Zophar: Destruction Awaits the Wicked
“Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: “So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me. I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply. Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth, the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary? Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds, he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’ He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night. The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him. His sons will seek the favor of the poor, for his own hands must return his wealth. The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust.
Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue, though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him. He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach. He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him. He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading. For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has seized houses he did not build. Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure. Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure.
In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him. When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats. Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him. It is drawn out of his back, the gleaming point from his liver. Terrors come over him. Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God’s wrath. This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the inheritance God has appointed him.”
Hoo-Boy! Zophar, tell us what you really feel! Now the gloves are coming off and Zophar is revealing his true character; too bad it’s nasty to the nth degree plus one! “I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply.” Hmm. Zophar shows up at a friend’s place. Said friend has been suffering untold torments. Rather than sympathizing, Zophar persists in condemning. When the friend attempts to defend himself, Zophar becomes mortally offended and accuses his friend of incredible wickedness. Zophar is the kind of guy who demands center stage at every event. He wants to be the groom at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral. If cell phones had existed in Job’s time, Zophar would have been the guy with a selfie stick, snapping admiring photos of himself with poor miserable Job in the background.
The rest of Zophar’s diatribe consists of vivid mental pictures of the suffering of the wicked. Obviously, Zophar has just been WAITING for the day when he could gloat over Job and now he’s painting horrible mental pictures. “the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?” “He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach. He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.”
“For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has seized houses he did not build. Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure. Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure.” Say what? Job hasn’t been doing any such thing! Zophar can’t stand the idea that Job might have amassed all his previous wealth honestly; surely Job must have been doing something wicked. As long as Zophar can convince himself that Job’s wealth was gained by theft and corruption, Zophar no longer has to feel ashamed that he has not been as successful as Job.
“The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God’s wrath. This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the inheritance God has appointed him.” Now we realize that Zophar has no real experience of God; he only has misconceptions. And once more we realize that Zophar has not come to sympathize but to gloat. How pathetic!
APPLICATION: We read Zophar’s comments and can barely believe that this man ever counted as one of Job’s friends. The key is in Zophar’s first statement: Zophar is offended because Job has refused to agree with his accusations. Now Zophar is taking revenge on Job for Job’s failure to agree with him and honor him as he desires. Once more, we see a perfect example of someone whose motives are not those of a comforter but rather those of a chronically envious individual bent on revenge for imagined slights. Perhaps this is not the first time Zophar has attempted to advise Job.
We read these words and think “Well! I would certainly never say such terrible things!” But, are we right? How many times have we envied those around us who are enjoying a higher life style? How many times have we harbored suspicions regarding the wealth of those close to us? How many times have we thought, “Oh, if I could just tell ___ what I think of him/her!” Obviously, Zophar has been cherishing such thoughts and is now giving voice to them. How ugly! But are we capable of similar ugliness? The painful answer is that yes, on any given day, any one of us might say terrible things to suffering hearts.
Zophar fails to prove himself a true friend; instead, Zophar is obviously someone who has been hanging around, happy to enjoy the fruits of Job’s prosperity but also envying Job. Somehow, Zophar has decided that Job doesn’t appreciate him and his wisdom sufficiently and has been resenting Job for these failings. The results are obvious. Zophar should be pouring healing oil on Job’s wounds; instead, he is spewing acid. Jesus told his disciples, ”O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” Matthew 12:34-40 King James Version (KJV) May we check our hearts so that they will be filled with love, not pride and condemnation! Don’t be a Zophar!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remember to check our own hearts before we open our mouths. Help us to remember that grieving people need healing and not condemnation. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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