Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
“My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
    because I am greatly disturbed.
I hear a rebuke that dishonors me,
    and my understanding inspires me to reply.
“Surely you know how it has been from of old,
    ever since mankind was placed on the earth,
that the mirth of the wicked is brief,
    the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.
Though the pride of the godless person reaches to the heavens
    and his head touches the clouds,
he will perish forever, like his own dung;
    those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found,
    banished like a vision of the night.
The eye that saw him will not see him again;
    his place will look on him no more.
His children must make amends to the poor;
    his own hands must give back his wealth.
The youthful vigor that fills his bones
    will lie with him in the dust.
“Though evil is sweet in his mouth
    and he hides it under his tongue,
though he cannot bear to let it go
    and lets it linger in his mouth,
yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;
    it will become the venom of serpents within him.
He will spit out the riches he swallowed;
    God will make his stomach vomit them up.
He will suck the poison of serpents;
    the fangs of an adder will kill him.
He will not enjoy the streams,
    the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;
    he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.
For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute;
    he has seized houses he did not build.
“Surely he will have no respite from his craving;
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.
Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.
In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;
    the full force of misery will come upon him.
When he has filled his belly,
    God will vent his burning anger against him
    and rain down his blows on him.
Though he flees from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.
He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors will come over him;
    total darkness lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire unfanned will consume him
    and devour what is left in his tent.
The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.
A flood will carry off his house,
    rushing waters on the day of God’s wrath.
Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”

• Job 20:1-29

Job 20:5-6 ”The application of Zophar’s words about this wicked, hypocritical, proud person were aimed at Job. He would, like others so wicked, suffer the consequences of his sins (vv. 7-29).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

The Message

Zophar finds a way to pretend to be humble and blame Job for his erroneous response all at the same time.  He did not want to say anything, but Job attacked him and his friends by suggesting that they look in the mirror.  If we felt we were right and the other person told us to look in the mirror instead, isn’t he attacking our character, but we acted in good faith.  What is missing here are witnesses to Job’s wrong doing because there are none.  Yet, with that one technicality ignored, Zophar claims to be offended by Job’s remark.

That is similar to the world today.  Truth is not on their side, but if we attack the lack of evidence on their side, they take it as an attack on them, and thus, they find offense.  We were simply clarifying the argument, but they took offense when the attack was on their argument and its lack of evidence.  By this point, there is offense on both sides.

Zophar reminds Job that the joys of the wicked are fleeting and the pains that eventually come will come in a vengeance.  Zophar is speaking in third person, but it is clear he means Job is the wicked person – otherwise, why is he suffering?

The rest of the chapter is the description of the suffering.

The wicked person is proud, but he still will die.  His children are left to carry the burden to those he has cheated – but the children are already dead.

Evil is sweet, but when swallowed it becomes sour in his stomach – thus he gets sick.  Yet, Job’s maladies were probably not of the digestive system – but what do they know in their day?

The fruits of the wicked are left uneaten after his death.

And the last verses speak of God’s burning anger.  It seems to be like a posse chasing the bank robbers.  The fleeing wicked person is hit in the back by iron weapons, arrows, and fire.  He cannot get away.

While much of this is true.  This is wisdom that the wicked should understand.  They will not get away, they may easily not live to partake in the harvest from their wickedness – indeed they are always on the run, not knowing if they have been betrayed.

But this is not true of Job.

That is the hard part in the core of this book.  There is much wisdom regarding what the “friends” are saying if the person hearing it is indeed wicked, but it is nonsense in speaking to Job.  Job’s responses are also wisdom for someone who is falsely accused.  But none of us are absolutely perfect.

And now let us sing.

The following song is Reap What You Sow.  This is from Jonathan & Jilliana.  The wicked reap what they sow, but the opposite is true also.  Let God plant His word in us so that we can sow wisdom, hope, peace and love.  I had another video, but it was only usable in Youtube.  This one takes a different path, but both sides are true.  We reap good things if we sow good things.  We reap trouble if we sow evil things.

 

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,
We need Your wisdom.  Lord, we suffer.  We reap what we sow, whether good or bad.  Fill us with good, so that becomes what we sow and then others will reap the harvest of love, peace, and hope.  May we not judge without witnesses, but may we correct and rebuke when there is overwhelming evidence so that those who have strayed can get back on the right track.  And even when we feel falsely accused, we are still not perfect.  We can examine ourselves. Help us, dear Lord.  In thy Name we pray.
Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.