Job 11

Introduction

Zophar is the last of Job’s 3 friends to speak.

He is the most critical of Job’s 3 friends.

Steve Lawson - He was “the least sympathetic of the 3 friends, Zophar spoke with bitter animosity as he launched his scorching rebuke. He was rude, blunt, insensitive, and impatient.”

Ray Stedman - You can almost see Zophar shaking his fist at Job.

Zophar’s Purpose for speaking

Job 11:1–6 “Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in thine eyes. But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against thee; And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, That they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.”

He opens with 4 rhetorical questions:

Job 11:2–3 “Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?”

What you said needs to be rebuked

David Kline - Zophar accused Job of long-windedness and filibustering.

All becasue you spoke so many words does not mean you have been justified.

“Men” - A weak and powerless group

Job 11:4 “For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in thine eyes.”

The basis of his questions is Job’s declared innocence.

To this point, Zohpar misrepresents Job’s point. Job never professed to be sinless.

Job 6:3 “For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: Therefore my words are swallowed up.”

Swallowed - Rash

Job 7:20 “I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, So that I am a burden to myself?”

Job 7:21 “And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, And take away mine iniquity? For now shall I sleep in the dust; And thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.”

Job 9:2 “I know it is so of a truth: But how should man be just with God?”

Job 9:28 “I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.”

Job did claim that he did nothing particularly to receive the tortures events:

Job 9:21–22 “Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.”

However, to this point, God would agree:

Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.”

Job 1:8 “And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”

Job 2:3 “And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

God to speak - Job 11:5–6 “But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against thee; And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, That they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.”

According to Zophar, Job had done too much talking and God not enough talking.

God to speak against Job

To show him the secrets of wisdom

A. Barnes - “The hidden things that pertain to wisdom. The reference here is to the wisdom of God himself. The sense is this, ‘you now think yourself pure and holy. You have confidence in your own wisdom and integrity. But this apprehension is based on a short-sighted view of God, and on ignorance of him. If he would speak and show you his wisdom; if he would express his sense of what purity is, you would at once see how far you have come from perfection, and would be overwhelmed with a sense of your comparative vileness and sin.’”

His wisdom is double-fold.

You have gotten from God less than you deserved.

God’s greatness

Job 11:7–12 “Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than hell; what canst 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 knoweth vain men: He seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it? For vain man would be wise, Though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.”

God is beyond comprehension

Job 11:7 “Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?”

Job, you are speaking in areas that you do not understand.

Illustrations:

Job 11:8 “It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than hell; what canst thou know?”

Job 11:9 “The measure thereof is longer than the earth, And broader than the sea.”

God Justice

Job 11:10 “If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, Then who can hinder him?”

God is the standard of justice, accountable to no one. Who can protest his actions?

Therefore accept your punishment

God knows and sees - Job 11:11 “For he knoweth vain men: He seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?”

“Vain” - “Evil”

God will deal with vain and wicked man.

Man may not see the sin but God does.

Job you are stupid regarding God - Job 11:12 “For vain man would be wise, Though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.”

But a witless man can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born nan.

The phrase is an idiom that speaks of Job’s stupidity.

RS - “Job, you are stupid and deceitful, and God knows it. Your chances of gaining wisdom and finding relief from God’s judgement are exactly zero! You can no more gain wisdom that a colt of a wild donkey can be born a human being.

Job’s call to action

Job 11:13–19 “If thou prepare thine heart, And stretch out thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, And let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: Because thou shalt forget thy misery, And remember it as waters that pass away: And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; Thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; Yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; Yea, many shall make suit unto thee.”

Repent

Prepare - Job 11:13 “If thou prepare thine heart, And stretch out thine hands toward him;”

Devote your heart.

Remove - Job 11:14 “If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, And let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.”

Written in Hebrew - The reason iniquity and wickedness were chosen had to do with the closeness of words in Hebrew.

'âven and ‛âvel

Iniquity in thine hand - His secret sin.

Let no wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles - Family sin,

To experience the pleasant things in v.15-19, you must do the unpleasant things in v.13-14.

Blessings

Cleansed - Job 11:15 “For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:”

Forget - Job 11:16 “Because thou shalt forget thy misery, And remember it as waters that pass away:”

Shine - Job 11:17 “And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; Thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.”

Hope - Job 11:18 “And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; Yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.”

Favored - Job 11:19 “Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; Yea, many shall make suit unto thee.”

Suit - A. Barnes: “Many shall come in a suppliant manner to ask counsel and advice. The meaning is, that he would be a man of distinction, to whom many would look for counsel. This was evidently an honor highly valued in the East, and one on which Job had formerly prided himself.”

Warning - Job 11:20 “But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, And they shall not escape, And their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.”

Conclusion

Job has no right to question whether God blesses the wicked. God’s wisdom will not allow Him to prosper the wicked.

God has shown mercy to Job by not punishing him more.

He must devote himself to God.

He aligns himself with Satan by telling him to seek God for personal gain.