Friday - Job 11 - The Trio is Complete

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n this chapter we find Job's third friend chiming in with his opinion about Job's plight.  Much like the first 2 men, this man, Zophar said things that sounded pious on the surface. He was rather harsh with his miserable friend (Job 11:2-3, 13-20).  As if the oppression of Satan wasn't enough... Job had to endure Zophar.

The most important consideration though, as we try to evaluate the words of Zophar, is what he said about God. We know that he missed his target because God says that he did (Job 42:7).  But where, when and how did he get it wrong?  Let's see if we can find a few problems with Zophar’s theology.

First, in Job 11:5, Zophar speculated that if God were to speak to Job, His words would sound a lot like Eliphaz’s, Bildad's and his own. He felt that God would fit well with their trio of condemnation and that if God were to join into this conversation that there would be a grand quartet of scrutiny to tighten the screws down on ol' Job. But, as this book continues to open to us, we will get to read God's words to Job... and there aren't many similarities with His words and the messages of Job's chums.

Secondly, Zophar asked, "Can you by searching find out God?" (Job 11:7). Well, he used the question rhetorically; implying that it was impossible. Yet, if we consider Jeremiah 29:13 and 9:24 we must conclude that not only does searching after God do some good, God reveals Himself to those who desire to know Him.  True enough that God is infinite, transcendent and omnipotent, but that doesn't mean that any form of theological skepticism is acceptable.