Poor Job's wound's were yet bleeding, his sore
still runs and ceases not, but none of his friends bring him any
oil, any balm; Zophar, the third, pours into them as much vinegar
as the two former had done. I. He exhibits a very high charge
against Job, as proud and false in justifying himself,
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 show 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.
It is sad to see what intemperate passions
even wise and good men are sometimes betrayed into by the heat of
disputation, of which Zophar here is an instance. Eliphaz began
with a very modest preface,
I. He represents Job otherwise than what he
was,
II. He charges Job with saying that which
he had not said (
III. He appeals to God, and wishes him to appear against Job. So very confident is he that Job is in the wrong that nothing will serve him but that God must immediately appear to silence and condemn him. We are commonly ready with too much assurance to interest God in our quarrels, and to conclude that, if he would but speak, he would take our part and speak for us, as Zophar here: O that God would speak! for he would certainly open his lips against thee; whereas, when God did speak, he opened his lips for Job against his three friends. We ought indeed to leave all controversies to be determined by the judgment of God, which we are sure is according to truth; but those are not always in the right who are most forward to appeal to that judgment and prejudge it against their antagonists. Zophar despairs to convince Job himself, and therefore desires God would convince him of two things which it is good for every one of us duly to consider, and under all our afflictions cheerfully to confess:—
1. The unsearchable depth of God's
counsels. Zophar cannot pretend to do it, but he desires that God
himself would show Job so much of the secrets of the divine wisdom
as might convince him that they are at least double to that
which is,
2. The unexceptionable justice of his
proceedings. "Know therefore that, how sore soever the correction
is that thou art under, God exacteth of thee less than thy
iniquity deserves," or (as some read it), "he remits thee
part of thy iniquity, and does not deal with thee according to
the full demerit of it." Note, (1.) When the debt of duty is not
paid it is justice to insist upon the debt of punishment. (2.)
Whatever punishment is inflicted upon us in this world we must own
that it is less than our iniquities deserve, and therefore, instead
of complaining of our troubles, we must be thankful that we are out
of hell,
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.
Zophar here speaks very good things concerning God and his greatness and glory, concerning man and his vanity and folly: these two compared together, and duly considered, will have a powerful influence upon our submission to all the dispensations of the divine Providence.
I. See here what God is, and let him be adored.
1. He is an incomprehensible Being,
infinite and immense, whose nature and perfections our finite
understandings cannot possibly form any adequate conceptions of,
and whose counsels and actings we cannot therefore, without the
greatest presumption, pass a judgment upon. We that are so little
acquainted with the divine nature are incompetent judges of the
divine providence; and, when we censure the dispensations of it, we
talk of things that we do not understand. We cannot find out God;
how dare we then find fault with him? Zophar here shows, (1.) That
God's nature infinitely exceeds the capacities of our
understandings: "Canst thou find out God, find him out to
perfection? No, What canst thou do? What canst thou
know?"
2. God is a sovereign Lord (
3. God is a strict and just observer of the
children of men (
II. See here what man is, and let him be
humbled,
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.
Zophar, as the other two, here encourages Job to hope for better times if he would but come to a better temper.
I. He gives him good counsel (
II. He assures him of comfort if he took
this counsel,
1. A holy confidence towards God: "Then
shalt thou lift up thy face towards heaven without spot; thou
mayest come boldly to the throne of grace, and not with that terror
and amazement expressed,"
2. A holy composedness in themselves:
Thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear, not be afraid
of evil tidings, thy heart being fixed,
3. A comfortable reflection upon their past
troubles (
4. A comfortable prospect of their future peace. This Zophar here thinks to please Job with, in answer to the many despairing expressions he had used, as if it were to no purpose for him to hope ever to see good days again in this world: "Yea, but thou mayest" (says Zophar) "and good nights too." A blessed change he here puts him in hopes of.
(1.) That though now his light was eclipsed
it should shine out again, and more brightly than ever (
(2.) That, though now he was in a continual
fear and terror, he should live in a holy rest and security, and
find himself continually safe and easy (
(3.) That, though now he was slighted, yet he should be courted: "Many shall make suit to thee, and think it their interest to secure thy friendship." Suit is made to those that are eminently wise or reputed to be so, that are very rich or in power. Zophar knew Job so well that he foresaw that, how low soever this present ebb was, if once the tide turned, it would flow as high as ever; and he would be again the darling of his country. Those that rightly make suit to God will probably see the day when others will make suit to them, as the foolish virgins to the wise, Give us of your oil.
III. Zophar concludes with a brief account
of the doom of wicked people (