With friends like these, who needs enemies? Zophar seems to have a high yet unimaginative view of God; he also does not have a respectable view of his friend. I don't know what I would or could have said to Job; but I don't know that I would castigate him as Zophar does.
Zophar says that if only God would tell Job what He thinks then Job would understand why he was being punished. The thing is, if God did reveal His thoughts to them, they'd all be blown away. Job knew his blameless estate; but he did not dare to consider that God was bragging on him with the outcome being what it was. Zophar and the others had no idea. The extreme loss did not humanly indicate a pleased God; but it was true.
"...who are you? ...what do you know?" Zophar asks Job. Based on his first response to Job, Zophar really has no idea who Job is. Nor does he have any idea why all the grief has come to Job. No one did. If God had not given us this text, would anyone have known? Zophar did know himself, his sins, his proclivities, his weaknesses. That self-knowledge should have been enough to keep his mouth shut.
I thank You God for the boldness You have allowed me to have in approaching You. Holy Spirit, I thank You for the witness and wisdom you give me. Jesus, I know You experienced similar commentary from other unenlightened folk. Thank You for dying for us anyway. Please help me to not speak for You when I don't. Please let my words properly reflect You. Lord, please increase the scope of my vision that I may dare to imagine what You are doing rather than to join in the nay-sayers and the rebukers. Thank You that Your ways are not mine, Your strength is sufficient to accomplish Your will and Your grace is enough for any circumstance. Help me to see Your trust in hard situations, Your faithfulness in difficulties, Your love in loss. Help me to always point to You and to glorify You, especially when I have nothing to say. You are worthy.
Zophar says that if only God would tell Job what He thinks then Job would understand why he was being punished. The thing is, if God did reveal His thoughts to them, they'd all be blown away. Job knew his blameless estate; but he did not dare to consider that God was bragging on him with the outcome being what it was. Zophar and the others had no idea. The extreme loss did not humanly indicate a pleased God; but it was true.
"...who are you? ...what do you know?" Zophar asks Job. Based on his first response to Job, Zophar really has no idea who Job is. Nor does he have any idea why all the grief has come to Job. No one did. If God had not given us this text, would anyone have known? Zophar did know himself, his sins, his proclivities, his weaknesses. That self-knowledge should have been enough to keep his mouth shut.
I thank You God for the boldness You have allowed me to have in approaching You. Holy Spirit, I thank You for the witness and wisdom you give me. Jesus, I know You experienced similar commentary from other unenlightened folk. Thank You for dying for us anyway. Please help me to not speak for You when I don't. Please let my words properly reflect You. Lord, please increase the scope of my vision that I may dare to imagine what You are doing rather than to join in the nay-sayers and the rebukers. Thank You that Your ways are not mine, Your strength is sufficient to accomplish Your will and Your grace is enough for any circumstance. Help me to see Your trust in hard situations, Your faithfulness in difficulties, Your love in loss. Help me to always point to You and to glorify You, especially when I have nothing to say. You are worthy.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver - Proverbs 25:11, I love that verse it reminds me to pray before I speak and how deeply our words (which can't be taken back) can affect others. All of our words should be "fitly" spoken.
ReplyDeleteAmen and truth. Thanks for the encouragement of Proverbs. "Fitly spoken," indeed.
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