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erhaps we are all weary of reading the useless counsel of
Job's three friends, but since they weren't through talking and since God saw
fit to have their continual barrage against Job recorded for us, we'll keep
studying it. Not surprisingly, the explanation that Zophar was attempting was a
reworking of what had already been stated several times. The familiar song went
something like this: the bad guy always loses; the good guy always wins. When
we get to the next chapter tomorrow (Job 21), we will find Job contradicting
virtually everything that Zophar postulates in this chapter. Obviously, the
world looked very different through Job's eyes than did the same world through Zophar’s
rose tinted spectacles.
Without belaboring the proverbial point that has been made
by Job's friends repeatedly, let's cover the chapter. Zophar used powerful and
persuasive phrases. They sound convincing enough. "The
triumphing of the wicked is short'' (Job 20:5). "He
shall perish forever like his own dung" (Job 20:7). "He has swallowed dawn riches, and he
shall vomit them up again" (Job 20:15). And so on, and so forth...
Impressive imagery! Hardly applicable or beneficial in Job's situation! Yet, Zophar was certain that he was right on
target; expounding a universal principle that (he thought) had no exceptions: "This is the portion of a wicked man
from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God" (Job
20:29). Job will beg to differ...
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