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Job 9-11

Thursday Evening Bible Study

April 30, 2015

Introduction

Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid to die? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved? Target 3300 words Video = 75 wpm

Job is going through the worst time anyone could imagine.

He’s lost all his possessions.

His children have died.

His health has failed.

What makes all this even more confusing is that Job is a good guy.

God has decided to allow Job to go through this difficulty because He is proud of Job, not mad at him.

God wants to show the world what a godly man will do when he is going through a difficult time.

Keep a couple of things in mind as we study Job:

Sometimes Job is wrong in his conclusions.

Sometimes Job’s friends are also wrong.

They can even say things that are true, but they are just not true about Job.

Be careful about building doctrine upon some of the things said in the book of Job.

Neither Job’s words nor those of his friends are meant to build doctrinal truths on.

They simply show us how people respond to difficulty.

Last week we ended with Job’s friend Bildad telling Job his problems were obviously due to Job’s sin.

If Job was a good man, then God would have helped him by now. (Job 8:6)

(Job 8:6 NKJV) —6 If you were pure and upright, Surely now He would awake for you, And prosper your rightful dwelling place.

He said that God would not cast away the blameless, so it’s obvious Job must not be blameless. (Job 8:20)

(Job 8:20 NKJV) —20 Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, Nor will He uphold the evildoers.

Job responds

9:1-13 Job: God is powerful

:1 Then Job answered and said:

:2 “Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God?

:2 how can a man be righteous before God?

Job understands and even agrees what Bildad has been saying about man needing to be righteous.

He just doesn’t understand how a man can be righteous since he doesn’t even know what he did wrong.

Job knows that there is truth to what Bildad is saying, but doesn’t know how he can be “righteous” before God since he doesn’t know what he did wrong.

Lesson

Being made right

This is one of life’s age-old questions.

And there is an answer.

Man is made right with God through the sacrifice of Jesus.

(2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The answer doesn’t come from what we do for God, but what God has done for us.

We receive that work of God for us by simply trusting Him, just like Abraham did way back in the days of Job.

(Romans 4:3 NKJV) For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

:3 If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

:4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

:3 If one wished to contend with Him

(Job 9:4 NLT) …Who has ever challenged him successfully?

Job is thinking that even if a person could stand to argue with God, that person would never win the argument.

Lesson

Fighting with God

Some of us have this notion that we could take on God. We think of God like a giant, and we’re the kind of person that could take on a giant.

Video: Princess Bride – Fighting the giant

The problem is that God is much bigger than a giant.

If you try to fight God, you are not going to win.

When you find yourself at odds with God, the best thing you could do is to yield to Him.

He is always right, His ways are always good, and He totally loves us.

The sooner we get onto the same page as God, the better it is for us.

We only hurt ourselves when we fight with God.

:5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know When He overturns them in His anger;

:5 He removes the mountains

God can move mountains.

Jesus said,

(Matthew 17:20 NKJV) …I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Some folks will quote this verse and talk about the power of our faith. But keep in mind, it’s GOD that moves the mountain. God is looking for people who will trust Him for the big things in life, but He is the one that does the work. We just trust.

:6 He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

:7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars;

:8 He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea;

:8 treads on the waves of the sea

Does this mean that God is a surfer?

:9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;

:9 the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades

Job mentions some very common constellations and stars in the sky. Though the translators use the Greek names of the constellations, the Hebrew names are different.

I’m afraid in our modern urban society, we don’t look up at the sky too much at night. The lights of the city make it hard to see too many stars.

Ancient peoples were much more aware of the stars over their heads. They even grouped them together, imagining images around the stars, calling the groupings constellations.

the Bear – ‘Ayish – a constellation; Great Bear, Ursa Major.

Orion – K@ciyl – constellation, Orion;

This is the constellation with the three stars forming his belt, two of the most prominent stars in the sky, Betelgeuse and Rigel, are part of this constellation.

One of the stars in the constellation of Orion is Betelgeuse, 300 light years from earth. It is 1,000 times the size of the sun, and shines 100,000 times brighter. Its diameter is 300 million miles. If placed in the center of our solar system would engulf the orbits of the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

That’s just one star in one constellation.

Pleiades – Kiymah – Pleiades, a constellation of seven stars; part of the constellation Taurus.

:9 chambers of the south –

(Job 9:9 NLT) …the constellations of the southern sky.

Lesson

God is HUGE

The Psalmist wrote,

(Psalm 147:4 NKJV) He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.

The question is, does this terrify you, or comfort you?

(Isaiah 40:1 NKJV) “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God.

(Isaiah 40:11–12 NKJV) —11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.

Do you think of God as a gentle shepherd, or a terrible wolf?

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?

God is huge.

Isaiah wrote,

(Isaiah 40:25–31 NKJV) —25 “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

Astronomers estimate that in the observable universe there are more than 100 billion galaxies.

Our own Milky Way galaxy has around 300 billion stars.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

God wants us to realize that He is not only big and powerful, but He cares for us.

That’s how we can receive comfort.

That’s how we can receive strength to keep going.

:10 He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.

:10 He does great things

This is one of the things that defines who God.

He is “omnipotent”, or “all powerful”.

He can do whatever He wants.

:11 If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him;

:11 I do not see Him

Another attribute of God is that He is invisible.

You can’t see Him with your eyes.

:12 If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

:13 God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.

:12 What are You doing?

To Job, God seems unaccountable.

Nobody can question what God is doing.

There is a kind of truth to this. There is no higher judge than God, so who could hold Him accountable?

The problem with this thinking is that you begin to attribute human weakness to God in thinking that if He is unaccountable, there might be something bad that He is hiding.

Yet the truth is, God is good.

(1 John 1:5 NKJV) This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Humans are sinful and flawed, and we need accountability.

God is not sinful, and there is no need for accountability.

Yet even in the end, all will see that what God does is just.

(Revelation 16:7 NKJV) And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”

9:14-21 Job: How can I reason with God?

:14 “How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him?

:15 For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge.

:16 If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.

:16 I would not believe that He was listening to my voice

Job is having a hard time thinking that God would really be paying attention if Job asked Him anything.

He will find out that God has been listening all along.

Lesson

When God hears

There is a time when God does not hear our prayers.

The Psalmist wrote,

(Psalm 66:18 NKJV) If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

regard – ra’ah – to see, inspect, consider; to look at, gaze at

(Psalm 66:18 ESV) If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

When we are holding on to and enjoying sin in our heart, God isn’t going to pay attention to what we are saying.

Would this principle apply to Job?

No. God considers Job a righteous man.

There is a time when God does hear our prayers.

(1 John 5:14–15 NKJV) —14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

The question we all face is, am I asking according to His will?

There are some things that we know are definitely God’s will.

Asking God to save you is His will.

(1 Timothy 2:4 NLT) who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

There are some things we are unsure of.

Does God want me to be healed?

Does God want me to get this new job?

So what do you do when you don’t know what to pray for?

Ask.

God may say yes.

God may say no.

God may say wait.

:17 For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause.

:18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.

:19 If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?

Job feels he’s being bullied by God because God is stronger than he is.

:20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

:21 “I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.

:21 I am blameless, yet I do not know myself

Job thinks he’s innocent of sin, but he’s afraid that if he stood before God he’d say something stupid.

He just doesn’t understand.

9:22-24 God is unfair

:22 It is all one thing; Therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’

:23 If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent.

:24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be?

:22 It is all one thing

Job thinks God treats all people the same. He destroys both blameless people and wicked people.

It all seems so unfair to Job.

This is the cry of a person going through great difficulty.

When you hear your friend saying the same thing, keep in mind it is just how they are feeling.

Don’t make it your goal to simply correct their theology.

9:25-35 I can never be clean

:25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

:26 They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey.

His days of pain are going by quickly. Life is passing him by.

:27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’

:28 I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent.

:27 I will forget my complaint …

If Job tries to forget his troubles and find comfort, he’s afraid it will all come back to haunt him.

:29 If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain?

Why try to be a good person if I’m just going to be found guilty anyway?

:30 If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap,

:31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.

:31 You will plunge me into the pit

If Job would try to clean up his life, God will just trip him, and he’ll fall into the mud.

:32 “For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.

:33 Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.

:34 Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me.

:35 Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me.

:33 Nor is there any mediator between us

mediator – yakach – to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, correct

We hear about mediators all the time, such as those used to resolve the disputes between the ports and their workers…

Video: Federal Mediators

Job is afraid that there is no impartial judge who can listen to Job and God and give an impartial ruling.

There is no mediator that can get God to stop pounding on Job.

Keep in mind that Job is incorrect in thinking that God is somehow punishing Job for something he didn’t commit.

Job is not being punished.

Lesson

The Mediator

What Job doesn’t know is that God would provide a mediator.

(1 Timothy 2:5–6 NKJV) —5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

Because Jesus is fully God and fully man, He is uniquely qualified to settle the dispute that God has with man.

mediator – mesites – one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant

Jesus isn’t the kind of mediator that makes each side give in fifty-fifty.

God’s side doesn’t need to give in at all.

For us to be right with God, God doesn’t need to let some sins go unpunished, or change His standards of what is right and wrong.

What God did was send Jesus to bring us completely up to God’s standards, by paying the price for our sins, and making it possible for us to be right with God.

10:1-7 Job: What have I done?

Once again, Job prays (like he did in Job 7).

:1 “My soul loathes my life; I will give free course to my complaint, I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

:2 I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me; Show me why You contend with me.

:2 Show me why You contend with me

There are many answers as to why people go through difficulties.

This little jewel comes from Charles Spurgeon regarding this verse:

Perhaps, O tried soul, the Lord is doing this to develop thy graces. There are some of thy graces which would never have been discovered it if were not for the trials. Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is too oft like a glow-worm, showing but little light except it be in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star – not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered adversity. Afflictions are often the black folds in which God doth set the jewels of His children’s graces, to make them shine the better.

It was but a little while ago that, on thy knees, thou wast saying, “Lord, I fear I have no faith: let me know that I have faith.”

Was not this really, though perhaps unconsciously, praying for trials? – for how canst thou know that thou hast faith until thy faith is exercised? Depend upon it. God often sends us trials that our graces may be discovered, and that we may be certified of their existence. Besides, it is not merely discovery; real growth in grace is the result of sanctified trials.

God trains His soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers and climb mountains, and walk many a weary mile with heavy knapsacks on their backs. Well, Christian, may not this account for the troubles through which you are passing? Is not this the reason why He is contending with you?

Source: Streams in the Desert for April 10

Sometimes God uses the trials we go through to show us the good work that He has already been doing in our lives.

:3 Does it seem good to You that You should oppress, That You should despise the work of Your hands, And smile on the counsel of the wicked?

:4 Do You have eyes of flesh? Or do You see as man sees?

:4 Do You have eyes of flesh?

Even though God sees and understands everything way better than we do, God has shown mankind that He understands.

He did this with Jesus.

(Hebrews 4:15–16 NKJV) —15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus understands

:5 Are Your days like the days of a mortal man? Are Your years like the days of a mighty man,

:6 That You should seek for my iniquity And search out my sin,

:7 Although You know that I am not wicked, And there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?

:7 search out my sin

Job says that God knows that Job is not wicked.

Lesson

Fishing for sins

Job knows that he hasn’t done anything wrong. He even has this feeling that God knows that he hasn’t done anything wrong.

I think there are times when we need to be careful that we don’t keep trying to dredge up something in the hopes that we’ll find the one thing we did wrong.

We can ask God to search us and see if we have sin:

(Psalm 139:23–24 NKJV) —23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

But if God doesn’t show you anything, stop fishing.

When we ask God for forgiveness, He forgives us.

David wrote,

(Psalm 103:12 NKJV) As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Micah wrote,

(Micah 7:19 NKJV) He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.

Illustration

A man set out to do some ice-fishing on a frozen lake. Carefully carrying his gear to a favorite spot, he proceeded to carve out a hole on the ice to drop his line, and settled into his mission. As he was waiting for the fish to bite, he noticed a young boy waddling onto the ice with a fishing pole, with a determined look on his face. The man smiled at the kid’s tenacity, but after a while, his expression turned to surprise as the boy kept pulling fish after fish out of the lake. After about an hour, the man slipped and slided across the ice to the boy and said to him, “Young man, I’ve been here for a while and haven’t caught anything, yet I see that you keep catching fish one after another. Do you mind if I ask what your secret is?” The young boy mumbled, “Mm mm mm mm mm mm mmmm!” “What did you say?” asked the puzzled man. “Mm mm mm mm mm mm mmmm!” “I’m sorry, son, I can’t understand you,” the man replied. The boy spit something out into his hand and said, “Mister, you gotta keep your worms warm!”

When God has cast our sins into the depths of the sea, it’s best to just leave them there, and forget trying to find that special catch.

Illustration

Corrie ten Boom, in her book Tramp for the Lord had these words to say regarding forgiveness:

It was 1947--. I had come from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives. It was the truth they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them my favorite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a Hollander’s mind, I like to think that that’s where forgiven sins are thrown. “When we confess our sins,” I said, “God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever--. Then God places a sign out there that says No Fishing Allowed!”

I don’t think this means that we can’t be learning about the things that trigger our sins or take steps to avoid getting entangled in them.

I think that the responsible thing is to learn how to be victorious over our sins.

But what we need to avoid is heaping extra continuous guilt over our sin when God has thrown them into the depths of the ocean.

Ditch the scuba gear.

Remember: Not all trouble comes as a result of your failure.

10:8-12 You have made me

:8 ‘Your hands have made me and fashioned me, An intricate unity; Yet You would destroy me.

:9 Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again?

:9 You have made me like clay

Job asks God to remember what he is made of.

But God does remember.

(Psalm 103:14 NKJV) For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

God knows our limitations. He knows what we’re made of.

:10 Did You not pour me out like milk, And curdle me like cheese,

:11 Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews?

:10 curdle me like cheese

Job is describing how God formed him in his mother’s womb.

:12 You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit.

10:13-22 Let me die

:13 ‘And these things You have hidden in Your heart; I know that this was with You:

:14 If I sin, then You mark me, And will not acquit me of my iniquity.

(Job 10:13–14 NLT) —13 “ ‘Yet your real motive— your true intent— 14 was to watch me, and if I sinned, you would not forgive my guilt.

:15 If I am wicked, woe to me; Even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head. I am full of disgrace; See my misery!

:16 If my head is exalted, You hunt me like a fierce lion, And again You show Yourself awesome against me.

:17 You renew Your witnesses against me, And increase Your indignation toward me; Changes and war are ever with me.

:18 ‘Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

Job wishes he hadn’t been born.

:19 I would have been as though I had not been. I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

:20 Are not my days few? Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,

Job just wants God to leave him alone.

:21 Before I go to the place from which I shall not return, To the land of darkness and the shadow of death,

:22 A land as dark as darkness itself, As the shadow of death, without any order, Where even the light is like darkness.’ ”

:22 A land as dark as darkness itself

Keep in mind that he is incorrect in his knowledge about death. God will tell him that (Job 38:2,17)

:14 If I sin, then You mark me

Lesson

Sin isn’t always the reason

As we’ve seen earlier, Job’s trial has come because God was wanting to show the world how a man of integrity handles trials.

Job’s friends are having trouble with Job because they are convinced that Job has done something to deserve his trouble.

But Job too thinks that he must have done something. He too doesn’t see past this idea that bad things are a result of sinful behavior.

In your own life:

If you are not totally sure of what sin you’ve committed that has led to your difficulty, don’t go looking for something. The Holy Spirit is more than able to convict you of sin.

Even if you are aware of sin in your life, it’s possible that there’s more going in your life than you are aware of. Certainly you need to turn from your sin. But it may be that God is doing more than just punishing you for sin.

In the lives of others:

Don’t be quick to judge and decide that a person’s problems are a result of their sin.

The truth is that we all are sinful, and none of us deserve any kindness from God at all.

What if God is doing something different for this person.

Are you going to stand on the sidelines and throw stones at them? Or are you going to be a part of comforting and encouraging them?

Remember this?

Video: Brene Brown Empathy

Lesson

What to trust

God doesn’t answer Job’s questions, at least not yet.

Why? God wants us to learn to live by faith. He wants us to trust Him.

Faith is learning to trust something you don’t see.

It’s what pleases Him.

(Hebrews 11:6 NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

When ancient sailors found their ship caught in a storm, they would throw out anchors to keep their ship from being blown off course.

There are three anchors I’d like to remind you of.

Job already knows one of them.

1. God is all powerful

Job already trembles at knowing how powerful God is.

We need to remember that God can do anything. He is able.

Job needs to learn two more of these anchors.

2. God is good

Everything God does is correct. There is no injustice in Him.

(1 John 1:5 NKJV) This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Even if things don’t seem to be “just” in this life, when we cross over to the other side, we will see everything made right.

Does something seem to be “not fair” in your life?

God desires that we trust Him. Even if we don’t understand.

3. God is love

Everything that God does for us is out of His marvelous love.

Even when we go through difficulties, God allows it through His love.

Sometimes the trials DO come because we need correcting. The writer of Hebrews is quoting Solomon, who is quoting Job’s friend Eliphaz:

(Hebrews 12:5–6 NKJV) —5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

Even if a trial is meant to correct something in your life, it only comes because God loves us.

We would do better in a trial if we learn the lesson we’re supposed to learn.

(Hebrews 12:11 NLT) No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Sometimes the trials don’t have anything to do with correction (like Job)

(Romans 8:31–39 NKJV) —31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

We should not question anything that God allows to come our way because He has already proven His love for us in giving up His Son for us.

33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

When we go through trials, we may find people like Job’s friends who will want to condemn us, but God

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

These things may come, but God hasn’t stopped loving us.

36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

There will be times when we will be killed because people are mad at God. Yet that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us.

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God doesn’t stop loving us. Even when we’re in tough times, God sees, God knows, and He still loves us.

11:1-6 Zophar: Job is bad

:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

:1 Zophar the Naamathite

He’s the third “friend” of Job’s to speak zo-phar (“so far”) J

Zophar – Tsowphar – “sparrow”.

Naamathite – Na‘amathiy – “pleasantness”

He’ll be the toughest of the three friends.

He’s also probably the youngest.

It’s not uncommon for people to see things as “black and white” when they’re younger. Most people mellow with age.

:2 “Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be vindicated?

:3 Should your empty talk make men hold their peace? And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?

:4 For you have said, ‘My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in your eyes.’

:5 But oh, that God would speak, And open His lips against you,

:6 That He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For they would double your prudence. Know therefore that God exacts from you Less than your iniquity deserves.

:6 Less than your iniquity deserves

Lesson

Getting less than you deserve

Zophar is telling Job that he’s getting less than he deserves.

He is actually correct in a sense, but only because God gives all of us less than we deserve.

(Psalm 103:8–10 NKJV) —8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

If God gave us what we deserve, we’d been toasted a long time ago.

The problem is that Zophar (like Eliphaz, Bildad, and even Job) has concluded that all this mess is a result of Job’s sin, which it isn’t.

Zophar also seems to forget that although God is just, He is also merciful and gracious.

11:7-12 Zophar: God is awesome

:7 “Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?

:7 Can you search out the deep things of God?

These are rhetorical questions, the answer is assumed to be “no”.

In one sense, Zophar is correct.

God is way bigger than we are.

In another sense, we can have some measure of understanding God, with His help.

Paul wrote,

(1 Corinthians 2:10 NKJV) But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

:8 They are higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?

:9 Their measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea.

:8 higher than heaven

Zophar is talking about the immensity of God.

Lesson

Correct dimensions

Zophar is correct in thinking about how awesome and vast God is, but I wish his focus on God’s greatness didn’t lead him to condemnation, but to something else…

Paul prayed for the Ephesians,

(Ephesians 3:14–19 NLT) —14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

I think when we talk about the awesomeness of God, we best be remembering that His love is awesome.

God wants us focused on His mercy.

(Matthew 9:10–13 NKJV) —10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

The Pharisees were so concerned about their own righteousness that they neglected the truth that God is merciful to sinners.

Sinners need to repent, but they will do it better when shown mercy.

:10 “If He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment, Then who can hinder Him?

:11 For He knows deceitful men; He sees wickedness also. Will He not then consider it?

:12 For an empty-headed man will be wise, When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.

:12 an empty-headed man

He’s saying a foolish person won’t be able to become wise any more than a human could give birth to a donkey.

He’s calling Job stupid.

11:13-20 Zophar: Repent

:13 “If you would prepare your heart, And stretch out your hands toward Him;

:14 If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away, And would not let wickedness dwell in your tents;

:15 Then surely you could lift up your face without spot; Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;

:16 Because you would forget your misery, And remember it as waters that have passed away,

:17 And your life would be brighter than noonday. Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.

:18 And you would be secure, because there is hope; Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety.

:19 You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid; Yes, many would court your favor.

:20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And they shall not escape, And their hope—loss of life!”

:13 If you would prepare your heart

Zophar is convinced that if Job would simply turn from his sin, then everything would be just fine.

Lesson

What if you’re wrong?

Zophar’s advice would be pretty good if Job had actually done something bad, and his problems were a result of his sin.

But he’s completely wrong.

Can you think of situations you or others around you are facing where you’ve decided exactly what the solution is?

What if you’re wrong? What if you don’t see everything that has gone on?

It’s not bad to say, “But I could be wrong…”

It’s not wrong to suggest solutions to your friends, but be aware that you may not see the whole problem.

This is one of the problems we can run into with marriage problems.

If you are only hearing your friend’s side of thing, you may not be getting the whole picture.

I’ve counselled with people who are having difficulty in their marriage, and given what I thought was good advice, only to find out that the person I was talking to was secretly having an affair, and had no intention of turning from their sin.