6:14).

He then likens them to a streams of water that caravans hear about and search for, only to be deeply disappointed and troubled when the streams in the desert are empty.

“The caravans of Tema look for these streams.  The traveling merchans of Sheba hope for them.  They are ashamed because they had been confident of finding water.  When they arrive there, they are frustrated.  So this is what you have become to me” (Job 6:19-20).

“No doubt you would cast lots for a fatherless child and negotiated a price to sell your friend” (Job 6:27).

“Is there injustice on my tongue, or can my palate not taste disaster” [NIV- “malice”]  (Job 6:30).

In his darkest hour his friends not only weren’t available for his comfort, they attacked him.  They accused him of doing wrong and this horror Job was experiencing, they said, was the judgment of God.

Job maintained his innocence.

We’ve all had friends, very close friends, say the wrong thing when we were grieving.  All of us.  And many of us, recently.

But this was at a different level.  They weren’t just saying stupid things to comfort him, they were attacking him, and taking advantage of his weakness to accuse him.  Jealousy and malice perhaps were in the air.

They said of God that he worked this way.  If you did right, then you had a good life.  If you did wrong, God would punish you with things such as Job was experiencing.

In essence some of the things his friends were saying were half true.  God does bless righteousness and bring judgment against evil.  But not ALL good things are because someone is doing right, and not ALL bad things are because someone has sinned.

They are standing as if in the seat of God casting judgment.  And that was abhorrent.

Job needed his friends in this hour.  And instead they were like circling hyenas.