Chapter 11
Job's friend Zophar is the last to speak:
5 But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you, 6 and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. [Job 11:5-6 ESV]
What an awesome friend. He tells Job that if he thinks this is bad, imagine if you were getting what you really deserve! And I suppose in most cases this is true. There is no pain or suffering in this world that can compare or prepare anyone for the torture of eternity in hell. That is truly what we all deserve, but are delivered out of by Jesus' blood.
Perhaps Zophar is tired of Job's whining, and so convinced of Job's guilt that he is out of patience with Job's insistence that he has not brought this upon himself. Zophar seems unsympathetic, but maybe he is just playing "bad cop" to the other two friends persuasion. Zophar says to "shape up and do so now".
2021- This Zophar is the kind of person unbelievers think church people are. Mean, really, and believing that sinners are still getting less hardship than they should. That they should just deal with it since they're getting off so easy.
2023 - Now there would be an interesting study...If we think of Zophar as a caricature of a certain type of Christian, I wonder if the other two friends are also? Wouldn't it be nice to go back and pull out their positions and see just how common they are! That might even be fun!
THIS FACEBOOK POST of 9/11/23, for me, finally answers the Bill Burr Argument. There is NO FLAW. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE, and JOB proved it!!! A MAN proved it!
Job's friend Zophar is the last to speak: 5 But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you, 6 and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. [Job 11:5-6 ESV] What an awesome friend! Here sits Job in a pile of ashes with dirt on his head, wearing sackcloth, covered in sores, grieving the loss of sons, daughters, and worldly goods...and his friend says "Imagine if you were getting what you really deserve!" I suppose this is true at the fundamental level but to bring it up at such a time calls Zophar's bedside manner into question! But there's a lot more going on here. We see here that Job and Zophar agree that it is God imposing this suffering on Job. They disagree about whether it is just. Job believes the punishment is far too severe so it is unjust. Zophar says it is less severe than God's undiluted justice demands for any sin, so it is just. Neither allows for the possibility that Job's suffering is not about punishment at all, but is about injustice itself. They do not "allow" for the possibility that this is about God giving Satan leave to do his worst so that God can establish some larger thesis. Perhaps that thesis is that if mortal man can be faithful, loyal, and submissive to God in the face of injustice then so can angels, who are a little nearer perfect than man. Remember that it was Lucifer who started all this. Why did Lucifer want to treat Job this way? Perhaps Lucifer's real point is to show that even though he (Lucifer) was the greatest, most nearly perfect, and most beautiful angel created, he was not given the position he deserved. Such an angel should surely be worshiped, not just admired by all the other angels and certainly by man. Therefore, because he was treated unjustly, Lucifer rebelled and believes he had a right to do so. Lucifer thinks Job, a special favorite of God and a nearly perfect man, will also rebel if treated unjustly. Satan believes rebellion is "built in" to men and angels. If so, then Lucifer thinks it is wrong of God to hold rebellion against him since the overwhelming need for justice was built into ALL God's creation by God himself. Lucifer thinks that if this nearly perfect man rebels when faced with injustice from God AND knowing that he, a nearly perfect angel also rebelled at God's injustice, it will prove that God's creation has a built in flaw, that rebellion is therefore God's fault, and that neither angels nor men ought to be held responsible for their own sins. That is, how can God condemn us for sin if he created us in such a way that we would want to sin? Because of God's design flaw - making our sense of justice too strong to resist - even the most faithful of God's creations will rebel if treated unfairly. THIS was Lucifer's argument and it is compelling to this day. So God allows all these things to happen to Job - these truly unfair, truly unjust things - so God can say "No, Lucifer, there is no design flaw. Rebellion is NOT inevitable, as Job's faithfulness clearly shows. Furthermore, men are less perfect than angels, and certainly less perfect than you Lucifer, the greatest of all the angels. But this man Job continues to trust Me despite the profound injustice YOU have heaped on him, and for which he blames Me. Therefore, Lucifer, though your built-in capacity to remain faithful is greater than Job's, he, with less, has done more than you. Your rebellion is sin, Lucifer, your rebellion is on you, man's rebellions are on him, and the day of justice is coming for all who CHOOSE rebellion."
2023 - A little later....This idea is reinforced by God's answer to Job, finally, in the last few chapters of the book. And what does God say? Were you there? Do you know how I hung the earth, do you know why the seas come no further...many many questions about creation are asked. The real point is, Lucifer, and Job, who do you think you are to imply that I do not know what I am doing? Who are you to think you can discover a flaw in anything that I have done. It just fits perfectly!!!
Zophar does follow on up with this verse:
7 "Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? [Job 11:7 ESV]
Maybe Zophar is suggesting that though Job does not recognize sin in his life, it is there, and though he doesn't know what it is exactly, he should still repent before God for whatever it might be.
14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. 15 Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. [Job 11:14-15 ESV]
Zophar's advice. Job has sin in his life, and the sin has brought this on. He needs to stop denying the sin, repent of it, and then all will be well.
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last." [Job 11:20 ESV]
When I read this I thought that maybe this was the last thought of the unsaved. I hope it is not. If it is, then they do not have any inkling of what awaits them after that breath. I would think the wicked, far more than the righteous, would be desperate for one more breath...
MSB implies that it is Job that Zophar is referring to indirectly now, contrasted with the frontal assault at the beginning of the chapter. It is Job who is hoping for death, had told them all that this is his hope. He says it is wicked of Job not to confess the great sin that they all are certain he has committed to bring about such calamity.