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AUGUST 11
“I will provoke you to jealousy by those I was made manifest to those who
who are not a nation, did not ask for Me.”
I will move you to anger by a foolish 21 But to Israel he says:
nation.”
“All day long I have stretched out
20 But Isaiah is very bold and says:
My hands
“I was found by those who did not To a disobedient and contrary
seek Me; people.”

DAY 10: How was Zophar’s argument right and wrong regarding Job’s situation?

In Job 11:1–20, Zophar the Naamathite stepped in to interrogate Job. He chose to pound Job
with the same law of retaliation.Job must repent,he said,not understanding the reality.He was indig-
nant at Job’s protests of innocence.And he moved the allegations against Job to a new level.Not only
was Job guilty and unrepentant, he was also an empty talker (vv. 2,3). In fact, Job’s long-winded
defense of his innocence and God’s apparent injustice was sin worthy of rebuke,in Zophar’s mind.
In v. 4, Zophar claimed that Job had said,“I am clean in your eyes.” Job never claimed sinless-
ness; in fact, he acknowledged that he had sinned (7:21; 13:26). But he still maintained his inno-
cence of any great transgression or attitude of unrepentance, affirming his sincerity and integrity
as a man of faith and obedience to God.This claim infuriated Zophar (v. 5).
Zophar was correct that Job would have been much wiser if he had only known the unknow-
able secrets of God (v.6).In this case,the scene in heaven between God and Satan would have clar-
ified everything. But Job couldn’t know the secret wisdom of God (vv. 7–9). Zophar should have
applied his point to himself.If God’s wisdom was so deep, high, long, and broad, how was it that he
could understand it and have all the answers? Like his friends, Zophar thought he understood God
and reverted to the same law of retaliation, the sowing and reaping principle, to again indict Job.
He implied that Job was wicked (vv.10,11) and thought he was wise,though actually he was out of
control as if he were a “wild donkey man”(v. 12).
Zophar set out 4 steps of Job’s repentance in vv. 13,14: 1) devote your heart to God; 2) stretch
your hands to Him in prayer for forgiveness; 3) put your sin far away; and 4) don’t allow any sin in
your tent.If Job did these things,he would be blessed (vv.15–19).If Job didn’t repent,he would die
(v. 20). Zophar was right that the life of faith in God is based on penitence and obedience. He was
right that God blesses His people with hope, security, and peace.But, like his friends, he was wrong
in not understanding that God allows unpredictable and seemingly unfair suffering for reasons not
known to us. He was wrong in presuming that the answer for Job was repentance.

AUGUST 11 Will you contend for God?
9 Will it be well when He searches you
out?
Job 13:1–14:22 Or can you mock Him as one mocks a
man?
“Behold, my eye has seen all this,
10 He will surely rebuke you
13 My ear has heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know; If you secretly show partiality.
11 Will not His excellence make you
I am not inferior to you.
3 But I would speak to the Almighty, afraid,
And I desire to reason with God. And the dread of Him fall upon you?
12 Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes,
4 But you forgers of lies,
You are all worthless physicians. Your defenses are defenses of clay.
5 Oh, that you would be silent, 13 “Hold your peace with me, and let me
And it would be your wisdom! speak,
6 Now hear my reasoning, Then let come on me what may!
And heed the pleadings of my lips. 14 Why do I take my flesh in my teeth,
7 Will you speak wickedly for God, And put my life in my hands?
And talk deceitfully for Him? 15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust
8 Will you show partiality for Him? Him.

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