Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Prayer
Suffering and the Hope of Resurrection:
Till Renewal Shall Come
Since life is stained with sin, passes like a brief shadow, and ends in death; we must cling to the hope of resurrection found in Christ.
Zophar the Zealot
“Brutalizing the Sufferer”
We are now introduced to Job’s third friend.
I am calling him, Zophar the Zealot.
A zealot is simply a person who is burning with great passion.
He speaks with even greater intensity and passion.
Zophar is rude and blunt with Job, likely because he is so passionate to show Job he is in the wrong.
Zophar’s name is fitting, which means “rough.”
For Zophar, the only kind of suffering is “deserved suffering.”
(Clines)
Zophar’s Cruel Accusation
“Doubtless Punishment”
Zophar is inciting Job that he is a man who does not understand anything.
Much like Bildad the Brut who said that Job was a man of deep wind..
Zophar says that Job is babbling and deserving of shaming for his words.
Zophar is claiming that Job is a “proud talker” or “a man of lips”
Zophar’s point is that just because Job talks a lot does not mean he is correct.
Zophar believes that he needs to stand up and speak on behalf of God to Job.
He needs to defend God’s integrity before Job.
Zophar is trying to prop up this concept of God…
When we speak to others about Christ, we never defend Christ as though he is a weak Christ.
We speak what is true because it is the truth.
Zophar claims that Job has said this..
Job has never made such a claim, but Zophar interprets what has been said to be that.
Zophar’s accusation is that if God were to show up, He would show Job just how guilty he is.
What’s ironic here is while Zophar tells Job that he doesn’t understand what God is doing, he says that he does understand what God is doing!
“Job, you don’t understand what God is doing!
But don’t worry, let me explain it to you.”
“Job if only God would show you his secret wisdom which He has already shown me!”
Zophar is right in placing Job’s suffering in the mystery of God.
He GOES WRONG when he says its a mystery that he understands!
Zophar’s Challenge
“God is Mysterious to Everyone but Me”
It’s at this moment that Zophar says some true things about God, but then his conclusions are all messed up.
Zophar questions Job whether he can find out the deep things of God.
“Can you know God’s deep ways?”
“Can you find out how far God goes?”
He says many true things about God and yet his conclusion is…
Job 11:6 (NLT)
Listen!
God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve!
How do those two things go together?
God is great and mysterious.
But I know completely what is going on in your life.
The implication is…
“I may not be able to see you secret sin but God sure does!”
Zophar is again jabbing at Job that he is one of those “worthless men”
Zophar is saying that wrongdoers are typically beyond help.
They have gone too far!
But not you, Job!
“But you, Job, are not so stupid; you are teachable, and I will teach you!” (WBC, Clines)
Zophar’s Deceptive Offer
I want you to notice the similarities that Zophar sounds to what Satan has said earlier..
Satan has said that Job only loves God to get something from God.
He asserted that Job would curse him to his face to just get “good things” from God.
Repent & Pray
“Then God Will Bless You”
Again, Zophar much like Eliphaz and Bildad are claiming that Job has sinned in some way.
If Job would simply repent from his sins then God will restore him.
“Your sins have been kept secret, but God will find them out, just repent already!”
Zophar says that if Job does so, the result will be as follows...
Notice how in line Zophar is with Satan’s agenda.
Satan’s agenda was to destroy Job but he did so by saying that Job just loves God because God blesses him.
In this moment Zophar is in complete accord with Satan, and yet has NO clue.
Just because a person is passionate, does not mean they are correct.
We have a fallacy in our own culture that since a person means well and is extremely devoted to an idea means that they’re correct.
It’s possible to have a ZEAL without KNOWLEDGE.
This is everyone apart from a knowledge of Christ!
Every system, even religious systems!
The Apostle Paul before his conversion was a great example.
After Saul stood over the stoning of Stephen by giving approval to it.
Saul believed he was being faithful to God.
He believed he was acting in a way that would be please to the Lord.
This was all prior to coming to Christ.
Paul was an extremely passionate man, but the reality was he was wrong.
Zophar is passionate, but incorrect.
He is a zealot without knowledge.
Listen to Job’s response to him...
Job’s Response
“The Bankruptcy of this System”
Job is reminding Zophar that he as well has shared their views previously.
He’s now going to express to Zophar the insufficiency of his system of thought.
The System is Harsh
“Cruel & Unrelenting”
Job is saying that this system that Zophar is asserting is harsh.
It’s a system that heaps contempt on those who have had misfortune.
“I am a just and blameless man, and I am despised and mocked by you all.”
This system is harsh.
It’s cruel.
It’s unrelenting toward Job.
The System is Small Minded
“Shallow & Simple”
Now notice the kinds of characters that Job asks to attest to the small mindedness of this system.
“The animal you ride on, he will teach you.”
“That inanimate bush, it will teach you.”
“The bird who is extremely small minded, they will tell you.”
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