Job 11.7-9 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
Job is a righteous man who is suffering under the hand of God. He is perplexed and bewildered as he seeks to know why he is suffering. Throughout the book, his three friends seek to explain to him why he is suffering the way he is. Of course, we learn at the end of the book that none of them, including Job, have any clue as to the reason for God’s sovereign dealings with Job. Nonetheless, these three men spew out theology and philosophy that at times is sound. Our passages this morning are such a case. Zohar is speaking correct theology about The Almighty.
The extremes of height and depth, expressing the idea that God is infinite; without limitation, and incomprehensible. Indeed, great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. Zophar’s theology here is right on the money, but his application is weighed in the balances and found wanting. He has the correct information in his head, but his heart lacks the love, understanding and grace of God. The prophet Micah wrote, He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Zophar had a great theology of God. His views of God were high and lofty, but he lacked proper humility. It never even crossed his mind that he could be wrong about the cause of Job’s suffering. With this “letter of the law” kind of a zeal, Zophar, with unrelenting dogmatism and the lack of heavenly discernment condemns Job as though speaking for God. His theology was sound, but his spirit and applications were wrong.
Zophar was like the hired gun in an old cowboy movie. He was going to let Job have it! Oh he spoke the truth of God, but he lacked the love and humility of God. Beloved, may we pray before we speak to someone suffering like Job. When we us read the invisible hand of providence, we inevitably misrepresent God Himself.
In all things, do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with thy God.
