Job

Job Chapter 20

Zophar Speaks: The Wicked Will Suffer

Job 20:1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.
4 Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

These are words of much wisdom. It is true that the wicked will one day be no more. All the goods and riches he has built up will not be his to enjoy. His or her greatness is gone. He no longer will be important. Once we pass from this life to the next if we lived wickedly with no repentance, it will be for nothing. A ruler or king will not be a ruler or king. The rich will not remain rich. It will all be for nothing. The sad part of these words is that even though they are true, they do not apply to Job for God himself in the very first chapter, states the Job is righteous not wicked.

Job 20:10 His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

The sins of the father of robbing the poor may be troublesome for the children if they have to restore what he took back to those that were cheated. They might have to become servants themselves.

Job 20:11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
13 Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:
14 Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

He continues to discribe the state of a wicked person which is sickness, misery and loss of all he has. Again and again though these words, some of which is true is aimed like darts to the wrong person. Zophar seems to be attacking Job with words that would normally be words of wisdom in discribing what happens to the wicked rich people that live and do evil to the poor. Actually Job was the very opposite. I repeat what God said about him at the beginning.

Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Job feared God which is another way of saying. He gave reverence to God and lived for Him by doing good and hating evil.

Job 20:16 He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.

A viper is a very dangerous snake with poison in his mouth. They are found in Africa and Asia. Zophar unknowingly is discribing Job's two friends as well as himself here. They are casting out words of truth in part, but when accusing the wrong person with their words, it is like the poison of an asp or viper. The words are lashing out at Job. In other words Zophar is discribing himself.
I see this a lot in poltical rivals in today's world. They will lash out and accuse their opponents of the exact same things they themselves are guilty of.

Job 20:17 He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
18 That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.
19 Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;

This is an awful thing to accuse someone of if they have not been guilty of it. Now he accuses Job of taken someone's property and not helped the poor. Zophar is casting these words at Job saying that his sin has resulted in God taking about Job's ability to enjoy what he has.

Job 20:20 Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
21 There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.
23 When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.
24 He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
25 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26 All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.
27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

This is truly a good discription of the rich who robs the poor and does all these things Zophar discribes but how awful it is to throw these accusations against someone who was the very opposite. Job was one who loved God and even made sacrifices on behalf of his children just in case one of them sinned against God. I don't know if that would do any good but at least in his heart he cared that his children would not sin. Job surely didn't deserve these accusations. Good and true words used against the innocent turns the words into evil. What this does is cause confusion, doubt and actually drives people away from God not toward Him.

This makes me think in this day and age how important it is for those called of God to teach, preach, to pray earnestly and seek God for the words they speak to be fruitful and accomplish that which the Lord wants to be done. Sometimes the words may be harsh but it should be only if it is anointed and directed by God Himself.

These men think they are speaking for God but they are not. It takes lots of prayer and seeking God to be able to speak words by the Holy Spirit and not of our own imagination. DC

Job Chapter 21