JOB 11
ZOPHAR'S FIRST SPEECH

 
The Speaker: Then Zophar the Naamathite answered, 
His Rebuke Shall a multitude of words go unanswered, And a talkative man be acquitted? Shall your boasts silence men? And shall you scoff and none rebuke? 
His Synopsis of Job's Speeches
 		 For you have said, 
'My teaching is pure, and I am innocent in your eyes.' 
God is Capable of Exposing Job

1. Job is portrayed as a fool and sinner in this passage.
2. Again the friend does not tell Job what sin he has done. 
3. Except for the point made in comment 2, Zophar's theology is sound, but that exception is what is fiendish.  His theology of God is amazing for a non-Israelite.
4.  Zophar, as pointed out on the main page, offers Job no reason for his position.

 But would that God might speak, 
And open His lips against you, 
And show you the secrets of wisdom! 
For sound wisdom has two sides. 
Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity. 
Can you discover the depths of God? 
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? 
They are high as the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? 
Its measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea. 
If He passes by or shuts up, 
Or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him? 
For He knows false men, And He sees iniquity without investigating. 
An idiot will become intelligent 
When the foal of a wild donkey is born a man. 
Therefore Repent!
The Act of Repentance is Described
The Results of Repentance are Elaborated
BUT Job's Repentance is Unlikely
1. His doctrine of repentance would be sound, if he could tell Job of what he was to repent.

2.  An oddity of the book is that when Job does repent and is restored at the end, Zophar's words are fulfilled.  The problem for Zophar was that he and his friends would be the ones who entreat Job's favor (cf. Job 42).

 If you would direct your heart right 
And spread out your hand to Him, 
If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, 
And do not let wickedness dwell in your tents; 
Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect, 
And you would be steadfast and not fear. 
For you would forget your trouble, 
As waters that have passed by, you would remember it. 
Your life would be brighter than noonday; 
Darkness would be like the morning. 
Then you would trust, because there is hope; 
And you would look around and rest securely. 
You would lie down and none would disturb you, 
And many would entreat your favor. 
But the eyes of the wicked will fail, 
And there will be no escape for them; 
And their hope is to breathe their last."