Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 11-12 GWT

Podcast Introduction

Today is Poetry Thursday. We’ll read Job 11-12.  I’m calling today’s episode “This Is A Friend?”

Comments on Job 11-13

In chapter eleven, Zophar has had enough of what he considers to be just a rash of wordy nonsense. In essence he accuses Job of running off at the mouth. He asks, “Just because you like to hear yourself talk, are we supposed to shut up?”

Zophar accuses Job of saying things he didn’t say, like “My teaching is morally correct,” and “As you can see, I am innocent”, neither of which was true.

He did say that “I am not wicked”, but he also said, “I have sinned.”

I think that Zophar misunderstood Job, in part because of Job’s somewhat and understandably emotional charge that God was cruel in his treatment of him. What about you? Did he misunderstand Job, or is he just being judgmental?

From verse seven on, Zophar’s words are pretty much accurate. God is beyond understanding. God can do as He pleases. If you confess your sin, you will be forgiven and you will find peace.

As chapter 12 opens, Job responds to Zophar with sarcasm. “You are the keepers of wisdom. When you die, wisdom will die.” 

At this point, I can just imagine the emotions that Job must be feeling. Physically, he is a wreck. Emotionally, he is mourning the loss of his children (most importantly) and to probably a far lesser extent, his wealth. Spiritually, he’s confused. He can’t understand why God would bring such calamities on him. And now on top of all this, he’s resentful, to say the least. 

Personally, I have to hand it to Job. At least he continued to engage with them. He could have just shut them out, told them to take a hike. But he’s better than that. Evidently the friendship he’s had with them until now is worth trying to save, despite their insensitivity here. So he continues the conversation.

I the rest of the chapter he tells them that he is not inferior to them. And he reminds them where wisdom actually comes from – from God. From verses 13 on to the end of the chapter, Job demonstrates that Zophar’s accusation that he is empty-headed, is false. He talks at length about the power of God; his ability to give or take according to His own will.

Of course Job is accurate, but certainly his description of God seems dark, and reflective of his current condition.

And yet, Job does not accuse God of being unjust. 

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Transcript

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Job 11-12: This Is a Friend? (LSFAB S13E040)

[TEASER – 0:00]
Oh, you’re the keepers of wisdom!

[INTRO S13E040 – 0:10]
This is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we’ll read through the entire Bible in a year, and I’m so glad you’re with me today.

What’s new? I’ve got something new. If you’d like to listen to the shows on YouTube, enter SteveWebb777 in the search field there at YouTube. All one word, SteveWebb777. I’ve created a playlist on my channel there and all the season 13 shows are already there. And every day I’ll upload the newest episode to YouTube. So if that’s something you’re interested in, have at it.

And for the new YouTube listeners, welcome. I’m glad you’re here. Just know that the main place for all Lifespring podcasts is at lifespringmedia.com.

Okay, let’s talk about today. This is Poetry Thursday. We’ll read Job, chapters 11 and 12. I’m calling today’s episode, “This Is a Friend?” Remember that this coming Sunday will be the 18th anniversary of the first Lifespring podcast. We’ll talk about that a little bit later.

Before we read, let’s pray.

[OPENING PRAYER – 1:14]
Our gracious heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you for the book of Job and for what it teaches us. I pray, God, that you would speak to us as we read and as we study. Touch our hearts and our minds. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Okay, let’s begin.

[JOB 11 (GWT) – 1:30]
Job, chapter 11.

(1) Then Zophar from Naama replied to Job,

(2) “Shouldn’t someone answer this flood of words?
Should a good public speaker be acquitted?
(3) Should your empty talk silence others
so that you can make fun of us without any shame?
(4) You say, ‘My teaching is morally correct,’
and, ‘As you can see, I’m innocent.’
(5) I only wish God would speak
and open his mouth to talk to you.
(6) He would tell you the secrets of wisdom,
because true wisdom is twice as great as your wisdom,
and you would know that God forgets your sin.

(7) “Can you discover God’s hidden secrets,
or are you able to find the Almighty’s limits?
(8) God’s wisdom is higher than heaven.
What can you do?
It is deeper than the depths of hell.
What can you know?
(9) It is longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.
(10) If God comes along and imprisons someone
and then calls a court into session, who can stop him?
(11) He knows who the scoundrels are.
And when he sees sin, doesn’t he pay attention to it?
(12) But an empty-headed person will gain understanding
when a wild donkey is born tame.

(13) “If you want to set your heart right,
then pray to him.
(14) If you’re holding on to sin, put it far away,
and don’t let injustice live in your tent.
(15) Then you will be able to show your face without being ashamed,
and you will be secure and unafraid.
(16) Then you will forget your misery
and remember it like water that has flowed downstream.
(17) Then your life will be brighter than the noonday sun.
The darkness in your life will become like morning.
(18) You will feel confident because there’s hope,
and you will look around and rest in safety.
(19) You will lie down with no one to frighten you,
and many people will try to gain your favor.
(20) But the wicked will lose their eyesight.
Their escape route will be closed.
Their only hope is to take their last breath.”

[JOB 12 (GWT) – 3:24]
Job, chapter 12.

(1) Then Job replied to his friends,

(2) “You certainly are wise people,
and when you die, wisdom will die.
(3) Like you, I have a mind.
I am not inferior to you.
But who doesn’t know these things?
(4) I am a laughingstock to my neighbors.
I am one who calls on God and expects an answer.
A man of integrity, a man who is righteous, has become a laughingstock.

(5) “A person who has an easy life has no appreciation for misfortune.
He thinks it is the fate of those who slip up.
(6) But robbers’ tents are prosperous,
and there is security to those who provoke God,
for those whose god is their power.

(7) “Instead, ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Ask the birds, and they will tell you.
(8) Or speak with the earth, and it will teach you.
Even the fish will relate the story to you.
(9) What creature doesn’t know that the Lord’s hands made it?
(10) The life of every living creature
and the spirit in every human body are in his hands.
(11) Doesn’t the ear distinguish sounds
and the tongue taste food?

(12) “Wisdom is with the ancient one.
The one who has had many days has insight.
(13) God has wisdom and strength.
Advice and insight are his.
(14) When he tears something down, it cannot be rebuilt.
When he puts someone in prison, that person cannot be freed.
(15) When he holds back the waters, there is drought.
When he releases them, they flood the earth.

(16) “God has power and priceless wisdom.
He owns both the deceiver and the person who is deceived.
(17) He leads counselors away barefoot
and makes fools out of judges.
(18) He loosens kings’ belts
and strips them of their pants.
(19) He leads priests away barefoot
and misleads those who serve in a temple.
(20) He makes trusted advisers unable to speak
and takes away the good judgment of respected leaders.
(21) He pours contempt on influential people
and unbuckles the belt of the mighty.
(22) He uncovers mysteries hidden in the darkness
and brings gloom into the light.
(23) He makes nations important and then destroys them.
He makes nations large and leads them away.
(24) He takes away the common sense of a country’s leaders
and makes them stumble about in a pathless wilderness.
(25) They grope in the dark with no light,
and he makes them stumble like drunks.

[COMMENTARY – 5:49]
Well, in chapter 11, Zophar has had enough of what he considers to be just a rash of wordy nonsense. In essence, he accuses Job of running off at the mouth. He asks, “Just because you like to hear yourself talk, are we supposed to shut up?”

Zophar accuses Job of saying things he didn’t say like “My teaching is morally correct,” and, “As you can see, I’m innocent.” But neither one of those was true. Job didn’t say those things.

What he did say was, “I am not wicked,” but he also said, “I have sinned.”

I don’t know. I think that maybe Zophar misunderstood Job, in part because of Job’s somewhat and understandably emotional charge that God was cruel in his treatment of him. What about you? Do you think he misunderstood Job? Or is he just being judgmental?

From verse 7 on Zophar’s words are pretty much accurate. God is beyond understanding. God can do as he pleases. And if you confess your sin, you will be forgiven, and you will find peace.

And then as chapter 12 opens, Job responds to Zophar with sarcasm, “Oh, you’re the keepers of wisdom. When you die, wisdom will die.”

At this point, I could just imagine the emotions that Job must be feeling. Physically, he’s a wreck. Emotionally, he’s mourning the loss of his children, most importantly, and probably to a far lesser extent, his wealth. Spiritually, I think he’s confused. He can’t understand why God would bring such calamities on him. And now on top of all this, he’s resentful, to say the least.

Personally, I’ve got to hand it to Job, at least he continued to engage with them. He could have just shut them out, told them to take a hike. But he’s better than that. Evidently, the friendship that he’s had with these guys until now is worth trying to save despite their insensitivity here. So he continues the conversation.

Well in the rest of the chapter, he tells them that he’s not inferior to them. And he reminds them where wisdom actually comes from – from God. From verses 13 on to the end of the chapter, Job demonstrates that Zophar’s accusation that he’s empty-headed is false. He talks at length about the power of God and his ability to give or take, according to his own will.

Of course, Job is accurate, but certainly, I think his description of God seems dark and reflects his current condition.

What do you think? How would you react to Zophar? Would you still trust God? Well, listen, we still have a long way to go before we’re finished with this book. There are forty-two chapters. Trust me, you want to hang around for the closing chapters. They’re awesome. And I mean that in the true definition of AWEsome.

[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 6:45]
Well, how would you like to have a friend like Zophar? I think, maybe not. Tell me what you think. Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at 951-732-8511. And if you’re outside the US put +1 at the beginning of that number. You can also comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com, and you can always email me at st***@*************ia.com. Chances are good I’ll play your comment or read your note right here on the show. Tomorrow is Prophecy Friday and we’ll read Isaiah 29 through 33.

Boostagram.

[LIFESPRING 18TH-ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL – 9:23]
As I said at the top of the show, the 18th anniversary of the very first Lifespring podcast episode is this coming Sunday, November 13, 2022. Have you read through the Bible before or is this the first time? Have you started to read through it at some time in the past but didn’t make it through? If you would like to help me celebrate this 18th anniversary I’d love to hear from you. Send an email to me with the subject line “18th Anniversary”. I’ll read your email on the show. And if you’d like to make a special donation, be sure the number 18 is in the amount maybe $18.18 or $18.81 maybe $181.18. Be creative. Make it fun. I will thank you on the show.

[SEND IN YOUR PRAYER REQUESTS – 10:07]
The 18th-anniversary show will not affect the fact that we will still have prayer requests and praises on Sunday’s show. So if you have a prayer request or if God is doing something wonderful in your life, let us know. Go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com. And you’ll find a form there that’s easy to fill out. And if you’d like to remain anonymous, you can do that too. We are called in Scripture to pray for one another. So that’s what our prayer requests and praise Wednesdays and Sundays are all about.

[OUTRO S13E040 – 10:41]
I want to thank the Lifespring Media team: Sister Kirsty, Brother Sean of San Pedro, and Sister Denise. There is not time in my day to do all the stuff that needs to be done, and these three wonderful people have stepped forward to donate time and talent to help me get everything done. Thank you, guys. God bless you.

If you’re glad the Lifespring Family Audio Bible shows up in your podcast app every day, or on YouTube every day now for you, please do support it in proportion to the amount of value that you receive. That’s fair, right? Go to lifespringmedia.com/support. Take a look around, see if it makes sense to you, and then pray and ask the Lord what he would have you do.

Well, until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. Thank you for making me a part of your day. I appreciate it, and I’m honored. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Transcript corrected by Denise