March 18, 2024

How small would God have to be for us to perfectly understand Him?

Job 11

Jackson Howell
Monday's Devo

March 18, 2024

Monday's Devo

March 18, 2024

Monday's Devo

March 18, 2024

Monday's Devo

March 18, 2024

Big Book Idea

God is at work even when we can't see it.

Key Verse | Job 11:7

"Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?"

Job 11

Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

2  “Should a multitude of words go unanswered,
    and a man full of talk be judged right?
3  Should your babble silence men,
    and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
4  For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure,
    and I am clean in God's 1 11:4 Hebrew your eyes.’
5  But oh, that God would speak
    and open his lips to you,
6  and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
    For he is manifold in understanding. 2 11:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

7  Can you find out the deep things of God?
    Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
8  It is higher than heaven 3 11:8 Hebrew The heights of heaven —what can you do?
    Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
9  Its measure is longer than the earth
    and broader than the sea.
10  If he passes through and imprisons
    and summons the court, who can turn him back?
11  For he knows worthless men;
    when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
12  But a stupid man will get understanding
    when a wild donkey's colt is born a man!

13  If you prepare your heart,
    you will stretch out your hands toward him.
14  If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
    and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
15  Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish;
    you will be secure and will not fear.
16  You will forget your misery;
    you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
17  And your life will be brighter than the noonday;
    its darkness will be like the morning.
18  And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
    you will look around and take your rest in security.
19  You will lie down, and none will make you afraid;
    many will court your favor.
20  But the eyes of the wicked will fail;
    all way of escape will be lost to them,
    and their hope is to breathe their last.”

Footnotes

[1] 11:4 Hebrew your
[2] 11:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
[3] 11:8 Hebrew The heights of heaven
Table of Contents
Introduction to Job

Introduction to Job

Timeline

Author and Date

The unknown Israelite author of this book presents Job as a person living in Uz (see note on 1:1). Job’s godliness (1:1) matches the ideals of Israelite wisdom literature. He clearly knows Yahweh (1:21). The events of the book seem to be set in the times of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).

Theological Themes

The book of Job concerns itself with the question of faith in a sovereign God. Can God be trusted? Is he good and just in his rule of the world? The book shows that the reasons for human suffering often remain a secret to human beings.

In the book of Job, God seems both too close and too far away. On the one hand, Job complains that God is watching him every moment so that he cannot even swallow his spit (7:19). On the other hand, Job finds God elusive (9:11). Though God is greatly concerned about humans, he does not always answer their most agonizing questions.

At the same time, Job’s friends offer no real help. They come to “comfort” him (2:11), but Job ends up declaring them “miserable comforters” who would console him “with empty nothings” (21:34). These friends represent an oversimplified view of faith. They think that all human troubles are divine punishments for wrongdoing. Their “comfort” consists largely of urging Job to identify his sin and repent of it. These friends are negative examples of how to comfort those who are suffering.

The book illustrates that one does not need to fully understand God’s will in order to be faithful while suffering. Those who suffer need not be afraid to express to God their confusion and questions.

Purpose

The book of Job was written to those who struggle with the question of how God can be good when the world is filled with suffering.

The author does not provide a formal defense of God’s justice. Rather, as Job’s friends offer their inadequate answers, the author shows how their reasoning fails. Then, in chs. 38–41, the Lord speaks in his own defense, bringing Job to fuller understanding (ch. 42).

Even during his suffering and confusion, before God finally speaks, Job can triumphantly declare, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (19:25).

Outline

  1. Prologue: Job’s Character and the Circumstances of His Test (1:1–2:13)
  2. Dialogue: Job, His Suffering, and His Standing before God (3:1–42:6)
    1. Job: despair for the day of his birth (3:1–26)
    2. The friends and Job: can Job be right before God? (4:1–25:6)
      1. First cycle (4:1–14:22)
      2. Second cycle (15:1–21:34)
      3. Third cycle (22:1–25:6)
    3. Job: the power of God, place of wisdom, and path of integrity (26:1–31:40)
    4. Elihu: suffering as a discipline (32:1–37:24)
    5. Challenge: the Lord answers Job (38:1–42:6)
  3. Epilogue: The Vindication, Intercession, and Restoration of Job (42:7–17)
The Global Message of Job

The Global Message of Job

Universal Questions

With its story of one man’s life and suffering, the book of Job raises universal questions. Why do people suffer, especially godly people? Where is God in suffering? Can God be trusted amid suffering? Job’s friends try to answer such questions with superficial and simplistic solutions, eventually earning God’s rebuke (Job 42:7–9).

Ultimately we learn from Job that we can hope steadfastly in our sovereign God. Instead of providing easy answers to hard questions, this incomparably glorious, all-knowing, and almighty God presents to people in all places and in all times the simplest, most powerful, and most universal answer to these questions. God’s answer to human suffering has everything to do with his own infinite goodness and care for his creation.

Suffering in a Fallen World

In the life of Job we see the breadth and depth of human suffering. We see suffering in health (Job 2:7), suffering in the loss of property (1:14–17), and suffering in the tragic death of family members (1:18–19). In Job we also listen in on a discussion in the heavenly courtroom between God and Satan (1:6–12; 2:1–7), in which God delights in the upright life of Job. There we are given a window into the normally invisible reasons for our trials and suffering.

Sin and suffering. Suffering is universal, though the kind of suffering differs from circumstance to circumstance. Sometimes we suffer because of our own sin. There is no such thing as sin without consequences. Sometimes God himself directly chastises his people for their sins. However, Job’s friends are wrong to assume that his suffering is a direct result of disobedience (Job 8:4), and it would likewise be wrong to conclude that all or even most suffering in the world today is divine punishment for specific sins. The speeches of Eliphaz (chs. 4; 5; 15; 22), Bildad (chs. 8; 18; 25), and Zophar (chs. 11; 20) reflect such wrong assumptions.

Common suffering. Another type of suffering is what we might call “common suffering.” This is suffering that affects all people without distinction. It is simply the result of living in a fallen world. It includes health problems from colds to cancer. It includes bad weather, earthquakes, and typhoons. It includes financial struggles, and even death itself. Each tragic incident in Job’s life includes an element of this common suffering.

Godliness and suffering. Not only are godly people afflicted with suffering just as others are, but the godly experience some kinds of suffering due specifically to their godliness (Matt. 10:24–33; Acts 14:22; 2 Tim. 3:12). Faithfulness to Christ will bring insult and at times persecution—suffering that could be avoided if we were not disciples of Christ. We see this principle in Job, for it was precisely Job’s uprightness that prompted God to single him out to Satan and then led Satan to seek to afflict him (Job 1:8–12).

Devastating suffering. Job’s suffering is uniquely profound and painful. Some suffering, we learn, defies any category. We discover in Job that Satan has a hand in some of the suffering of God’s people (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7; compare 2 Cor. 12:1–10). But even such demonically instigated suffering is not outside of God’s sovereignty. Nor should our focus be on Satan when we suffer but rather on persisting in steadfast faith amid such God-ordained pain. At the very least a lesson to be learned from Job is that our vision and insight into suffering is severely limited. What is not limited, however, is God’s perfect understanding and sovereign control over every event in our lives. In the “Yahweh speeches” of Job (chs. 38–41), God does not engage Job in the details of his questions and complaints. Rather, God reminds Job that God is God and Job is not. God laid the foundation of the earth (38:4); he is God over the seas (38:8, 16), over the stars (38:31–33), and over every creature (39:1–30; 40:15–41:34).

A Global Message of Comfort and Hope

The almighty, all-good God. Despite its focus on challenges and sufferings, the book of Job speaks a message of great hope to the world. We live in a world longing for comfort and hope, and such hope is found in the sovereign God who sees, who is good, and who is faithful. We are not victims of random fate or uncontrolled circumstances. We are loved faithfully and passionately by a sovereign God who works all things for our good (Rom. 8:28). The suffering global church can take comfort amid suffering, knowing that God is pleased with our faithfulness to him, even as God expressed delight in “my servant Job” (Job 1:6–8; 2:3). James 5:11 reminds us that God will fulfill his good purposes and is indeed compassionate and merciful toward his people.

No neat formulas. Living an upright life of faith in God does not exempt us from suffering. This was the fundamental misunderstanding of Job’s friends (Job 8:6) and the reason that their “comfort” was so “miserable” (16:2). Indeed, in Job and in all of Scripture we see that suffering is a part of the experience of godly people, and that suffering is also a means for our sanctification. Suffering is a blessing as through it we learn that God’s ways and purposes are much greater than we can know (chs. 40–41). His purposes and faithfulness are much greater than the achievement of ease and a comfortable life; the global church must not make an idol out of worldly comfort and earthly abundance.

The sufferings of the Savior. Job confessed faith in the living Redeemer (Job 19:25). That Redeemer would one day come and suffer for us on a cross. Here we have yet another kind of suffering, the atoning sufferings of Christ. He suffered for our salvation, bearing the penalty for our sin. It is also our great privilege to share in his suffering (2 Cor. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:8; 2:3; 1 Pet. 4:13). These are not the sufferings of health problems or bad weather or the consequences of our own folly. These are sufferings that flow from our union with and loyalty to Christ. There is a global attack on the righteous, but God will continue to provide sufficient grace to his people (2 Cor. 12:9).He will grow both his people and his kingdom through such suffering as it is endured in faith.

Our Intercession and Mission of Hope

Though God’s righteous anger burned against the three friends of Job, their folly was forgiven in response to the righteous intervention of Job’s prayers (Job 42:7–9). What then is the Christian response to those who suffer—and to those who cause suffering?

We are to intercede for the world, both in prayer and in life. We are to “comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:4). This comfort must find expression in our ministry and service to those in need both where we live as well as around the world—to orphans, widows, and all those who suffer.

This comfort is most gloriously and eternally known as the church ministers the gospel of new hope in Christ to the world—to the lost, to the downtrodden, and even to our enemies (Matt. 5:44). For the greatest suffering in this world is not the loss of property or even family; it is to be lost in sin, without the living Redeemer.

Proverbs Fact #1: Wisdom

Fact: Wisdom

Wisdom is a key term in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. The word can mean “skilled at making sound decisions in life.” Proverbs 9:10 states that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”

Job Fact #1: Comfort

Fact: Comfort

Comfort is a key word in the book of Job. When faced with personal tragedies, Job receives no comfort from his friends (16:2). But when God answers him (see chs. 38–41), he finds the comfort he needs.

Job Fact #7: Three cycles of conversations

Fact: Three cycles of conversations

The book of Job includes three cycles of conversations in which the friends of Job offer their comfort and advice, and then listen as Job responds. The first cycle covers chs. 4–14.

Job Fact #15: Elihu

Fact: Elihu

Elihu is the only character in the book of Job with a Hebrew name.

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar

After the Lord allowed Satan to afflict Job, three of his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, came to comfort him. However, all three wrongly assumed that Job’s suffering was the result of some hidden sin. Each man urged Job to repent so that God would have mercy on him. But Job insisted that he was innocent. Although it is true that some suffering is a result of sin, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar oversimplified this truth. They believed that all troubles are punishments for wrongdoing, which was not the case for Job. The wrong actions of Job’s three friends should remind believers today to be wise and sensitive when dealing with people in distress. The Lord rebuked Job’s three friends and instructed Job to pray for them. (Job 42:7–9)

Study Notes

Job 11:7 There is irony in this verse that Zophar will realize only during the events of the epilogue (42:7–9). Zophar accuses Job of wrongly thinking he can know the deep things of God, but it is Zophar who is presuming to know God’s purposes in Job’s suffering.

Study Notes

Job 11:12 Zophar says the path of the stupid man will never lead to understanding. He calls Job to turn away from insisting he is in the right and instead seek God in prayer and repentance (vv. 13–20).

Study Notes

Job 11:1–20 Like Bildad (8:1–22), Zophar accuses Job of being presumptuous and speaking empty words.

S3:056 Job 11

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Job 11

In this passage there's a lot of harsh dialogue going on, and it seems like Zophar is losing patience with Job. In Job 11:7, Zophar ironically says, "Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?", fully convinced that God is completely on his side. He thinks that if Job would care to understand God's disposition toward him, it would be congruent with what Zophar and his friends are saying. While this statement alone isn't completely wrong, it's ironic because if Zophar were to truly understand God or the context of Job's suffering, then he (Zophar) would see that he's actually more wrong than Job.

It's abundantly clear that no one, not Job, nor his three friends, nor Elihu, had an understanding of Job's situation and the context of it. Sometimes, we don't know the "why" of our suffering. When reading the book of Job, we understand everything going on only because we're privy to the heavenly context of Job's situation that the earthly characters are not. God is always at work, even when we can’t see it. If we have faith in Jesus, we know that "for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) And we can know that even if our present suffering is great, the Lord Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth, is always working for good. God is always at work, operating in ways that we can't see or understand; and we can trust Him.

I know that it can be hard to have faith in the midst of trials and tribulations, but once we do, we truly "have learned in whatever situation [we are] to be content." (Philippians 4:11) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him" (Proverbs 3:5-6). When placing our trust in the Lord, "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7) 

This month's memory verse

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

– Romans 5:8

Discussion Questions

1. Who do you think you relate to most in Job's story? And why?

2. In what ways or areas do you tend to lean on your own understanding instead of your faith? If you don't, do your friends/community agree with your answer?

3. What suffering have you gone through recently that caused you to ask God, "Why?" How did you respond to that suffering?

4. What suffering or hardship are you currently going through? Are you leaning more on yourself or trusting in God's plan for you?

5. Who is one person you know who's going through hardship? How can the truths in the book of Job inform how you respond to your friend's suffering?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

GJ

greg jones

Hey Jackson I really like your deeper dive. I especially like how you picked up on the irony of Zophar’s statement concerning Job. For the original reader I think they would have picked up on the irony just as you have. A difference between you, I, and them is I believe they would have held onto a picture in their mind that the irony would have produced. When the original readers/hearers got to the end of the book of Job a greater irony in this chapter would emerge. In movies you sometimes have cut back scenes where something you saw earlier is reinserted into the narrative of the movie to help explain the ending. If I turn the book of Job into a movie in my head parts of chapter 11 are going to be cut back scenes for me. “Should a multitude of words go unanswered, and a man full of talk be judged right? Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you? For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God's eyes.’ But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you, and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! Ch 11 “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” Ch 42  For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. Ch 11 You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor. But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last.” Ch 11 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer. Ch 42 A case for irony can be made for most of chapter 11 when compared to chapter 42. Those are just a few examples. What makes this more interesting to me is to consider how influential the OT books of Deuteronomy thru 2 Kings could have been to various Israelites at various times in their history. What happens to Job just doesn’t happen to people in that section of the OT. Job’s “doctrine” is based on his experience. Those who held to the doctrine of his friends later in Israel history would have based it off of what they had heard.
MS

Michael Scaman

We might find some alignment and some nuanced differences with propserity preachers and Zophar's views but both are an immature view of suffering. John Piper would depart strongly form Zophar and might say Mary in the Magnificat referered tomany psalms some are psalms of Jesus suffering ( and applicable to a bleiever's suffering) in Psalms 35 and 69 where even in the midst of suffering the believer magnifices the Lord even in psalms of suffering **Psalm 69:30** (ESV): "I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving." In these verses, the psalmists express their intent to magnify God through praise, acknowledging His goodness, sovereignty, and faithfulness. They affirm their commitment to exalt God's name and declare His greatness among the people. In Psalm 34 where David narrowly escaped a dangerous philistine King he calls on people to "Taste and see that the Lord is Good" even pointing to Jesus, the righteous bones not breaking so lets add a new verse to Shane and Shane's Taste and see that the Lord is Good about that "Taste and See" by Shane & Shane, modified followed by the new verse inspired by the rest of Psalm 34 where there may be difficulties but the rightous bones are not ultimately broken and the ultimately righteous Jesus bones were not broken on His cross. (an original Verse ) This poor man cried, and the Lord heard me And saved me from my enemies The Son of God surrounds His saints He will deliver them, He will deliver them (can imagine a new Verse ) In Jesus righteous and unbroken bones, a steadfast stance, Where shadows flee, and hope enhanced, Upon the cross, where mercy bled, In love's embrace, our sins were shed. In the structure of the Psalms according to O Palmer Roertson many Psalms of the innorcent suffering follow Ps 35 - 36 and then the guilty suffering Ps 38 - 41 with 'the meek inheriting the earth' in between. Both sets of Psalms applied by the New Testament to Jesus who himself was sinless but took on the sins of the world. The final Psalm 41 pointing to the last supper. Even in suffering taste and see that the Lord is good. And evern prior to Psalm 34, the church is founded, paid for by Jesus suffering and forgiveness purchased in Psalms 30 - 32 and wrapped in the word of God within the psalms 29 and 33 as book ending those points. In betwen it all a psalm punching the point we should taste and see that the Lord is good.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Thank you, Jackson! Zophar's judgmental (and wrong) assessment of Job's situation is just so hurtful! I am nudged once again to pre-decide to withhold judgment when I see someone suffering. Because "all the available facts are not all the facts." And Job's trials are the Great Grand-daddy of that truth. Years ago I wrote a blog post on what NOT to say to someone who's grieving. There were so many comments from people telling their stories of what well-meaning but clueless people said to THEM. Broke my heart. https://blogs.bible.org/what-not-to-say-when-someone-is-grieving/
PM

Phillip Metcalfe

A great passage! One verse that I have reread several times is the latter portion of verse 6. “For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves”. Curious to hear anyone else's thoughts on that verse! We serve a God who loves us unconditionally regardless of our sinful nature!
AL

Amy Lowther

1. I agree with Zophar the Naamathite. It is right to ask if “a man full of talk be judged right?” and to ask if “your babble silence men”. A lot of talk is not necessarily correct and if someone is babbling a lot of words, it is ok to step up and say relevant words, not staying silent. 2. None because, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” as it says in Proverbs 3:5-6. This is a very strong verse we all can use and apply in daily life. 3. I work to understand the reasoning and placement of the teams in the NCAA Tournament for men and women. It is better than sitting around getting mad or frustrated. I ask God “Why?” these things happen. And it becomes interesting to see and learn the various parts of each program, the schedules each participant maintains, and the duties each fan can complete as everyday people. 4. One of the men’s basketball teams I really liked this year and thought would make at least to the NIT Tournament, did not make any part of the NCAA Tournament or the NIT. I am trusting God’s plan for the basketball teams and for me because the Lord “will make your paths straight”. 5. It is for each person and God to decide if particular people are experiencing hardship. It is important to be positive in life, never hurting anyone. Examples like Job help us consider what”s gone on, what’s going on, and what is ahead in life so we do our best in whatever we go through. Jackson - Thank you for sharing your ideas. You make a good point in saying, “And we can know that even if our present suffering is great, the Lord Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth, is always working for good. God is always at work, operating in ways that we can't see or understand; and we can trust Him”. What great things!