Job 11

The third “friend’s” first comments to Job verse 1

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite – and said

Zophar believes Job to be full of talk verse 2- 6

Should not the multitude of words be answered?

and should a man full of talk be justified?

Should your lies make men hold their peace?

and when you mock – shall no man make you ashamed?

FOR you have

said

My doctrine is pure

and I am clean in your eyes

BUT oh that God would speak

and open HIS lips against you

and that HE would show you the secrets of wisdom

that they are double to that which is

Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your iniquity deserves

Zophar asks who he thinks he is compared to God verse 7- 12

Can you by searching find out God?

Can you find out the Almighty unto perfection?

it is as high as heaven

What can you do?

deeper than hell

What can thou know?

the measure thereof is longer than the earth

and broader than the sea

IF HE cut off – and shut up – or gather together

THEN who can hinder HIM?

FOR HE knows vain men – HE sees wickedness also

will HE not then consider it?

FOR vain men would be wise

though man be born like a wild donkey’s colt

Zophar tells Job to confess his sin verse 13- 20

IF you prepare your heart

and stretch out your hands toward HIM

IF iniquity be in your hand – put it far away

and let not wickedness dwell in your tabernacles

FOR THEN shall you lift up your face without spot

yea – you shall be steadfast – and shall not fear

BECAUSE you shall forget your misery

and remember it as waters that pass away

and your age shall be clearer than the noonday

you shall shine forth – you shall be as the morning

and you shall be secure – BECAUSE there is hope

yea – you shall dig about you

and shall take your rest in safety

Also you shall lie down – and none shall make you afraid

yea – many shall make suit to you

BUT the eyes of the wicked shall fall – and they shall not escape

and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 4 For you have said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in YOUR Eyes(3948 “doctrine” [leqach] means learning, teaching, insight, instruction, the content of what is taught, gift of persuasion, or insight)

DEVOTION: Job did have a reputation with the LORD that he was someone who was upright, feared HIM and stayed away from evil. In chapter two the LORD told Satan that Job was a man who was perfect and upright. HE also stated that he feared God and avoided evil. This is God speaking.

Now we find the third “friend” who came to comfort Job saying that Job was wrong in thinking that he had pure beliefs and was clean in the sight of God. He didn’t claim perfection but God gave him a good testimony to Satan. HE allowed Job to be tempted by Satan to show just what type of man he was.

He was not perfect but he had a unique relationship with the LORD. He did have good doctrine even though Zophar stated that he didn’t. He did have a clean relationship with God but he was not sinless like Jesus Christ.

This is the third “friend” who didn’t know how to encourage Job while he was down. He was ready to die but these “friends” were just adding to his misery. They could only think of one reason someone suffered and that was because of sin in their life. God showed them there was another reason throughout this book to show them and us that God allows suffering in our life to encourage us to trust HIM through each trial .

Each of us need pure beliefs or doctrine and that can only be found in a genuine study of the Word of God. We have all the answers we need in HIS Word the Bible but very few study from Sunday to Sunday and on Sunday they only look at it for an hour and then leave it alone for the rest of the week. That is why there is so much confusion in the church today. If the pastors are not teaching pure beliefs and the people are not checking out what the pastors are teaching there will be uninstructed people in the pews of our churches which means they have nothing to share with others.

The LORD wants us to share the truth of the Word of God with our relatives and friends. Children need to know the basics of the faith to understand how to witness. Adults need to be learning more than children to help them be the witnesses they are supposed to be.

CHALLENGE: If this is not happening, we have lot of “friends” of believers giving wrong advice during hard times. This doesn’t speak well of the LORD or what HE wants to do in our lives.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 6 And that he would show you the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your iniquity deserves.(5378 “exacts” [nasha’] means to dismiss from the mind, stop remembering, to forget, to cause to forget, to be forgotten, or make one forget)

DEVOTION: Here we have a statement from the third “friend” of Job. He makes a true statement here that the LORD does give most humans less judgment for what their sins deserve.

We know that there are rewards given out at the Judgment seat of Christ for some believers. We know that at the Great White Throne Judgment of those who have rejected Jesus Christ that there are degrees of punishment in hell for those who will be going to the lake of fire for eternity.

So we find that while here on this earth those who are great sinners who have rejected Christ are not suffering as much as they will in the future. We also know that those who are genuine believers are not given all the consequences of their sins here on this earth that they do deserve for not serving the LORD faithfully.

However, we know that God does chasten believers who are walking in the wrong direction to bring them back to HIM or HE takes them through death if they will not respond to the weakness and sickness HE sends their way.

Job is not one who fit into this category. He was one who had honored the LORD but the LORD was still pruning HIM to show Satan and him that he had more to learn about trusting the LORD even in hard times. He is teaching us now through Job’s trial how we should respond to the pruning of the LORD.

It is not easy to go through either the chastening or pruning of the LORD but these are two reasons for the trial and suffering that we face on a regular basis while we are here on this earth. Expect it and grow from it. Job had too. His “friends” in the end had to as well.

Those who are genuine believers will not receive what their sins deserve in the end because they will be in heaven even those who will be saved yet so as by fire. Those who are not believers will receive their just deserts for their sins in eternity if not even here on earth.

CHALLENGE: Our responsibility is to witness to those we know to let them know the decisions they have regarding eternity.

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: 7 Can you by searching find out God? Can you find out the Almighty unto perfection? (8503 “ perfection” [takliyth] means consummation, completion, or end)

DEVOTION: Zophar is the third “friend” to speak but he was just repeating the same things that his fellow “friends” were saying only with stronger language regarding Job being a real sinner.

He didn’t believe that anyone could figure out God but that everyone just had to admit that they were sinners in need of forgiveness and everything would be good again. It was an easy answer to Job’s problem.
He continues to try to get across to Job that nobody is every going to reach perfection that is human. That is true except for the time period that Jesus Christ was here on this earth in human form who never sinned. HE was never a sinner but HE died for sinners and provided them with a way to become a follower of God.

There are some people who think that they can or have reached perfection here on this earth. They are only fooling themselves because the disciple John makes a statement under the direction of the Holy Spirit that if we say we have not sinned or are not sinning we make God a liar. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No one is without sin while they are in the human body except Christ.

Each day we sin and need to confess those sins to have fellowship with Jesus Christ and receive HIS blessings. If we think we have gone an hour without sin we only deceiving ourselves. God knows what is going on in our mind. HE knows what is going on in our body. HE is not fooled by our thinking. We can sin less but we will never be sinless while we are here on this earth.

We need to be in an attitude of thankfulness for the LORD’S love and daily forgiveness of sin. HE loves HIS children. HE speaks to the Father regarding us daily. HE is our penalty payer for our sins.

CHALLENGE: We will never reach sinlessness but we can sinless and turn to HIM and ask for forgiveness each day.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 15 For then shall you lift up your face without spot; yea, you shall be stedfastand shall not fear. (3332 “stedfast” [yatsaq] means marked by firm determination or resolution, not shakable, to pour yourself out, experience favor, pour, or being firmly established)

DEVOTION: Here we have a “friend” of Job giving him advice. Zophar is telling Job what he has to do to please God and then have God put him back in a position to receive the favor of God again.

All he has to do is confess his sin and then he would be without spot and have his wickedness taken away. These “friends” know that Job has sinned because of what he is going through and therefore has to confess the sin and then the LORD would bless him again.

They know nothing of the work of the LORD. They are just talking as if they were authorities on how God works in the lives of believers. They don’t seem to understand at all. God straightens them out in the future but right now is allowing them to give Job counsel even if it is wrong.

There are many people who really don’t understand the reasons for what allows in the lives of believers. HE does it always for their good but while they are going through it they don’t think of it as good. Also, those around them think that the only reason God sends trials is to convict of sin in the life of the person.

Jesus went through many trials and temptations of Satan to show who HE was and that HE could handle anything the devil would throw at him and come out of it with a pure heart and a proper answer.

Too often even good Christians are judged by those who think they know the answers but in reality, they don’t understand what God is doing in a life and why HE is doing it. Remember God always wants to strengthen believers for the next test that HE is allowing in their lives.

CHALLENGE: Don’t judge those who are going through a rough time before you understand what the LORD is doing in that life. Sometimes that understanding only comes through prayer and fasting.

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: 18 And you shall be secure, because there is hope; yea, you shall dig about you, and you shall take your rest in safety. (8615 “hope” [tiqvah] means a cord, expectation, thing that I long for, or outcome)

DEVOTION: Youth can be dangerous. Zopher is the youngest of the three “friends.” He was not politically correct but he also was not Biblically correct. The third “friend” gives his opinion of what Job should do. In the last chapter Job said that he would not defend himself to his friends. The third “friend” gives his opinion of what Job should do. In the last chapter Job said that he would not defend himself to his friends.

Here we find Zopher starting his comments by telling Job he is full of hot air. He calls Job a liar. He says that he is mocking God. He calls him a babbler. He told him to confess his sins and the LORD would forgive him and restore all that he had lost. This is the health and wealth gospel of today. They believe all those who are believers are supposed to have no problems in their life if they are in tune with the LORD.

When we find ourselves in trouble, we sometimes try to talk our way out of it. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Zopher didn’t believe Job. He told him he needed to confess his sin and get right with God.

Job claimed innocence but his “friends” didn’t believe him because God would never do what HE did to an innocent man. We have the advantage of knowing the end of the story. His “friends” did not know the end of the story. They didn’t even know the beginning.

We don’t know the end of the story for most of those around us. One of our responsibilities is to pray for those we care about. Job was noted for praying during his whole ordeal. We should be noted for prayer. We can have hope in the most trying times if we trust in the LORD to see us through it.

Remember HE is not looking to punish HIS children. HE loves HIS children. If we are a follower of the LORD, HE loves us. HE will chasten because HE loves us. HE will purge because HE loves us. In this case HE is purging. Job was innocent because we know the end of the story.

We should be a people of expectation of the help of the LORD in our troubles. We need to be a people who live one day at a time with the LORD.

Confrontation can be handled in one of two ways, Biblically or Sinfully. Only confront in love. Make sure you have the facts right. Remember that restoration is the goal of any confrontation.

CHALLENGE: Never vote on a matter of discipline without first meeting with the individual. Don’t come to the meeting with your mind already made up. Job’s three friends did and they were WRONG!!!

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 5- 7

Almighty verse 7

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Zophar the Naamathite (first speech) verse 1- 20

Says Job is full of talk

Calls Job a liar

No one can hinder God

Need to prepare heart

Stretch out your hands to God

Wicked shall not escape

Wicked hope is vain

My doctrine is pure

I am clean

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Lies verse 3

Mock verse 3

Iniquity verse 6, 14

Vain men verse 11, 12

Wickedness verse 11, 14

Eyes of the wicked verse 20

False hope verse 20

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Justified verse 2

Pure doctrine verse 4

Clean verse 4

Secrets of wisdom verse 6

Perfection verse 7

Wise verse 12

Prepare your heart verse 13

Without spot verse 15

Steadfast verse 15

Fearless verse 15, 19

Forget misery verse 16

Secure verse 18

Hope verse 18

Rest verse 18

Safety verse 18

Not afraid verse 19

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

Heaven verse 8

Hell verse 8

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QUOTES regarding passage

11:7 Again Zophar’s questions clearly expect a negative reply. Both “fathom” and “probe” are tîmṣâ, “do/can you find.” A “mystery” is something for which one must search. Usually it is used metaphorically (e.g., Ps 139:23), but sometimes it refers to a literal search (Judg 18:2). “Limits” (taklît) is from the root, meaning “all/completeness/end,” hence “limits.” Of course, Job could not carry out such a search, but there is a certain arrogance in Zophar’s tone that suggests he had fathomed farther and probed deeper than Job. (Alden, R. L. (1993). Job (Vol. 11, p. 144). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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7–12. This poem expounds the statement made in verse 6a. The familiar rendering of av—‘Canst thou by searching find out God?’—has been put to considerable theological use in declaring man’s ‘search for God’ futile. Modern versions rightly emphasize that the deep things (neb ‘mystery’) of God is parallel to the limit (neb ‘perfection’ is preferable) of the Almighty and beyond the range of the human mind. It exceeds the bounds of the four major realms of the universe—sky, underworld, land and sea (8f.). There is nothing wrong with this, nor with the inference that God’s power is irresistible and his decisions irreversible. But there is no need to dismiss men as worthless (11) or to call Job a donkey (12). Unfortunately, the difficulties in the language make it hard to tell just how insulting Zophar’s concluding words are. The statement in verse 11b ‘and he will not take notice’ has been given an object and turned into a question in most translations. This amounts to an assertion that God can infallibly detect iniquity. Guillaume translates ‘even though he considers it not’, implying that iniquity is not worth God’s attention. But the associations which this verb has with discernment suggest that the reasons for God’s judgments can be no more comprehended than the extent of his world.

It must be admitted that the problems presented by verse 12 remain unsolved. (Andersen, F. I. (1976). Job: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 14, pp. 170–171). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

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1–12 Zophar considered Job’s words pure mockery (vv.2–3), for he thought Job was claiming flawless doctrine and sinless perfection (v.4). Job has steadfastly maintained his innocence or blamelessness in contrast with wickedness (9:22), but he did not claim to be perfect (7:21). Though he complained bitterly of the treatment God appeared to be giving him, to this point he has not been particularly sarcastic nor has he mocked God or even ridiculed his friends. He has accused them of being shallow in their arguments and callous in the way they have dealt with him (6:24–27).

Zophar spoke with eloquence about God’s infinitude (vv.7–8), justice, and omniscience (vv.10–11). Job needed a stiff rebuke from the lips of God because God had favored him by forgetting some of his sin, or at least had allowed Job to forget some of his sin (see note on v.6). Either way the words are designed to suggest the enormity of Job’s sin. Zophar’s only reason to believe Job had sinned to such an extent was derived from the extent of Job’s suffering, which he took to be God’s way of exposing secret sin. That Job would not admit it was taken to be additional evidence of his pride and hardness of heart. So Job needed to be humbled. The best way to humble him was to bring him face to face with God. In vv.7–9 he expounded on the immensity of God in spatial terms. If the limits of the created cosmos were beyond Job’s understanding, how much more the mysteries of God!

In vv.10–11 Zophar touched on the omnipotence and omniscience of God who sees through the deceit of men like Job and keeps a permanent record of it. All this was designed to humble Job, but Zophar apparently doubted that it would. He then attempted heavy handed shock treatment to get through to Job. The sharpness of his sarcasm is demonstrated in v.12. Zophar labeled Job a witless, empty-headed man with as much chance to become wise as a wild donkey has to be born tame (see Notes). (Smick, E. B. (1988). Job. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, pp. 916–917). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

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Job 11:7–9. The majority of modern commentators erroneously translate חֵקֶר searching = comprehension, and תַּכְלִית perfection, a meaning which this word never has. The former, indeed, signifies first in an active sense: finding out by search; and then also objectively: the object sought after: “the hidden ground” (Ewald), the depth (here and Job 38:16; also, according to Ew., Job 8:8, of the deep innermost thought). The latter denotes penetrating to the extreme, and then the extreme, πέρας, itself (Job 26:10, 28:3). In other words: the nature that underlies that which is visible as an object of search is called חקר; and the extreme of a thing, i.e., the end, without which the beginning and middle cannot be understood, is called תכלית. The nature of God may be sought after, but cannot be found out; and the end of God is unattainable, for He is both: the Perfect One, absolutus; and the Endless One, infinitus. (Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 343). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.)

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These first speeches by Job’s compatriots offered no comfort. Though their generalities about God’s goodness, justice, and wisdom were true, their cruel charge that Job repent of some hidden sin missed the mark. They failed to see that God sometimes has other reasons for human suffering. (Zuck, R. B. (1985). Job. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 733). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)

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(taklît). End, perfection, perfect. The sense here is of totality rather- than of being unblemished. A noun occurring five times, three of which are in Job. (Oswalt, J. N. (1999). 982 כָלָה. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 440). Chicago: Moody Press.)

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Job did not have a “commercial faith” that made bargains with God. He had a confident faith that said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (13:15). That doesn’t sound like a man looking for an easy way out of difficulties. “Job did not understand the Lord’s reasons,” said C.H. Spurgeon, “but he continued to confide in His goodness.” That is faith! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Patient (p. 47). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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11:13–20. Like Eliphaz and Bildad, Zophar recommended that Job repent (vv. 13–14) and receive restoration. God would then remove his shame (cf. 10:15) and give him security and confidence. Job would be able to forget his trouble (‘āmāl; cf. comments on 3:10) and he would have joy (11:17; cf. 9:25; 10:20), security, hope, and rest (11:18). Fear would be gone and people would again look to him for leadership. If Job continued in his wickedness, however, he would die (his eyes would fail), he would be trapped by his sin (cf. 18:8–10), and his hope would die with him.

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FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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The Fires of Hell
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” (James 3:6)
Since the tongue can be a “world of iniquity” if it is “set on fire of hell,” this implies hell is not merely a “lake of fire” but is essentially a world of iniquity where “he that is unjust” and “he which is filthy” are unjust and filthy still (Revelation 22:11), separated forever “from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). This is the destiny of all who “obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 8).
Their resurrected bodies presumably will be quickly consumed by the very real fires of the fiery lake, but their spirits are eternal, created in the image of God, and will continue to exist eternally in a world of iniquity, having spurned Christ’s free gift of righteousness and love. This will not be mere physical suffering but spiritual suffering.
The hell described in Islam’s Koran is quite different. It consists of physical tortures of all kinds, described frequently throughout the book, seemingly with relish by its author as the destiny of all “infidels” (meaning all who refuse to become Muslims and submit to a god called Allah and his prophet Mohammed). On the other hand, a very sensual paradise is repeatedly promised to all faithful male Muslims, with dozens of “dark-eyed” nymphs available to serve them (little is said about rewards for faithful women).
Christians and Muslims have some beliefs in common, of course, but the overriding consideration in comparing them must always be the fact that Christ alone has defeated death and can save all who come to Him in faith, promising eternal life in a real heaven with no more tears and no more pain (Revelation 21:4). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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