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Zophar spoke last, and his speech is full of animosity. He was angry with Job, but what Job needed
was a helping hand and not a slap in the face, my commentary said. He accused Job of being guilty of sin,
ignorant of God, and stubborn in his refusal to repent.
“When Job began to answer him, he first pointed out that age
is not guarantee of wisdom and that he
did have good knowledge of God. He told
of God’s sovereignty over individuals and nations. Then he spoke of his disappointment in his three friends, then his declaration of faith in the Lord, and finally his desire that God come to him and get the
issue settled once and for all,” my commentary said.
“Job is saying, ‘I will take my case directly to God and
prove my integrity. I know I am taking
my life in my hands in approaching God, because He is able to slay me. But if He doesn’t slay me, it is proof
that I am not the hypocrite you say I
am’ … To approach God personally was a great act of faith, but Job was so sure
of his integrity that he would take his chances.”
By chapter 14, though, hopelessness had set in. “Early believers like Job did not have the
revelation of future life as we now
have it in Christ. Job asked, ‘If a man
dies, shall he live again?’ He’s
vacillating between hope and despair … When people are experiencing intense
grief and pain, it is easy for them to feel that the future is hopeless and
that God has forsaken them … The assurance
of resurrection and life in glory with Christ is a strong motivation for us to keep going even when the going is
tough … When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the
door in the face of God. Job had not yet
slammed the door, but he was getting close
to doing it, and his friends were not helping at all.”
Father, although hopelessness has dogged me over the past
several years, I’m so glad that You continued to give me hope and brought me
through many tough times. Keep me
focused on You and Your never-failing mercies.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
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