Job s Response to Zophar. (continued) Job 13:1-28

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1 Commentary and Questions by John Waddey 1 Job s Response to Zophar (continued) Job 13:1-28

2 Commentary and Questions by John Waddey 2 Text: Job 13:1-28, Job s Response to Zophar (continued) 1. Indeed, my eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it. 2. What you know, I know also; I am not inferior to you! 3. But I wish to speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. 4. But you, however, are inventors of lies; all of you are worthless physicians! 5. If only you would keep completely silent! For you, that would be wisdom. 6. Listen now to my argument, and be attentive to my lips contentions. 7. Will you speak wickedly on God s behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? 8. Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God? 9. Would it turn out well if he would examine you? Or as one deceives a man would you deceive him? 10. He would certainly rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality! 11. Would not his splendor terrify you and the fear he inspires fall on you? 12. Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. 13. Refrain from talking with me so that I may speak; then let come to me what may. 14. Why do I put myself in peril, and take my life in my hands?

3 Commentary and Questions by John Waddey Even if he slays me, I will hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face! 16. Moreover, this will become my deliverance, for no godless person would come before him. 17. Listen carefully to my words; let your ears be attentive to my explanation. 18. See now, I have prepared my case; I know that I am right. 19. Who will contend with me? If anyone can, I will be silent and die. 20. Only in two things spare me, O God, and then I will not hide from your face: 21. Remove your hand far from me and stop making me afraid with your terror. 22. Then call, and I will answer, or I will speak, and you respond to me. 23. How many are my iniquities and sins? Show me my transgression and my sin. 24. Why do you hide your face and regard me as your enemy? 25. Do you wish to torment a windblown leaf and chase after dry chaff? 26. For you write down bitter things against me and cause me to inherit the sins of my youth. 27. And you put my feet in the stocks and you watch all my movements; you put marks on the soles of my feet. 28. So I waste away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths. (NET) Commentary: Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, Mine ear hath heard and understood it. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you (13:1-2). If we were present for this discussion, we could see Job s emotions rising. Summoning his strength, he said, I

4 Commentary and Questions by John Waddey 4 know all of what your are saying! You have brought not one new thing to this discussion! Job s great desire is to speak with God. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God (13:3). If he could only speak with his Creator and Judge, perhaps He could explain to him why all of these disasters had befallen him. But ye are forgers of lies; Ye are all physicians of no value. Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom (13:4-5). These words, addressed to Zophar and the others, are sharply spoken. An observer would have seen the flash of resentment in Job s eyes. Not only did they have no answers or solutions for him; they had all lodged lying accusations against his character and integrity. Thus he calls them forgers (creators) of lies. They were no better than quack doctors. Their diagnosis of his condition was based on total ignorance. The best and wisest thing they could do was to shut up, hold thy peace! Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips (13:6). Job had listened to their hateful speculations. Now he asks that they hear his point of view! Will ye speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him? Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God? Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him? He will surely reprove you, If ye do secretly show partiality. Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall upon you? (13:7-11). He charges them with claiming to speak for God when they were actually just expressing their own faulty opinions. Job then says, God should search you out as you are trying to search me. What a rebuke that would be! The partiality they were showing was toward Job. They were treating him unfairly, not as they would wish to be treated were they in his place. By asking, Will ye contend for

5 Commentary and Questions by John Waddey 5 God?, Job is charging them with trying to usurp God s position as the judge of humanity. This is a sin that tempts most people (Matthew 7:1-2, Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. (NET). He then reminds them that God will hold them responsible if they secretly show partiality toward him (vs.10). Rather than arrogantly trying to fill the role of God in judging Job, they should fear lest His dread fall upon them! (vs. 11). Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defences are defences of clay (13:12). With a stinging rebuke he tells them frankly they don t know what they are talking about. Their words are as worthless as ashes! Like defensive walls built of clay, their arguments would crumble. Job is incensed by the insulting treatment of his friends. With impassioned voice he tells them, I want to speak with God, even if it costs my life! Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak; And let come on me what will. Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand? Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him. This also shall be my salvation, That a godless man shall not come before him (13:13-16). Again he tells them to shut up and listen to him. He is prepared to take his life in his own hands if he could have an audience with God. Some ancient kings would have a person slain if he dared to enter their presence uninvited. (See Esther 4:11, All the servants of the king and the people of the king s provinces know that there is only one law applicable to any man or woman who comes uninvited to the king in the inner court that person will be put to death, unless the king extends to him the gold scepter, permitting him to be spared. Now I have not been invited to come to the king for some thirty days! ). Jehovah himself had said that no man hath seen God and lived (Exodus 33:20, But he added, You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live. (NET). But Job s situation is desperate. He

6 Commentary and Questions by John Waddey 6 feels he is dying from the evil disease that has overcome him. He has no hope, nothing to lose, so he insists he wants to see God that he may know why all of this has come upon him. He was willing to take this risk because he had faith in the justice of God. If he were guilty, he would never be allowed to see God. Stated positively, God would not destroy an innocent man. Hear diligently my speech, And let my declaration be in your ears. Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I am righteous. Who is he that will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the ghost (Job 13:17-19). Job wants his friends to know that he is prepared to die. His cause, i.e., his house or his life, is in order. (Compare God s message to King Hezekiah. 2 Kings 20:1, In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, This is what the Lord says, Give your household instructions, for you are about to die; you will not get well. (NET). I know that I am righteous is a bold claim. The footnote softens it, rendering it, I know that I shall be justified. Paul wrote, There is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10). Job is not claiming sinless perfection. Rather he is saying he is not guilty of any hidden wickedness. He has always done his best to faithfully serve God! In view of that selfknowledge, Job is saying no one, including the three men before him, could, with a truthful argument, convict him of sin! The NIV gives a much clearer rendering of this passage, Can anyone bring charges against me? If so, I will be silent and die (13:19). Only do not two things unto me; Then will I not hide myself from thy face: Withdraw thy hand far from me; And let not thy terror make me afraid. Then call thou, and I will answer; Or let me speak, and answer thou me. How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And holdest me for thine enemy? (13:20-24). These words, Job speaks to God. He pleads: (1). Do not abandon me; (2). Do no terrify

7 Commentary and Questions by John Waddey 7 me with more judgements. He then pleads with God to give him an audience and explains why he has been thus punished. Here again we see the author s use of a parallelism. How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin. Both lines have the same meaning. They are repeated for emphasis. Job desperately wants to know what the sins are for which he is being chastened. He reasons they must be many since his penalties have been so harsh and heavy. His third question was, no doubt, filled with pathos and emotion. Poor Job pleads with his God, Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And holdest me for thine enemy? All of his years Job had loved God sincerely and served Him faithfully. Why has God now abandoned him and treated him like an enemy? I suspect had we been there we would have seen tears flowing down the poor fellow s marred face and his words would have been choked with emotion. Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me to inherit the iniquities of my youth: Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, And markest all my paths; Thou settest a bound to the soles of my feet: Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten (13:25-28). With a flurry of similies and metaphors, Job describes his plight to God. He feels as helpless as a dry leaf on the ground, as defenseless as the dry stubble after the grain harvest. He feels God has indicted him, charging him with the foolish sins of his youth. He felt like a criminal whose feet were locked in stocks. He cannot possibly escape. God s eyes were constantly on him looking for any and every flaw. You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet (which I must not overstep) (Amplified Bible). This reminds us of Antiochus Epiphanes, king of the Seleucid empire of Syria, who invaded Egypt in the second century B. C. He was met by

8 Commentary and Questions by John Waddey 8 the Roman pro-counsel, Gaius Popilius Laenas, who approached him and with an instrument and drew a circle around Antiochus. He was told if he stepped out of it he had better be facing homeward. Otherwise he would have to deal with the power of Rome. Conclusion: Job was mystified that God would focus his judgments on a diseased, dying man whose life was no more than a moth-eaten garment, a rotten thing. Be reminded that Job was a pitiful sight, covered with sores, exiled to the ashes of the village s refuse dump. He was filthy. No doubt he reeked from the drainage of the boils and lack of hygiene. Such a sight should stir the deepest emotions of sympathy for this poor tormented soul.

9 Commentary and Questions by John Waddey 9 Questions on Job 13: What did Job want Zophar and the others to do? (13:5). 2. Why did Job feel he was taking his life in his hands? (See 13:14). 3. Why did Job have no hope? (13:15). 4. One thing gave Job confidence in his desire to speak personally with God. What was it? (13:16).

10 Commentary and Questions by John Waddey What were two things which Job requested of God? (See 13:20-21)._ 6. Before dying, Job desperately hoped that God would