Job has bemoaned
his suffering, declared his innocence, and complained to God, but now one of
Job's friends, Zophar the Naamathite, has had enough. Job's statements, he
feels, are empty and dishonest, and amount to a mockery of God. 'Shall no one
humiliate you?' he exclaims in verse 3, before shaming himself.
There is no such
thing as undeserved suffering in Zophar's eyes, thus Job must have done
something evil. Zophar is certain that if God were to respond to Job, he would
give him a harsh rebuke. Job's penalty appears to be 'less than [his] crime
deserves' (verse 6). Job's suffering would end if he could just swallow his
pride and repent, and he would once again live a charmed existence! When you
consider all that Job has lost, Zophar's statement that Job will forget his
anguish like so much water under the bridge (verse 16) appears particularly
callous.
Job is well
aware that the situation is significantly more complicated. Despite the fact
that he is not guilty, he suffers. It shatters his earlier beliefs about God,
so he asks him, not out of arrogance, but out of a desire to fully comprehend
him.
Perhaps we
should examine our own souls before passing judgment on Zophar. We, unlike
Zophar, know what's going on behind the scenes of this story, but we're unlikely
to have this kind of knowledge in our own lives. What should we do if a buddy
is in distress? Do we ever act in a judgmental or uncaring manner?
We can pray for
consolation and healing for a friend who has been injured. If they are having
difficulty seeing how much God loves them, we should pray with Paul in
Ephesians 3 that they will understand "how vast and long, how high and
deep is Christ's love" (verse 18). We can join them in praying to God for
wisdom. It's better to admit we don't know everything than to misrepresent God,
as Zophar would realize later!
I apologise to
God for the times when I was cold and judgmental. Show me where my assumptions
about you are incorrect, and help me to understand you better. Teach me how to
come alongside suffering friends in a way that correctly reflects your love,
compassion, and faith in Jesus of Nazareth.