YOU DESERVE WORSE

Job 11:1-20

Who needs enemies when you have friends like this? Friends that try to point out everything wrong about you and your life. Friends that think you are getting off easy in comparison to what they think you deserve. Job was faced with friends who were shape critics and it was beginning to takes its toll on Job broken soul. The cutting words of his three friends had become like a pair of scissors, slicing Job to pieces. Prov 13:20 we read “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.” His friends were shape and penetrating to the soul and this was supposedly being done in the name of “Love”. If this is love, then I hate to see what they would say in anger. Well! This is about to come true for Job as his third friend Zophar, speaks for the first time.

What do we know about Zophar? He is more than likely the youngest of the three friends, hence the fact he waited and spoke last. He undoubtedly waited his turn out of respect to his elders, in accordance with the custom of the day. He is the least sympathetic of the three. His message was the same as his counterparts, “Job was suffering because he sinned.” Zophar speaks with bitter animosity towards Job and thinks that Job needs to be called out, or rebuked for such foolish words. Zophar is the harshest of the three, the harshness he was going to let loose on Job would be equivalent to what Jesus reserved for the “false teachers” the Pharisee’s.

How would you like to have a friend like this in your darkest of hours?

Before we go judging Zophar for his harsh criticizing words to Job, we need to look within our own hearts and check ourselves at the door. Why? Christopher Ash wrote “One of the most frightening things about Job’s comforters is how beautiful their speeches are at times and how very close they are to the kind of things we often say to one another in the our churches.” So we need to check our hearts at the door to make sure that we don’t display this in our lives towards one another. Why? We know that these close friends do not speak what is right about the sovereign Creator.

In Job 42:11 we read “After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”

Zophar jumps right out the gate with his words to cut Job deeply, deeper than even the other two. (v1-v6) You can almost picture Zophar with his fist raised high shaking at Job as his deliveries this blow to a hurting man seeking answers. Job you are in my crosshairs and I’m going to let you have it. And so he does without reservations. As far as Zophar believes, Job is nothing but an arrogant fool, a mocker, self-righteous and fool.

He starts off by calling Job “A narcissistic babbling idiot” (v2-v3). Zophar believe that Job has been too quick to speak as he has tempted to silence his friends so far. You only love to hear yourself speak and you’re full of empty and idle words that have no value and all they are doing is mocking a holy God and the men God sent to speak into your life. He calls Job out for saying that he is blameless and innocent in all this and that is only showing contempt and disdain towards a holy God (v4-v6). But we need to understand Job never said he was sinless, he said he was innocent in this tragedy and defending his integrity towards God and friends. Job knows he is a sinner but he is defending his character and integrity before a holy God. Job 7:21; Job 10:7

Job is not mocking God in any way saying “I’m perfect and this shouldn’t happen to someone as perfect as I.” Job is questioning God with “Why? Explain to me why I’m suffering all this” Zophar goes even further to say “You’re getting off pretty light in comparison Job; you should receive worse than what has already happened.” (v6) Now! Zophar is right that we do deserve worse, and the reason we don’t get what we deserve is because God is gracious and merciful slow to anger and rich in mercy. We read in the Scriptures “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Psalm 103:8. This is something Zophar failed to remind his close friend about the God we love and serve with our lives.

Unfortunately! Zophar is having too much fun running Job though the mud by pointing out all his faults and short coming. Zophar is cutting away at what is left of this dear brother by calling him a babbling idiot who is deceitful and trying to pull the wool over the eyes of a holy God. With sarcasm he says that Job is a “witless man” (v7-v12). You can no more gain wisdom than a wild donkey can be born a human being. Job you are a hopeless fool! There are two phrases I never want to hear before death or after death! They are….”Depart from I never knew you”; and, “You fool Reason being they never end well for the one on the receiving end.

Luke 12:21 Jesus said “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you;”

But I ask! Who is the fool in this conversation? 

Because Zophar does something next that would classify him as the fool who contradicts himself with his own words.(v13-v20) “If you prepare your heart” Ya but you just got done calling me a babbling narcissistic fool who is stupid. And I have no hope because I speak as a fool. A question I would ask is this! What is the problem with these friends?  Answer! They are us at times! We tend to criticize and condemn instead of encouraging and helping out the weaker or down trodden brother or sister. We come in the name of love, all buffed up in righteousness and saying “Smart in up fool and get right with God before it’s too late.” The root cause of this response and us at times is…..”Inadequate Theology” A lack of spiritual wisdom grounded in scripture to help the hurting, to help the brokenhearted, to help the lost. We give man’s wisdom and its foolishness in the eyes of Scripture. The Bible says…Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." 1 Cor 3:18-20. Prov 26:12 says “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Romans 1:21-22 says “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,”

The Scriptures are, and is, our standard to how we respond to all things pertaining to things of eternal value. You don’t use the bible to correct your mechanic when he says “You need a new head gasket or blinker fluid” Yes, your mechanic needs to hear the gospel, but the scriptures are not going to change the fact that you need a new head gasket, and there is no such thing as blinker fluid. But! We use the Scriptures to encourage, challenge and bring hope to the lost or the hurting soul created in the image of God. See we need to stop and think! When it comes to a friend like Job we enter the conversation saturated in prayer. And that prepares us to be seasoned in grace to bring hope for those who are listening by using the scriptures as its foundation.

One writer said it this way “The difference between theology and the experience of a man taught by the Spirit. Theology can be very clear and right, but it is all in the head. When we deal with the pain of a human life, you must add deeper dimension, a dimension of compassion and Christ like empathy. You must authentically love the afflicted person. Christ like love opens the door of the human soul to receive the Light of God’s Spirit.”

Paul said “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Rom 12:15. Peter said “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8. We often miss opportunities to relieve others’ pain. That could be because we are ignorant of others’ needs; or perhaps we are not practicing empathy towards one another. If we learn anything so far from these three friends it is this! Do the complete opposite by being careful how you respond to one another with the Scriptures. Handle the Word of God delicately and we great care as you minister to one another.

1. We are to speak the love of God into the hearts of the hurting.

Zophar was all justice and no mercy; he tried to represent God with such majesty, but failed to display and remind his friend Job, of the true character of God. Forgetting to mention! That in our suffering He is merciful; that in our fallen nature He is merciful, not to turn a blind eye from our sin, but that He is compassionate to restore and strengthen our broken spirits. The gospel does this and the gospel reminds of this love. Paul wrote “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Rom 5:8-11

2. We are to speak God’s justice into their hearts that God can be trusted.

God can be trusted to do what is right and this is what we are to emphasize to those who are going through difficult times. We  know this to be true that God can only do what is right

Because justice has been satisfied, God pronounces “Not guilty” upon all those who are in Christ. Paul wrote “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Rom 3:23-26. This is good news for the child of God despite your circumstances or past.

3. We are to speak peace into the hearts of the hurting as they go through suffering.

Reminding the person that God’s peace in the midst of the fiery trials, God provides a supernatural peace that surpasses all understanding. Paul wrote “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7. Romans 15:13 reminds us “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Jesus said “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:26-27

This is what a true friend does to minister into the heart of the suffering saint, or even the lost child who still needs a Savior.

The scriptures bring us hope and life for tomorrow. And for eternity. This is what we are to speak to the hurting heart as they go through the pain of suffering and fiery trials of life. Reminding them of God’s goodness and mercy over their lives. Job’s friends so far have failed to this in their opening statements or in this case rebukes. We should be careful and prayerful in our approach to the suffering of others so that we do not add to it. Suffering friends do not judgmental friends; they need wisdom that flows through the pages of Scripture so that they see the Cross and the gospel, to make sense of their suffering and have a hope that brings peace to their broken hearts.

Be that friend!