Read Job 42:7–9
Summary: God tells Job's three friends they are theologically wrong (v 7) and to seek forgiveness. God doesn't let them just say a simple prayer for forgiveness and be done with it. They must go to Job with their sacrifices and ask him to pray for them. This must have been a deeply humiliating thing. They accused Job of being far from God, and now God places Job as the priest to bring them near to God. In other words, God is seeing to it that the only way the three friends can experience reconciliation with god is through experiencing reconciliation with Job. They must humble themselves before Job, not simply before God.
Use these questions as a guide to help facilitate a group discussion about forgiveness.
Why is it so difficult to forgive those who hurt you?
Why doesn't forgiveness make sense to our human nature?
What do you do instead of forgiving?
What do you gain when you don't forgive? What do you lose?
Why does forgiveness matter to God? Why should forgiveness matter to you?
Read Matthew 5:24. What urgency and priority does Jesus put on forgiveness?
Are there people that you need to forgive in order to worship God?
Read Matthew 6:14-15. What's the reward if we forgive others? What's the consequence if we don't forgive others?
Read Romans 12:17-19. Who does judgement belong to? Why don't you want God to handle judgement? Why is it hypocritical to want to be the judge?
Are we supposed to forgive someone if they don't ask for forgiveness? (Colossians 3:12-13)
What scares you about freely forgiving? What could happen?
How could extending forgiveness heal a relationship? How might it heal the other person? How might it heal you?
Do you ever abuse the grace, mercy and forgiveness God has given you?
Do you agree that we must forgive others in order to be like Jesus?
If you need to forgive someone, how would you go about it?
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