JOB 11-14
ZOPHAR VS JOB
Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
They are higher than the heavens above. What can you do?
They are deeper than the depths below. What can you know?
—Job 11:7-8
“We shall see,” said the man. “We’re certainly left wondering if any of these so-called comforters will refrain from rubbing salt in the wounds they’re supposed to be dressing.” And with that he looked down to read Zophar’s first lines:
Shouldn’t someone answer this torrent of words?
Is a person proved innocent just by a lot of talking?
Should I remain silent while you babble on?
When you mock God, shouldn’t someone make you ashamed?150
For you say, “My doctrine is pure,
and I am clean in God’s eyes.”
But if only God would speak
and open His lips against you!
He would show you the secrets of wisdom,
for true wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God has chosen to overlook some of your iniquity.151
Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?152
They are higher than the heavens above. What can you do?
They are deeper than the depths below. What can you know?153
Their measure is longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.
If he passes by and throws someone in prison
or convenes a court,
who can stop Him?154
For He knows false people,
and He sees injustice without investigating.155
But a stupid person will gain understanding
as soon as a wild donkey is born a human!156
If only you would prepare your heart
and lift up your hands to Him in prayer!
Get rid of your sins,
and leave all iniquity behind you.
Then your face will brighten with innocence.
You will be strong and free of fear.
You will forget your misery,
it will be like water flowing away.157
Your life will be brighter than noonday.
Its darkness will be like the morning.
You will be confident, because there is hope.
You will look carefully about and lie down in safety.
You will lie down with no one to frighten you,
and many will seek your favor.158
But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
and there will be no escape for them,
and their hope is to breathe their last.159
The man looked up to see the boy watching with his eyes glazed over.
“There’s not much new to say, is there?”
“No,” said the man, “but there are certainly new ways to say it.”
The boy bobbed his head up and down. “There’s even more of this coming, isn’t there?”
“Afraid so,” said the man. “Here, Zophar invokes the majesty of God just to claim Job deserved everything that happened. This is declared, of course, just like the other friends, with dogmatic certainty. And so our third dialogue becomes more of an afterthought than any satisfying resolution, leaving us with the taste of anticlimax in our mouths.”
“Makes me wonder why Zophar was even there.”
“I think Job was probably wondering the same thing,” said the man. “Likely the youngest, speaking last, and to this point the most fiery, he turns out to be perhaps the most offensive as well. With all their philosophical meanderings and lack of compassion, we start to wonder if any of these friends have actually experienced any suffering themselves.”
“I meant in the context of storytelling,” said the boy. “I’m wondering if there is some significance to the number three. You know, like Three Blind Mice, The Three Musketeers, The Three Little Pigs. Maybe the name of this story should have been Three Big Assholes.”
The man tried not to laugh, but a snicker escaped him. “Yes, well, you’re certainly not far off with that one. But I think there were three friends because, well, there were three friends.”
“Anyway,” said the boy, “we have one more heartless jerk who decided to get his own jab in. Can we actually learn anything from this guy?”
“We can learn something from everyone,” said the man. “But you’re right in that Zophar stoops to an even lower level and tries to bring Job down with him. He’s astonished that Job hasn’t been silenced by the others and practically gets in his face with clenched fists. After listening to the discussions with Eliphaz and Bildad, Zophar comes to realize that Job assumes a point of view that the others are unaccustomed to. They hoped a few good bits of advice would put Job back in line with their shared principles and bring their friend to his right mind again. But Zophar sees there’s a more pressing issue at the root of Job’s belief system, a cancerous idea that God may govern His universe by inflicting suffering on righteous men without reason. This goes against the grain of the philosophies Eliphaz and Bildad proposed. This discovery accounts for Zophar’s zealous tone, driven by the irritation of Job’s irrationality. Zophar considers this belief a mockery of God, so he calls out the hope that God Himself would speak.”
“Which He will soon, right?”
“We’ll get there,” said the man. “But first, we can heed a lesson from someone who’s quick to call God into his quarrel and so sure He would take his side if He appeared. From all of these men, we can learn that matters of judgment should be left up to God and God alone, but Zophar instead goes on to measure the immeasurable dimensions of God as a means of intimidation.
“He declares how powerful God is, that no one can stop Him. Of course, it never occurs to Zophar how God’s greatness might disrupt his own simplistic theology. And of course, he’s missing the point that Job has already said God is powerful enough to do what He wants. That’s exactly why Job is afraid. But Zophar is the kind of man who bludgeons you in an argument without rhyme or reason, hoping a sheer volume of insults is enough to beat you down.
“You might work for a person like this one day. You might even date one if you’re unlucky. They have a message for you, and that message is a put-down because you’re doing something they believe you shouldn’t, or not doing something they believe you should. The Zophars of the world run as rampant today as they did in the time of Job, and it would be a good idea to keep this in mind, so as not to get wrapped up in their meaningless attempts to shame you into submission.”
The boy sat nodding in reflection.
“On top of this repetition of useless wisdom that his friends have already bestowed, Zophar goes as far as to imply Job is one of these false people he speaks of and to say that a stupid person will gain understanding as soon as a donkey is born a man. Imagine,” said the man, “sitting in a heap of ashes, sick and mourning, beaten down by nothing but condescending chatter, when a third critic comes along and all but calls you an idiot and an ass.”
The boy drew an exaggerated gasp as he clapped one hand over his mouth and pointed at the old man with the other.
“Oh, get over yourself,” said the man. “The arrogance of condemning men like Zophar rubs me the wrong way.”
“Apparently,” said the boy, a huge grin revealed as he lowered his hands. “I think you need to put a nickel in the swear jar.”
The man swatted his hand at the boy. “These ‘comforters’ have failed Job in every way. They’ve listened to nothing he’s said and instead delivered heartless theology, as if all Job needed was a lecture. But that’s the difference between theology and experience taught by the Almighty Himself. Theology can seem clear and right on the surface, but when you deal with the pain of human life, we enter a deeper dimension, one that requires compassion and empathy. Job doesn’t have ignorance of God. In fact, he’s probably become closer to God in all of his suffering than the three of these weekend philosophers combined.”
“Love it,” said the boy, adding a slow clap. “Good to finally see you fired up.”
The man shook his head and looked off into the distance.
“No, really,” said the boy. “I appreciate what you said, and I agree.”
“Well, thank you,” said the man. “As I mentioned, there’s something to be learned from everyone. Had Zophar limited his speech to what he ended with, a little reassurance for Job, perhaps he could have offered some value to his friend. But instead, they’re empty words of icing on a hollow cake, delivered by a man who probably just enjoys the sound of his own voice.”
The boy reached over and gently grabbed the man’s hand. “You good? I feel like there was a lot of pent-up anger in there.”
The man withdrew his hand from the boy’s and crossed his arms. “No need to mock me.”
“I mean it,” said the boy, dragging his own hand backward again. “I’m glad you got that off your chest. Anyway, I assume Job has something to get off his chest now?”
“He does indeed,” said the man, pulling his Bible closer and looking down again to read:
Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you!160
Well, I know a few things myself,
and you’re no better than I am.
Who doesn’t know these things you’ve been saying?
Yet my friends laugh at me,
for I call on God and expect an answer.
I am a just and blameless man,
yet they laugh at me.161
People who are at ease mock those in trouble.
They give a push to people who are stumbling.
But robbers are left in peace,
and those who provoke God live in safety,
though God keeps them in His power.162
Just ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you.
Let the fish in the sea speak to you.163
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?164
The life of every living thing is in His hand,
as well as the breath of all humanity.165
The ear tests the words it hears
just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.
Wisdom belongs to the aged,
and understanding to the old.
But true wisdom and power are found in God,
counsel and understanding are His.166
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt,
those He imprisons cannot be released.167
If He holds back the rain, the earth becomes a desert.
If He releases the waters, they flood the earth.
Yes, strength and wisdom are His,
deceivers and deceived are both in His power.
He leads counselors away, stripped of good judgment,
wise judges become fools.168
He releases the bonds put on by kings
and fastens a belt around their waists.169
He leads priests away, stripped of status.
He overthrows those with long years in power.170
He deprives trusted advisers of speech
and takes away the elders’ good judgment.171
He pours contempt on nobles
and disarms the mighty.172
He reveals mysteries from the darkness
and brings the deepest darkness into the light.173
He builds up nations, and He destroys them.
He expands nations, and He abandons them.
He strips kings of understanding
and leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland.
They grope in the darkness without a light.
He makes them stagger like drunkards.174
My eyes have seen all this,
my ears have heard and understood it.175
I know as much as you do.
You are no better than I am.176
But I desire to speak to the Almighty
and to argue my case with God.
You, however, smear me with lies.
You are worthless physicians, all of you!
If only you would be altogether silent!
For you, that would be wisdom.177
Hear now my argument,
and listen to my defense.178
Are you defending God with lies?
Do you make your dishonest arguments for His sake?
Will you slant your testimony in His favor?
Will you argue God’s case for Him?
What will happen when He finds out what you are doing?
Can you fool Him as easily as you fool people?179
Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.180
Doesn’t His majesty terrify you?
Doesn’t your fear of Him overwhelm you?
Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes.
Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot.181
Be quiet, and I will speak.
Let whatever comes happen to me.
I will put myself at risk
and take my life in my own hands.182
God might kill me, but I have no other hope.
I am going to argue my case with Him.183
Yes, this will result in my deliverance,
for no godless person can appear before Him.184
Listen carefully to what I say.
Let my words ring in your ears.185
I have prepared my case,
I will be proved innocent.186
Can anyone bring charges against me?
If so, I will be silent and die.187
The old man looked up from the Bible again. “Job’s opening line is dripping with sarcasm, as it should be. He stands up for himself in the face of this third critic and says, ‘You’re no better than I am.’ He’s become the laughing stock of his friends, but he points out how those who are at ease mock the one who’s in trouble. Then, he reminds his friends of the very robbers who plundered his own farms and tells them to look at all of God’s creation to observe His ways.
“He’s convinced that in the woods, the air, the water, and the fields, the strong prey upon the weak, and God does nothing to create a hierarchy based on moral character. The deer is devoured by the wolf, the field mouse is snatched by the hawk, sharks eat the fish, and weeds overtake the garden. All this mirrors how Job has been crushed by the very forces of nature God has turned against him. He pleads with his so-called comforters to learn from this school of knowledge, to witness this sermon of tyranny preached by all who inhabit the earth.”
The boy drew in a long, slow breath. “Not to get all Darwin-y on you, but this sounds a whole lot like his ‘only the strongest will survive’ theory. Maybe God does this to cut the weak from the herd so His species will grow stronger and smarter. That’s why deer are so fast. That’s why mice are so quick. That’s why fish swim in schools. And as for the weeds, well, maybe the garden vegetables are still figuring that one out.”
The old man smiled.
“If this is the way God rules the universe,” said the boy, “only the fastest and smartest predators can catch the faster and smarter prey. These two opposing forces actually make each other better. They might seem like foes on the surface, but really, they work together to improve.”
“Mhm,” said the man, skeptical at best. “But how does that relate to Job?”
“Well, maybe Job isn’t as righteous and upright as he led us on to believe. I think Satan’s theory is gaining more and more traction here, and maybe he’s forcing Job to change and grow. Listen to the kind of language Job uses leading up to this,” said the boy. “God ‘disarms the mighty,’ ‘pours contempt on nobles,’ ‘strips priests of status,’ ‘overthrows those in power.’ Job says, ‘judges become fools’ because that’s the way he feels right now, after losing his own wealth and status.
“He never says anything about God taking the lives of innocent children because apparently, that’s not an injustice he cares about. But these complete strangers who lost all their money and power? They seem to be a major concern to Job because they’ve been reduced to the state that he’s in now. It’s never something like, ‘Even kings and queens are deprived of their children.’ No. It’s all about status. That’s his obsession. That’s the only thing on his mind throughout this whole story. It’s all ‘kings this’ and ‘princes that’ and ‘noblemen this’ and ‘counselors that.’ All he cares about is losing his wealth and position in society.”
After a brief and awkward pause, the old man mumbled something about people grieving in mysterious ways.
“Oh baloney,” said the boy, swatting his hand in the air. “This grieving father story you keep shoving down my throat is just an attempt to scrounge up some sympathy for Job. Don’t you think it’s a little strange that storyline never appears in Job’s dialogue? He complains about people who robbed him, he talks about rich people being stripped, but where-oh-where is the mention of children?
“You’re trying to convince me this isn’t a meeting of the McDucks when the three Stooge McDucks are telling old Scrooge McDuck that if he would just repent, then all his wealth would be restored. If these were really Job’s friends, they would have seen his kids grow up over the years. They would have had an attachment like nephews and nieces of their own. But there’s no sympathy for Job’s kids because no one cares. They’re power-hungry cattle mongers just like Job.”
The man blinked in shock as the boy carried on.
“‘You must have done this, Job. That’s why God took your wealth away.’ Or, ‘Just do that, Job. Then God will give your wealth back.’ These are business associates of the McDuck Association. They only see the world through a McDucken lens and act in McDucken ways to make McDucken profits. That’s all they care about. If Satan was testing any of these other McDucks, then Job would have been in their place, or in their row, I should say, ganging up on them like he’s dealing with now.
“You even said yourself how Job mentioned they’re no better than he is, meaning Job is no better than they are. He already said if they saw things from his perspective, they wouldn’t be saying these things, and that’s because Job realizes that if any one of them was going through the same thing, then he’d be on the sidelines spewing out the same nonsense they are. But this experience of tragedy is finally starting to wake him up to his ingenuine ways. He’s finally questioning whether or not the way he saw the world, the way his friends still see it now, is truly the way God runs things.
“Ingenuine sacrifices to God led to success for him and his friends for a while, but then Satan came around to muck it all up. Honestly, I think Satan gets a bad rap because he’s the one who brought on the calamities, but without him, we would never have seen the truth about old Job McDuck. In some strange, twisted way, Satan is the real hero of the story.”
The man’s spine stiffened as he drew in a sharp breath through his nostrils. “What happened to all that talk of injustice in squashing the children you were preaching earlier?”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” said the boy. “I still feel bad for the kids. I stand by the fact we have no idea what was going on in those parties, but let’s assume they were innocent casualties. For the sake of the story, now I see why Satan had to push so far. If Satan stopped at the farm animals and all Job complained about was wealth, well, that’s a different story than if you take out the whole family and all Job complains about is wealth. You see what I’m saying? I mean, ten children dead, and it’s not worth mentioning? All you can talk about is rich folks you didn’t even know? We never would’ve seen how corrupt Job really was if Satan had spared his family. But now we know this dude is a monster.”
“This is preposterous,” said the man, frustration flashing in his eyes. “In all my years, not once have I ever heard someone call Job a monster.”
With an exaggerated sigh, the boy said, “Well, it’s a good thing I came along then because let me guess. You’ve been hanging out in the same echo chamber of perspectives your whole life, reading about how upright and righteous Job was because God said so, blah, blah, blah. But that was before Job started turning on God. We haven’t heard from God since your ‘wager’ started leaning in Satan’s direction. But the longer we don’t, the more trash Job is talking. No wonder God is silent. He’s waiting to see what else Job has to say.
“So far, He’s only called God a ruthless tyrant, so Satan is probably holding God back, saying, ‘Give him a little more time, God. A curse doesn’t always come overnight. Allow the silence to eat away at Your servant’s resistance and then we’ll see his true colors.’ Had God swooped down to save Job before his friends got there, we never would have heard Job say all those things about God. Time is the real test of character in the face of disaster.”
The man’s jaw had been clenched, but the longer the boy’s words hung in the air, the more his tension eased. “Well, there’s certainly some truth to that last statement you made,” said the man, “but I’m not sure I like this devil’s advocate you’re becoming.” He drew in a long breath and let it out again. “For starters, let’s take into consideration that perhaps the loss of his children is a tough thing to discuss when the wound is so fresh. As we did with Mrs. Job, let’s cut a little slack when sympathizing with their humanity.”
The boy gave a slow nod.
“We can see, though,” said the man, “that Job wholeheartedly believes in his innocence. He claims that even if God kills him, he will stand before the Lord and plead his case. But he thinks that standing before God will prove his innocence in itself, for no godless man nor hypocrite would dare to do so.”
The boy gave a slow nod. “I still think there’s a difference between a man’s belief in his innocence and his actual innocence. Like I said, just because Job doesn’t see a problem doesn’t mean a problem isn’t there.”
The man ‘hmph’-ed more dismissively than he meant to before saying, “We’ll see if you still hold on to your devilish theory once you hear what God has to say.”
“Oh, quit kickin’ that can down the road,” said the boy, “and let’s get there already. I’m dying to hear it.”
“I know,” said the man. “Job has been calling out for a response from God as well. More of which we’re about to hear now.” And with that, he looked down to read again:
O God, grant me these two things,
and then I will be able to face You.188
Remove Your hand from me,
and may the dread of You not terrify me.189
Now summon me, and I will answer!
Or let me speak to You, and You reply.
Tell me, what have I done wrong?
Show me my rebellion and my sin.190
Why do You hide Your face
and consider me Your enemy?191
Would You terrify a leaf blown by the wind?
Would You chase dry straw?
You write bitter accusations against me
and bring up all the sins of my youth.192
You fasten my feet in shackles,
You keep close watch on all my paths
by putting marks on the soles of my feet.193
A person wears out like something rotten,
like a moth-eaten garment.194
Anyone born of woman is short of days and full of trouble.195
We blossom like a flower and then wither.
Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.
Must You keep an eye on such a frail creature
and demand an accounting from me?
Who can bring purity out of an impure person?
No one!196
You have decided the length of our lives.
You know how many months we will live,
and we are not given a minute longer.
So leave us alone and let us rest!
We are like hired hands,
so let us finish our work in peace.197
Even a tree has more hope!
If it is cut down, it will sprout again and grow new branches.
Though its roots have grown old in the earth
and its stump decays,
at the scent of water it will bud
and sprout again like a new seedling.
But when people die, their strength is gone.
They breathe their last, and then where are they?198
As water evaporates from a lake
and a river disappears in drought,
people are laid to rest and do not rise again.
Until the heavens are no more,
they will not wake up nor be roused from their sleep.
I wish You would hide me in the grave
and forget me there until Your anger has passed.
But mark Your calendar to think of me again!199
Can the dead live again?
If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle,
and I would eagerly await the release of death.200
You will call, and I will answer You.
You will long for the work of Your hands.201
For then You would guard my steps,
instead of watching for my sins.202
My offenses will be sealed up in a bag.
You will cover over my sin.203
But as a mountain collapses and crumbles
and a rock is dislodged from its place,204
as water wears away the stones
and floods wash away the soil,
so You destroy people’s hope.
You always overpower them,
and they pass from the scene.
You disfigure them in death
and send them away.205
If their children are honored,
they do not know it.
If their offspring are brought low,
they do not see it.206
He feels only the pain of his own body
and mourns only for himself.207
“So you see?” said the man, looking up with a grin. “He mentions the children after all.”
“Sort of,” said the boy, and the man’s face collapsed into a frown. “Just to draw attention to his own suffering, though, and talk about mourning only for himself. But even in this case, he’s talking about men who die before his children grow up, not children who die before a man who outlives them. He’s not even referring to the same situation.”
The old man looked down to reread the lines himself. When he saw this was true, he said, “Perhaps you’re right. It seems old Job is saying the affliction God brings upon the suffering man is so great that he can only focus on what comes after death. At least that seems to be the theme in his words proceeding these.”
The boy gave a nod and then looked at the old man with anticipation.
“What?”
“I don’t know. You usually have some gem of wisdom to drop on me, so I was waiting.”
“Didn’t you take anything away from Job’s words here?” said the man.
“I’m ready to skip straight to God’s speech if you want me to read,” said the boy, reaching for the old man’s Bible.
“No, no,” said the man, sliding it away from the boy’s hand. “Not yet.”
The boy smiled and retracted his hand. “Alright. Then why don’t you share whatever you’ve got so we can move on.”
The old man cleared his throat and pushed his Bible back in front of him. “Well, perhaps you’re too young to appreciate it, but anyone my age can bear witness to the line, ‘Anyone born of woman is short of days and full of trouble.’ I’m sure you can relate to good days and bad, but I can look back on my own life and see good and bad years. Years I lost a job, years of poor health, the year I lost my wife. These major events can mark a man for months at a time, sometimes never heal.
“Life can be an uphill trudge through muddy slopes of woe. Even the times when rays of prosperity seem to be shining down can be riddled with minor troubles. Job laments the shortness of life here and how God seems to apply His thumb right up until the end of our days, which God Himself has numbered. The passionate fire of Job in prior chapters has grown weary of this dilemma, so he takes this occasion to reflect upon the miserable state of man’s existence in general.
“He pleads with God now, instead of his friends, to show him what he’s done wrong. This is a good reminder for us readers not to shy away from our transgressions but to be open to facing them so we can guard against them in the future. Job admits he’s not perfect. He mentions the sins of his youth and says, ‘Who can bring purity out of an impure person?’ I think this is a great reminder for you, especially, my young friend, that although our sins may occur in our early years, they are never really forgotten by God.”
“But that doesn’t seem fair,” said the boy. “We’re not even allowed to make mistakes?”
“Mistakes are how we learn,” said the man, “but it’s good to keep a conscious effort to be on your best behavior, even when you think no one is watching. Especially in your early years when you’re still young, dumb, and full of… hormones.”
“Heyyy.”
“I know what it’s like,” said the man. “I was young once. But as Job said, no one can make a man pure again, even through repentance and worship. The only one who can do that is God.”
“Yeah, but we know that already,” said the boy. “Job knows that. That’s the whole dilemma. That’s what he’s telling his friends. That’s what he’s speaking out against. He’s saying, ‘I know I’ve sinned before, but I’ve been good lately, yet You still punish me. What gives? Either answer me or get off my back.’ That’s why he says a tree has more hope, because if it’s chopped down at least it can spring up again. But God chops down people’s hope by overpowering them before they die.”
“Yes, I’m afraid that is Job’s attitude here,” said the man. “And it appears he’s unsure of what follows. Job lived before Christ came to spread the good news about Heaven and the afterlife. In Job’s time, there seems to be uncertainty. He questions whether the dead will live again or whether they’ll lie down to sleep until the heavens are no more. I believe this is a tongue-in-cheek reference to forever because, from Job’s perspective, looking up into the stars, the heavens must have seemed like a permanent fixture. But whatever comes next, Job wishes that his soul could hide out in the grave, in some kind of dimension for departed spirits, I suppose, as a place of retreat until God’s anger has settled down like a passing storm. He hopes that God might even long for the work of His hands again because Job fears there’s no returning to God’s favor on this side of the grave. Until God appoints a time in which He might remember Job in the afterlife with mercy and reunite him with his Creator, Job asks to be left alone, like some hired hand who can finish his work and rest in peace. But in all this, we get the sense that an instinctual love for God still persists in Job, even during his darkest hour.”
“Fear of God, you mean,” said the boy.
“What?”
“There’s no mention of a love for God anywhere. That’s what I’m getting at. You keep trying to slip in this love for his children and a love for God, but I think you’re just imposing your own ideals. Even when Job defended God against his wife, all he talked about was accepting things from God. He didn’t say, ‘Should we only love God in good times and not bad?’ All he talked about was what they should accept.”
The man wore a look of skepticism as he flipped back to the page and read the lines to himself. He resumed his current place again and said nothing.
“See? And that’s when Job was still in shock. Now that more time has passed, he’s probably even further from loving God if he ever did at all. He fears how God will treat him after he dies, yeah. But love? No evidence of that so far.”