June 4, 2007

Job 11-13
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1. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2. Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?
3. Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?
4. For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.
5. But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;
6. 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.
7. Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
8. It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
9. The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
10. If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?
11. For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?
12. For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.
13. If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;
14. If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.
15. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:
16. Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:
17. And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.
18. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.
19. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.
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.

1. And Job answered and said,
2. No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
3. But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
4. I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
5. He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
6. The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
7. But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
8. Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
10. In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
11. Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
12. With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
13. With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
14. Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
15. Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
16. With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17. He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
18. He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
19. He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
20. He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
21. He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
22. He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23. He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
24. He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
25. They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

1. Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.
2. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.
3. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
4. But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
5. O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
6. Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7. Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
8. Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
9. Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
10. He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
11. Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
12. Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
13. Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
14. Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
16. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
17. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
18. Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.
19. Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.
20. Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.
21. Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.
22. Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
23. How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
25. Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
26. For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
27. Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.
28. And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

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Job's friend Zophar now begins his condemnation of Job. He is much more vicious than the other two, and opens by accusing Job of being a liar and of attempting to justify himself through his words (11:2-4). In verse 6 he goes so far as to say that Job deserves to be punished even more than he has been, and that God has graciously limited Job's discipline to the trials which he is currently experiencing. Zophar, like the others, then uses Biblical truth, but arrives at improper conclusions. He speaks of the infinite wisdom of God (11:7-11) and accuses Job of foolishness (12). He then pleads with Job to repent of his sins that have brought about his plight (13-20), emphasizing that once he repents, all his problems will be forgotten (16).

Job responds in chapters 12-14. He opens with a sarcastic comment concerning his friends' perceived wisdom (2-3). He then sets out to disprove their statements. He uses himself as the first proof, for he had a relationship with the Lord, yet he was brought down (4). He next shows that there are villains who completely reject God, yet seem to prosper (6). He concludes his refutation by stating that even the natural world understands that blessings and calamities come from God (7-9). He then launches into his own discussion of the wisdom of God: a wisdom that overrules in the affairs of men, particularly those who are in positions of power, leadership, and intellectual authority (12-25). He moves on into chapter 13 and mentions in verse 1 that his own observations differ from those offered by his friends. This points out a truth that has been mentioned previously: since men's observations and points of reference differ, the only source of truth that can be counted on is the Bible. At a trial, experts will give contradictory interpretations of the data. Eyewitnesses will give differing interpretations of what they saw. We have a "more sure word of prophecy" (II Peter 1:19) than man's observations; we have the Scriptures.

Job then accuses his acquaintances of being the liars, and questions whether or not they really speak for the Lord, or if rather they speak their own opinions (13:7-11). Again, this is a good question to ask ourselves: are those we are listening to really speaking for God? If they are, their opinions will be backed up by a contextual reading of the Word. If they can not be Scripturally supported, then they can not be coming from the Lord.

Job concludes chapter 13 by preparing to present his case to God. He opens it with this famous statement:

"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" (15).

Pastor Dr. Mark J Montgomery