SMH (Shake My Head)

Job 11

This is one of the most common emojis I use when texting. That is because I hear about so many silly and down right dumb things people say and do. If I could insert an emoji into the Bible, I would put this one right after verse 4. This picture stands for "shake my head". The palm to the face is something that we are familiar with. It can mean so much, but none of it is a complement. In this particular case, it would mean, "Did you really just say that?"

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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.

Job 11:1-4

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Once we get past verse 4, what Zophar had to say wasn't that bad. However, verses 1-4 set the tone for what follows. With a negative tone being set at the beginning, no one would want to hear what followed; no matter how true it was. Imagine having to sit in a class and the teacher stands up and says, "You are all idiots. So please shut up and I will do my best to try to increase your intelligence somewhat, though that should not be difficult since we are starting from nothing." I can't speak for you, but I just might walk out of the class. The tone we set at the beginning makes a big difference in how people receive our message.

I want to summarize what Zophar said so that we may better understand why it was so insulting. In verse two he begins, "Because you talk a lot, should we not answer you? Does the fact that you use a lot of words make you right? (3) Should you lies silence those who hear you? When you are sarcastic, should we be embarrassed to speak? (4) You said, 'My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God's eyes'." Not only is what Zophar saying insulting, it is also wrong. Job did not say that he was not a sinner, but that he was not the sinner they were accusing him of being; he was not a hypocrite.

I held off at verse 4 because I wanted to give a little attention to verses 5 and 6. I laugh every time I read it. Look at what Zophar said:

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But oh that God would speak,

And open his lips against thee;

6 And that he would shew 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.

Job 11:5-6

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Here is why I laugh, because God did just that. God answered Zophar's prayer. The funny part is that it did not play out exactly like Zophar thought it would. In chapters 38 through 42, God speaks to Job. He shows him "the secrets of wisdom" but they are far more than "double to that which is". Also, in life, God absolutely "exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth." That is called mercy.

I'm not going to get into all that follows. I will say this though, it is pretty good stuff. When we take away the opening tone of the teaching, Zophar had some good theology. However, God's word is not a hammer to beat people over the head with. It is a sword to pierce the heart. The great thing about a sharp instrument is that you let it do the work. When we speak God's word, we allow it to do the work God wants it to through his Holy Spirit. We do not have to try to plunge it into peoples hearts through their ears. We simply proclaim in love and God will take care of the rest.

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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.

Job 11:7-9

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I do want to bring a little redemption to Zophar. Again, when we move past his opening statements, this is good stuff! Zophar expounds upon the infinite nature of God. He is beyond our comprehension. We cannot search and get to know him perfectly. The nature, knowledge, wisdom, and will of God are higher than the heavens, deeper than hell, wider than the earth and the sea. Those were massive measurements that Zophar knew of. Today, because of technology, we could say that God is greater than the dimensions of the entire universe.

While all of this is true, we can also be thankful that God has revealed a lot about himself through his Word. He has also revealed a lot about himself through his Son. We can spend a lifetime mining the depths of the scriptures and getting to know Jesus better and we would only be scratching the surface. That is not a bad thing. There is so much wealth close to the surface, if we will only dig and put in the work. It is worth it!

Father thank you for the truth of your word. Thank you for revealing yourself to us through it. Help me to not treat it like a hammer and pound people with it. May I speak in love and allow your spirit to work. May I remember that I can cause people to shut their ears when my approach is taken instead of trusting you to work.