ZOPHAR THE NAAMATHITE REPLIES JOB 11

ZOPHAR THE NAAMATHITE REPLIES
JOB 11

1) The third friend of Job's, who came to offer comfort, speaks:

  2)  "Are all these words to go unanswered?  Is this talker to be vindicated?  3) Will your idle talk reduce men to silence?  Will no one rebuke you when you mock?  4) You say to God, 'My beliefs are flawless and I am pure in Your sight.' 5) Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that He would open His lips against you 6) and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides.  Know this:  God has even forgotten some of your sin.

  7)  Can you fathom the mysteries of God?  Can you probe the limits of The Almighty?  8) They are higher than the heavens--what can you do?  They are deeper than the depths of the grave--what can you know?  9) Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.

   10) If He comes along and confines you in prison and convenes a court, who can oppose Him?  11) Surely He recognizes deceitful men; and when He sees evil, does He not take note?  12) But a witless man can no more become wise than a wild donkey's colt can be born a man.

   13) Yet if you devote your heart to Him and stretch out your hands to Him,14)  if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, 15) then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without shame; 16) you will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.  17) Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning.  18) You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.  19) You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor.  20) But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; their hope will become a dying gasp."  Job 11  Life Application Study Bible   NIV

COMMENTARY

   Zophar is the third of Job's friends to speak, and the least courteous.  Full of anger, he lashed out at Job, saying that Job deserved more punishment, not less.  Zophar took the same position as Eliphaz and Bildad--that Job was suffering because of sin--but his speech was by far the most arrogant.  Zophar was the kind of person who has an answer for everything; he was totally insensitive to Job's unique situation.

   By calling Job "deceitful," Zophar was accusing Job of hiding secret faults and sins.  Although Zophar's assumption was wrong, he explained quite accurately that God knows and sees everything.  We are often tempted by the thought, "No one will ever know!"  Perhaps we can hide some sin from others, but we can do nothing without God knowing about it.  Because our very thoughts are known to God, of course He will notice our sins.  Job understood this as well as Zophar did, but it didn't apply to his current dilemma.



MY THOUGHTS

   It looks like time for Job to find different friends.  Remember that Job has lost his children, his wealth, and his health.  He is half an inch away from dying, at this point.  One would think his friends would keep their mouths shut if they have nothing kind to say and let him die.  Instead they figuratively rub salt in his woulds...good intentions.
   But look closer:  if Job was your friend, would you not want him to confess his sin and be redeemed?  Since he was so close to dying, would you not prod him into confessing his sin and repenting from it so that when he did see God that he would truly be blameless?  Maybe Zophar believed that if Job would repent of his sin that his health, at least, would be restored.


   How far would you go for a dear friend of yours to help them "get their affairs in order" so that when they die, they would be at peace  (or at least you would be at peace knowing that they had repented)?  You are encouraged to leave a comment here with your thoughts.


   Do you know The God Zophar spoke of?  If you want that peace that surpasses all understanding, we encourage you to visit our "Pathway to Salvation" page here:   http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html).

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