JOB 11 – a continuation…

Job 11 in full

Let us order both our theology and our empathy.

If you were going to ask which of Job’s friends had a decent grasp of theology you might say Zophar

‘Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
It is higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?’

(verses 7-8)

This guy seems to have a passion for God, he understands that God is so mightily far above all things, and he understands that the sinner must forsake his sin and come to God with stretched out hands. But in all of this he fails to see that Job is not a sinner being punished by God and he indeed misquotes Job in verse 4 where he says that Job has said, ‘‘My doctrine is pure”, which Job has not said. Job has so far basically said to his friends that he believes that he is not guilty of some great sin to warrant these hard ships. However he has also said ‘if i am guilty woe to me’ (chapter 10:15). We see that he sort of believes he’s not done anything wrong, but he is not so brazen and open as Zophar would seem to accuse him.

What I see in Zophar is a man who recognises the supremacy of God, his total sovereign rule and his hatred of sin; he has a great theology. But he does not then relate this to his treatment with Job.

Christians, theologians, etc. remember this. Doctrine and the searching out of God and his ways are of utmost importance. Indeed man’s chief end is to worship God and that most certainly is aided in a massive way through knowing him and knowing about him and so yes study, study, study and seek him.

But empathy and consolation do not have to fly out the window, indeed such qualities should be accentuated, yes, they should be increased, because as we see God more and more we see his love more and more, and we see that we have a responsibility to love each other as Christ loves us, yes correct and rebuke as I’m sure Zophar thought he was doing. Do not shy away from encouraging a brother/sister to come out of a sin, but do it in love and in an understanding way, and do not always assume that calamity is a result of the judgement of God.