Job 20:1-29

Zophar takes up the response to Job this time.  Job has continued to insist that his troubles spring from God’s striving with him and not because of a judgment of this sin.  An image of God inflicting this kind of pain on an “innocent” person simply does not fit within the theological perspective of most of us.  We can hardly blame Job’s friends for their belief because, if we are honest, we would all likely have the same position.  We have been given the privilege of seeing behind the scenes, so we know that this is about a challenge of God’s children by Satan.  We must remember that neither Job nor his friends have this information.  Zophar is out to prove two statements.

JOB IS WICKED AND GODLESS: None of Job’s friends have pointed out a specific sin to Job.  However, they are constantly calling him a sinner.  While they are right in stating that Job is a sinner, just like all of us; they are wrong in relating Job’s suffering to his sin.   Zophar goes a step further and by not only calling Job a sinner, but he calls him wicked and godless.  This goes beyond the boundaries of what we should accuse.  Zophar is simply judging Job by the circumstances that he is facing.  In Zophar’s theological world only a godless, wicked sinner could face such dreadful suffering.  I wonder how Zophar would have counseled Christ.  We must stop justifying or judging people based on the circumstance that they face.  God would have us confront one another based on actions rather than our circumstances.

THE WICKED AND GODLESS FALL: Zophar goes on to state how the wicked and godless only experience passing pleasure but then everything melts away into pain and suffering.  They have no reward for their labor and will be constantly faced with troubles in their lives.  All that they possess will burn away under the wrath of God.  From an eternal perspective Zophar is absolutely right.  The wicked and godless will be eternally condemned by God.  However, we must remember that we are not in eternity yet and that on this side of eternity some godless men proper greatly while some godly men suffer greatly.  Zophar is right in his description of the plight of the wicked, but he is wrong about including Job in that group.  We must always remember that the only One able to judge the hearts of men is God.  We are called to confront and judge sinful actions not the hearts of men.