Great Shot: Wrong Goal

There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with Zophar’s complaint. From one point of view, it’s an effective and accurate speech. It’s pretty fierce, though, a slapshot fired from the point with an unstoppable force. And it’s very, very personal.

Zophar’s right. We can’t get at the deep things of God (v 7). We can’t measure God and put him in a box. We may find our pride leading us in the direction of thinking that somehow we are cleverer, more important than God. But wise people know that’s wrong. Good theology there.

So then Zophar the evangelist kicks in, Zophar the pastoral counsellor, Zophar the point-pushing preacher. If we turn our hearts towards God, if we seek him with clean hands, if we put away our sins and our deceits, we will find God. We will be safe and secure; we’ll have confidence and hope; we’ll die without fear of what lies beyond the grave.

The problem is that Zophar is firing these shots at the wrong man. Zophar’s in the wrong game, shooting at the wrong goal. The constant repetition of the personal attack in “You . . . you . . . you” (vv 13-19) has poor Job backing into his net, waving his blocker up, and maybe even ducking his head to get out of the way of the shot. It really is a fierce attack, and it’s against the wrong man.

Job’s claim that he is innocent holds steady. He’s ready to continue his defence. No goal, Zophar.

Respond in Prayer

Father God, please help me not to attack others and accuse them of being failures in your sight when all along it’s me who’s getting everything wrong. Help me to understand that all of us, me included, need to turn our hearts to you. Then grant us peace, safety and confidence.

Michael Pountney

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®).