(The previous post covered Bildad's First Round statement and Job's response. Job reached two conclusions. CONCLUSION #1: God destroyed everyone, good and bad. CONCLUSION #2: If profitability did not prevent God from destroying, then there was no profit in trying to be good.)
Job 10
1 My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
(Job continued speaking. This was still the First Round. However, Job had given up on his friends and was now speaking to God...)
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; Show me wherefore thou contendest with me.
(Here, Job blatantly asked why (wherefore) this was happening to him.)
3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? Or seest thou as man seeth?
5 Are thy days as the days of man, Or thy years as man's days,
6 That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin,
7 Although thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is none that can deliver out of thy hand?
8 Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?
(Job talked directly to God. He believed God had created him but wanted to know why God, his Creator, would then destroy him. Job continued seeking the why.)
10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, And curdled me like cheese
11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness; And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
13 Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart; I know that this is with thee:
14 If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head; Being filled with ignominy, And looking upon mine affliction.
(Job continued talking to God. Job agreed that wicked people get punished but he believed good people did too and he did not know why. The best Job could come up with in regards to his CONCLUSION #2 (If profitability did not prevent God from destroying, then there was no profit in trying to be good) was that it was impossible for man to be good enough to avoid punishment.)
16 And if my head exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion; And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.
17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me: Changes and warfare are with me.
18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me.
19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
(Job concluded by asking God why (wherefore) he was born if it would be impossible for him to be profitable.)
20 Are not my days few? cease then, And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
21 Before I go whence I shall not return, Even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;
22 The land dark as midnight, The land of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as midnight.
(In this chapter, it seemed like Job began pondering the "BIG" question: "What is the Meaning of Life?")
(It was time for the third comforter's First Round statement...)
Job 11
1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
(Zophar was the third "comforter" to answer Job during the First Round. There were no previous mentions of Zophar or the Naamathites in the Bible. However, there was a woman named "Naamah" recorded in Genesis 4:22 in which her name was the root word for the word "Naamathite." It appeared this story took place sometime between the time of Abraham and Israel's captivity in Egypt.)
2 Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be justified?
3 Should thy boastings make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?
4 For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in thine eyes.
(Zophar accused Job of pride.)
5 But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against thee,
6 And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
(Zophar told Job that he actually deserved more punishment for his iniquity. The implication of Zophar's statement was that God was unjust!)
7 Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
(Zophar stated that we could never find out (understand) God completely so we should not even try.)
8 It is high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?
9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, And broader than the sea.
10 If he pass through, and shut up, And all unto judgment, then who can hinder him?
11 For he knoweth false men: He seeth iniquity also, even though he consider it not.
12 But vain man is void of understanding, Yea, man is born as a wild ass's colt.
13 If thou set thy heart aright, And stretch out thy hands toward him;
14 If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, And let not unrighteousness dwell in thy tents.
15 Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:
16 For thou shalt forget thy misery; Thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away,
17 And thy life shall be clearer than the noonday; Though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning.
18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; Yea, thou shalt search about thee, and shalt take thy rest in safety.
(Zophar was saying that we cannot understand but we should seek God. Then, after we seek God, we would not fear because we would forget and this was supposed to bring us hope! So basically, we could not understand, but if we did understand, we would forget and this would bring us hope. Zophar's thought process was so flawed, it was frightening! How much worse would it be for someone today to use Zophar's statements as truth to support their own perspective?)
19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; Yea, many shall make suit unto thee.
20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And they shall have no way to flee; And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost.
(Zophar's response could lead one to believe these three comforters spoke in order of ability. Eliphaz had the best response, while Zophar clearly had a useless perspective.)
Job 12
1 Then Job answered and said,
(After Zophar finished, Job began the Second Round...)
2 No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
4 I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, I who called upon God, and he answered: The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.
(Job complimented his "friends" as being wise but stated they had not helped him learn anything he did not already know. They were not helping him answer the questions he had about why he was suffering.)
5 In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; It is ready for them whose foot slippeth.
6 The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee:
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9 Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?
11 Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food?
12 With aged men is wisdom, And in length of days understanding.
13 With God is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.
(Verses 11-13 presented a powerful statement by Job regarding the importance of words, understanding, and wisdom.
-Knowledge is "the ability to retain facts (right what)."
-Understanding is "combining facts to create new knowledge (right why)."
-Wisdom is "a profitable decision (right how).")
14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
16 With him is strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh he fools.
18 He looseth the bond of kings, And he bindeth their loins with a girdle.
19 He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty.
20 He removeth the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the elders.
21 He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong.
22 He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23 He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.
24 He taketh away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
25 They grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
(Job had begun the Second Round confirming he had not learned anything from his friends. Although Job's "comforters" may have had some understanding, they were not helping Job understand why this was happening to him. Job saw that God had the greatest amount of wisdom and understanding, more than Job, and definitely more than his "comforters.")
(This post covered Zophar's First Round statement and Job's response. Also, Job began the Second Round stating he had not learned anything from his friends.)
Day 145
11:6
ReplyDeleteCould this not mean that Zophar be saying that God was Merciful?
If his intention was to say that God was postponing a portion of justice, and not giving it all to Job at the same time....
It's possible. However, from my understanding, this would not follow the argument that Zophar had against Job. I believe this statement was a slight against Job, not a statement meant to help Job feel better about God.
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