Job 11

Zophar's Severity

Note: To maintain the natural breaks between the speakers, I will cover 12 through 14 in tomorrow's commentary.

Zophar is the most severe and terse (he only speaks twice while Eliphaz and Bildad speak three times) of all of Job's friends.  His comments to Job are simple: Job is a sinner and is getting less than he deserves (v.6)!  Job cannot figure God out or understand God (vs. 5-9).  The only thing Job can do is follow what the "all-knowing" Zophar tells him - prepare his heart, lift his hands, and leave iniquity.  There is not even a shred of compassion in Zophar's speech, nor is there any acknowledgement of Job's integrity.

Zophar is a religious dogmatist of the first order. He is a know-it-all, the self-appointed judge of everyone else.  Zophar is typical of those we meet in our Christian experience who always seem to know what is best for everyone else.  They can enumerate everyone's sins but their own.  Everyone else needs to repent, to pray, to ask for forgiveness, except them.

At this point we begin to see the varying traits of Job's friends.
1. Eliphaz is the loquacious and mysterious one, the one reliant on mystical and secret experiences with God.  He feigns compassion for Job, but still insists Job is a hypocrite and a secret sinner.

2. Bildad is the wise one, drawing on the wisdom of the elders.  He thinks Job is a hypocrite and a sinner because there is no other conclusion one can draw when filtered through Bildad's theology.  Bildad even states that Job is suffering because of the sins of Job's children, implying that Job must have passed along a "sin gene" to them and offering this a proof of Job's sin.

3. Zophar is the judge.  He is above the fray, too good to be a sinner, but not too vain to point out everyone else's sins.  He claims Job is a hypocrite and sinner and is getting what he deserves. He expresses that Job should be glad he is not being punished even more severely.

All three are dogmatic and insistent that their conclusions are correct. Their platitudes are spoken not to enlighten but to tear down.  Their way of salvation is to follow their advice, not to ask for grace and mercy from God.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.