Job’s Reply to Zophar

“Suffer (allow) me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.”  Job 21:3

Job had to be getting awfully tired of hearing his friends chastise, rebuke, accuse, and judge him.  Zophar had just gone through a whole litany of bad things that happen to wicked people.  Since he apparently had never experienced a significant time of suffering, he thought of himself as a righteous man, but so did Job.  So where was the disconnect?  We wonder why Job didn’t say, “Just go” to his friends so that he could at least have some quiet rest.  Have you ever had guests over whom you enjoyed their company, but after several hours, you were ready for them to go home?  Imagine having folks over for days, even weeks, who constantly berated you, criticized you, and accused you of all sorts of sins.  The devil does enough of that.

Job just desired that his friends would really listen to him with an open mind, not one that was already made up in judgment against him.  That is what most people want who are going through times of trouble–they just want someone to listen.  If only Job’s friends would listen and truly consider what he was saying, then if they still wanted to mock him, then go ahead.  Matthew Henry wrote, “It would be sad if God should deal as unkindly with us as our friends sometimes do”.  Job just wanted his friends to ponder why God would afflict someone who was innocent.  Why would a righteous man be subjected to such a harsh, fearful, and destructive event as Job was?  If you have ever suffered a very traumatic event, then you know what it is like to relive it over and over again as someone or something reminds you of that time in your life.  For myself, every time I hear of a parent losing a child, I relive the loss of my son.  I know exactly what those parents are going through.  Job lost all ten of his children, and for that fact, his friends should have been a little more understanding.

The belief of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar that the righteous prosper and the wicked suffer for the remainder of their lives may have been what Job believed until he found out that was not necessarily the case for everyone.  To refute Zophar’s insinuations, Job asked his friends several questions regarding the fact that God does allow sinners to prosper while living on this earth.  We see that all the time.  We have leaders today who promote some of the most ungodly policies and get rich in the process, and then continue to get re-elected.  Some of them remind me of the evil kings that ruled primarily over Israel, but Judah also.  Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, who was one of the evilest kings over Judah, reigned 55 years (II Kings 21:1), but it was over 100 years before God brought judgment upon Judah for Manasseh’s wickedness (II Kings 21:11-12).

Job continued to note how that the wicked prosper.  They have families and live to enjoy their grandchildren.  They live in relative security and safety.  They never seem to feel the rod of God’s discipline upon them.  They live as they please and never give a thought to eternity.  They never do without.  They spend all their money on themselves and never help anyone in need.  They tell God to depart from them.  They have no desire to worship and serve Him.  Why pray to Him when they already have it all?  In Exodus 5:2, Pharaoh of Egypt had that same attitude, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?”  Job pointed out that it was not by their own efforts that they were wealthy and healthy, but rather by the grace of God.  He gave them health, strength, and intelligence, also free ill, but they used it to defraud and cheat others.  For this, Job said that God will hold them accountable.  He emphasized to his friends that he was not like them.  His friends had spoken to him as if he was not only one of the wicked, but likely the most notorious.

Job asked his friends how often is the candle of the wicked put out?  How often do they lose it all?  What about sorrows and heartaches?  His friends might make the argument that the children of the wicked would feel the wrath of God as punishment for their father’s sins if the fathers did not, but, Job said, the wicked should feel God’s wrath now, while still on earth, so that they would know that He was angry with them for their sins.  Job’s friends maintained that the wicked do suffer God’s wrath on earth, but Job knew that wasn’t always the case, but he believed that it should be.  Job then asked if there was anyone qualified to tell God how to rule the world.  Doesn’t He rule the mighty and the weak according to His standards?  The rich may die suddenly and have a fancy funeral while others suffer for a long time before they pass away.  Two different deaths, two different people, but both end up in the grave to be consumed by worms who do not discriminate.

Job anticipated what his friends were thinking, after all, that was a no-brainer.  Could they possibly have a change of heart?  Not likely.  Job assumed that they were asking in their own minds, where are the houses of the princes.  Where is your house, Job?  What happens to the property of the wicked?  What happened to your possessions, Job?  Connect the dots, pal.  However, Job asked them to go out and ask the man on the street how they view the lives of the wicked.  Do you all not realize that the tokens, that is, the evidence that punishment for sinners is more for eternity than for this world?  God lets the wicked live and prosper, but then calls them to account on the day of judgment.  No one gets away with anything.  Job asked his friends how they could possibly help him with all of their lies and erroneous doctrine.  Job’s argument illustrated that the evil can prosper and the innocent suffer.  Who will be the next to reply?

Next week:  More words of woe from Eliphaz