*In this lesson we learn that things are not always as they appear.

Outline

The breadth of information now available instantaneously has created a society where all that matters to people is what is happening at the current moment. But just as you can’t judge the strength of a company or business at a momentary glace, neither can you judge a life by looking at a portion of it. True knowledge and wisdom come from having a broad perspective of life-an eternal perspective.    – Dr. David Jeremiah

Overview

In her book ‘Miracles of Courage’, Monica Dickens tells the story of David, a two-year-old toddler being treated for leukemia at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The physician in David’s case, Dr. John Truman, had given the child only a 50-50 chance of surviving the illness.

David underwent numerous painful treatments and blood tests, and his mother Deborah found it hard to watch her little boy suffer. Although David always cried during the painful treatments, he never cried in the waiting room. He knew that when he went into the clinic, Dr. Truman would stick him with needles and hurt him, yet whenever his name was called, he would hurry in ahead of his mother and greet the nurses with a smile. He had trouble pronouncing the letter r, so when he saw the doctor, he’d wave and say, “Hi, Dr. Tooman!”

Soon after he turned three, David had to undergo a painful spinal tap, which is the removal of fluid from the lumbar region of the spinal cord. David was scared but put on a brave front. His mother told him, “Dr. Truman has to do this to make you well, honey. I know it hurts, but Dr. Tooman only does this because he loves you.”

The procedure was horribly painful. Deborah was in agony watching her son squirm and scream. Three nurses had to hold the boy down. When it was over, they boy, soaked in sweat and tears, looked up at the doctor and said, “Thank you, Dr. Tooman, for my hurting.”

The spirit of the boy reminds us of the spirit of Job, a man who suffered for reasons he did not understand. In his pain, Job squirmed and sobbed and screamed out to God. And yet Job’s eyes, though full of tears, were eyes that held trust and faith in the God he served.

As we have seen, Job’s three friends have been of little comfort to him. They have hurled false accusations at him as he suffered without apparent reason or cause. But Job is not alone. The bible records many stories of people who have suffered greatly. And if we examine their stories, we can almost always find the presence of unkind and untrue words being leveled at them.

Recall the story of Joseph. At the hands of his own brothers, he was cast into a pit and sold to traveling slave traders. He landed on his feet in Potiphar’s house only to be falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife of trying to rape her. He ended up in prison and was forgotten. He did nothing wrong, yet he suffered greatly.

Moses was constantly at the wrong end of the criticisms of the Israelites even though God had used him to bring about their freedom from Egyptian slavery. David killed Israel’s most feared enemy only to become the hated fugitive of jealous King Saul. By standing firm in his convictions and honoring God, Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. Daniel’s three friends refused to dishonor God and faced the flames of a fiery furnace.

Our Savior, Jesus Christ was known as, “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). Throughout His years of ministry on this earth, our Lord was the target of false accusations almost daily. He was accused of being an illegitimate child. He was accused of being a drunkard because He ate with sinners. He was accused of being immoral because He helped a prostitute. He was accused of being demon-possessed because He healed people. He was accused of blasphemy and sedition, and ultimately went to the cross because of the false accusations of His enemies. And it was this falsely accused Jesus who gave these words to those who are sometimes falsely accused and maligned:

Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

In chapters 20-21, we find Job in such a persecuted position again. Job’s friend Zophar is back once more to terrorize Job with his arrogant assumptions and accusations. The good news is that this is Zophar’s last appearance in this book.

Remember that Zophar is the most brutal of Job’s three friends. He doesn’t just criticize Job passively- he gives every appearance of enjoying criticizing his friend. He goes after him with a zeal that his hard to comprehend. Zophar’s key thought is his final message to Job is found in Job 20:5, where he says that “the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment.”

As we begin this section, it becomes obvious to us that while one of Job’s friends is speaking, the other two are listening. In the first three verses of chapter twenty, Zophar expresses his displeasure with Job’s previous speech; he feels disrespected and insulted by Job’s words, so decides to defend himself. In fact, he says that Job’s words were so strong against him that he has no choice but to respond.

Zophar’s Haughty Diatribe (Job 20)

Zophar’s message in his second and last speech is yet another tiresome tirade against the woes of the wicked. Because Job’s spiritual experience does not line up with the rigid expectations of his friends, they brand him a wicked man. And Zophar is now going to describe the ultimate fate of a wicked man in a haughty diatribe. This is a personal attack against Job, even though the statements made are generic in nature.

The Journey Is Transient (Job 20:1-11)

Zophar opens by giving Job a vision of the life of the wicked in verses 4-11. Zophar basically says that a wicked man doesn’t last long. His words are filled with innuendo and assumptions. His arguments against Job are based on his knowledge of history, but his knowledge of history is filtered through his own personal agenda and perspective.

It’s not true to say that the triumph of the wicked is brief. History proves that sometimes the wicked survive over a long period of time. Noah endured the wickedness of his neighbors for 120 years. God gave the wicked Canaanites four centuries before He judged them. So Zophar is only telling Job one side of the story-the side that fits his analysis of Job’s suffering.  According to Zophar, the higher a man climbs in his success, the farther he will fall when his judgment comes (verse 6). He describes the wicked man’s demise as refuse going down a drain (verse 7) – like a dream that cannot be remembered (verse 8). And it’s not even over when death comes! For after Job dies, Zophar says that his children will have to sell off their inheritance to pay back all the people that Job wronged in his life (verse 10). Job will die young and his bones will lie lifeless in the dust (verse 11).

It is wrong to say that if a person dies young, it must be because they were evil. Many great people have died young. Charles Haddon Spurgeon died at the age of 53. David Brainerd, the celebrated missionary to the American Indians, was only 29 when he died. And Eric Liddell, whose story is told in the movie ‘Chariots of Fire’, was only 43 at his passing. Once again, Zophar is wrong!

The Joy Is Temporary (Job 20:12-19)

Zophar then follows by saying, “Though evil is sweet in his mouth, and he hides it under his tongue, though he spares it and does not forsake, but still keeps it in his mouth, yet his food in his stomach turns sour; it becomes cobra venom within him” (verse 12-14).

Here he paints a picture of a wicked person enjoying his wickedness. He says it is like he is eating something delicious, and he doesn’t want to swallow it because it is so sweet and satisfying to his taste. But according to Zophar, sooner or later that sweet taste of evil will turn to poison and become like the venom of a snake within his system.

Continuing his metaphor about things we ingest, Zophar tells Job that the wicked person will be caused to spit out the riches that he received from taking advantage of people (verse 15). He tells Job that the satisfaction of ill-gotten riches will be short-lived. And the wicked person’s good life of streams and rivers flowing with honey and cream will soon end. Zophar ends this scathing sermon by accusing Job of living in a stolen house (verse 19).

Zophar’s analysis of Job’s life is inaccurate because Job doesn’t fit the description of a wicked man; however, Zophar’s analysis of what happens to people who deny God is fairly accurate isn’t it? People who reject Christ and devote themselves to the pleasures of sin find that the more they indulge, the more they crave. And the more they satisfy that craving, the less they enjoy it. The less they enjoy it, the more they have to sin in order to recapture those old thrills. And the more they sin, the more they destroy their ability to enjoy anything. It is a vicious cycle. That is what Zophar is saying, and it is a true description of the wicked. The problem is that Zophar is saying a true thing about the wrong man. But we can learn from the truth he presents even.

The Judgment Is Terrifying (Job 20:20-29)

Zophar concludes by presenting a startling vision of judgment that will befall the wicked. In verse 27, he says of the wicked man, “The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.”

In these verses, Zophar gives an eloquent speech; the only problem with his words is that they are totally untrue. Eloquent oratory is only impressive when it conveys a true story.

Here Zophar tells Job that his end is near and that not even his riches will save him. The wicked man will experience total distress and misery and God’s burning anger. And believing Job to be a wicked man, Zophar tells Job that God is going to rain down His blows upon him and that he will be dragged into the court of heaven where he will be found guilty. What a distorted picture of life and death for Job!

Job’s Humble Discussion (Job 21)

If chapter 20 is a fiery diatribe on life, then chapter 21 is a thoughtful discussion about life. Job is about to place an argument on the table that will defy the easy cause and effect formula of his three friends. He knows something about prosperity himself, as he was once one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. And he obviously observed wealth in others too and how they handled it.

If Zophar, Eliphaz, and Bildad were speaking the truth, then everything Job was experiencing was without meaning, nothing more than a great and empty cruelty. But this is not true, for Job is about to take Zophar’s words apart one point at a time.

Job’s Appeal (Job 21:1-6)

Before offering his argument, Job begins by making a personal appeal to Zophar.

1. “Please listen to me” (Job 21:1-3)

The Greek philosopher, Zeno, made a very important statement once; he said the reason we have 2 ears and 1 mouth is so that we can listen more and talk less. And all Job asks of his friend is to hear him out. And he says that after he is done, Zophar has permission to resume his mocking.

2. “Please look at Me” (Job 21:4-6)

Job then pleads in verse 5, “Look at me and be astonished; put your hand over your mouth.” Job’s appeal was for his friends to see things differently so that they would be able to say things differently. If they would only look, they would realize that he was not complaining against them but against God. His instruction to cover their mouths with their hands is wonderful advice for us too.  And it’s not to cover up a cough, but to make sure we don’t’ say something we shouldn’t say! Psalm 141:3 puts it this way: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

If we want to be an encouragement to our friends, we need to try to see things the way they see them. We need to be humble enough to admit that there might be another point of view other than our own. And all it really takes sometimes is to just open our eyes and look on people with empathy.

Job’s Arguments (Job 21:7-26)

Job is now going to go from an appeal to an argument. And in these verses Job essentially makes arguments refuting each of Zophar’s points in the previous chapter.

1. The Power of the Wicked (Job 21:7-13)

Zophar said that the wicked always dies young. So Job simply asks his friend this question in verse 7: “why do the wicked live and become old, yes, become mighty in power?” Job rejects the idea that the wicked are weak and short-lived. In fact, Job cannot understand why the wicked seemingly live on in their unrighteousness while he is dying as a righteous man. Job observes that those who reject God often see their children established, while he has lost all ten of his children (verse 8). He says that it seems like their homes are safe from fear, and it does not appear to him that God’s wrath touches them at all (verse 9).

Job argues that the wicked actually seem to be blessed! Their livestock are healthy (verse 10). The wicked have many children and are happy (verse 11). The wicked sing and make merry and their years are spent in prosperity (verse 12). And this is all true.

One of the great questions for Christians today posed by unbelievers is this: “How do you explain the prosperity of the wicked?” A lot of people have the same idea as Job’s 3 friends had-that there is an ironclad formula that is lived out in our lives. That is simply untrue.

There is one thing we all know: the wicked often do prosper in this world. Earthly blessings do accompany their lives, sometimes more than in the lives of the righteous.

2. The Perversity of the Wicked (Job 21:14-15)

Job then displays how blatant the wicked are in their opposition to God. Verse 14 says, “Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.’”

These people who are living the good life have no respect for God. They have no desire to acknowledge Him. They openly mock Him and blaspheme His Name.

3. The Prosperity of the Wicked (Job 21:16)

In verse 16, Job says, “Indeed their prosperity is not in tier hand; the counsel of the wicked is far from me.” The wicked don’t even prosper from their own working; it is God who allows them to prosper! This must have been a shocking revelation for Job’s friends to consider.

4. The Protections of the Wicked (Job 21:17-21)

In his speech, Zophar said that God always immediately punishes wicked people and that they pay for their sin. But Job offers another perspective in verse 17: “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? How often does their destruction come upon them, the sorrows God distributes in His anger?”

Job violently disagrees with Zophar’s assessment of their wicked. As far as he is concerned, Job does not see the wicked suffering for their sin. They seem to be protected from evil. They seem to even have a hedge around them.

5. The Punishment of the Wicked (Job 21:22-26)

Job finishes his argument by offering a bleak but accurate synopsis of what befalls everyone in the end: “They lie down alike in the dust, and worms cover them” (verse 26).

Job sums up this way: Death is death no matter when or how it comes. The rich man dies, and the poor man dies. The believer dies, and the unbeliever dies. And side by side, they all lie in the dust and worms cover them all.

Be sure to understand that Job is only talking about this life-he is not talking about spiritual life and the life eternal. The whole message of this passage is: Don’t try to sort out life based upon just what you observe is going on around you. Only God has the eternal perspective on it all.

Zophar believed that the judgment came in this life. And it is true that some people are judged for their sin in this life. But Job knew that there was more than just the mystery of this earthly life. Hebrews 9:27  puts it like this, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Only true judgment will come before the throne of God Almighty.

Job’s Answers (Job 21:27-34)

Job concludes by chastising his friends in verse 34: “How then can you comfort me with empty words, since falsehood remains in your answers?” In this passage, Job tells his friends that he in on to  them. In verse 27 he says, “Look, I know your thoughts, and the schemes with which you would wrong me.”

Job tells his friends he has them all figured out. He knows that they are confident that their answers are the only answers. He knows they are absolutely certain that they fully understand the mysteries of life. But he proceeds to tell them that all of their assumptions are based upon their own arrogance and pride. He even tells them in verse 29 that they have not even bothered to ask the advice of people who have traveled the road, of people who have seen and known life.

It turns out that these three Old Testament characters have a lot in common with an infamous New Testament group- the Pharisees. Even though Pharisees did not emerge as an organized movement until centuries after Job was writer, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar act very much like these pious men.

We will define a Pharisee as someone who is outwardly righteous but is inwardly unrighteous. A Pharisee is a person who merely postures goodness and does not wholly possess it. Job’s friends fully display these characteristic! They say things that sound right, but underneath it all is a superiority and arrogance that they have a corner on truth and that they cannot possibly be wrong.

Conclusion

In many places, the church has fallen into a mindset not unlike the Pharisees. Many Christians possess attitudes fraught with pride and self-righteousness. But as believers we do not want to exhibit these traits, the traits that we see in Zophar, Bildad, and Eliphaz. The Book fo Job was written in part to show us how wrong these three friends were and to warn us against treating people the way they treated Job.

Therefore we need to be very careful about how dogmatic we become about things that we cannot know. The problem is that we are soft and uncommitted about the things we do know and dogmatic and arrogant about the things we can’t know. We need to reverse that, don’t we? Let’s never be ashamed to stand up and be counted for the things that are absolute! But let’s also be careful that we don’t just run over people with our own arguments-like Zophar.

Zophar and his companions tried to put God in a box. They thought they had God figured out completely. But God doesn’t fit in any box. God is awesome and great and His ways surpass all our human understanding. And when we put God in a box, we lose the insight that can come from understanding the majesty and the hope that He alone can bring.

So instead, let us bask in the glory of God. Let us accept that many facets of this life will be mysterious to us because we do not have the ability to see into eternity and see the breadth and depth of God’s holy design. And let us be stewards of grace and love, especially to those who bear the weight of suffering in their lives.

Application & Questions

1. Read Psalm 37:1-11

a. What kind of people does David admonish us not to worry over? (Verse 1)

b. What will happen to those people? (Verse 2)

c. Instead, David tells us to do four things. List them. (Verse 3)

d. What else are we to do? (Verse 4) What will God do in turn?

e. List the two verbs that describe how we are to act toward God (Verse 5)

f. What is the prevailing image used in verse 6? Why do you think David used it?

g. Instead of fretting over the prosperity of the wicked, what two things are we to do?

(Verse 7)

h. List the two things that we are to refrain from possessing. (Verse 8a)

i. What do worry and fret cause? (Verse 8b)

j. What will happen to evildoers? To those who wait on God? (Verse 9)

k. What will happen to the wicked? (Verse 10) When?

l. List the things that the meek will enjoy. (Verse 11)

2. Read Psalm 37:12-20

a. What do the wicked do? (Verse 12)

b. What does God do in return (Verse 13)  Why?

c. What three types of people do the wicked purposely attack? (Verse 14)

d. Verse 15 says that what will happen instead when they attack?

e. What is better than the riches of the wicked? (Verse 16) Would Job agree? Why or

why not?

f. Fill in the blanks from verse 17.

The wicked shall be _______________________

The Lord ___________________ the righteous

g. How long will the upright last? (Verse 18) what will they not experience? (Verse 19)

h. What will happen to the enemies of the Lord? (Verse 20)

i. What word is used twice in verse 20? Why do you think David repeats it?

3. Read Isaiah 57:1-2

a. What happens to the righteous and the merciful? (Verse 1)

b. What is it that no one considers when the good die? (Verse 1)

c. What things do the righteous enjoy in death? (Verse 2)

d. Is this perspective on death similar or different from that exposited by Job in

chapter 21? Explain why.

Did you know?

False accusations do more than slander character and hurt feelings; sometimes telling untrue things can cost someone their life. This was the case of Stephen, who is considered to be the first martyr for Christ. Stephen was a leader and a deacon in the early church and was “full of faith and power” (Acts 6:8). A certain synagogue of Jews falsely said that he spoke “blasphemous words against Moses and God” (Acts 6:11). Before the crowd, enraged by this lie, stoned him to death, Stephen gave a profound and moving defense of the faith. And before he died, he was so filled with the Holy Spirit that he was privileged to look up and see God the Father and Jesus the Son together in the heavens! (acts 7:55-56)