Job Sees The Light - Twelfth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

Job 11:1-6 NIV As noted in Post 6, Zophar means "rough and hairy" (from Young's concordance) though in some lexicons the word is associated with other meanings.

He begins to rough Job up by calling him a “windbag” and liar, one who mocks God and deserves even worse treatment by God than he has already suffered.

Job 11:7-11 NIV Next, he castigates Job as one who does not have the intelligence to consider the greatness of God, whereas God sees through Job's veneer of pride and vanity to his black heart, and rightfully judges him.

Job 11:12-19 NIV Zophar advises Job on how to emerge from his desolation — Repent and cease from wrongdoing!

Job 11:20 NIV Otherwise, death looms.

Job is the man on death row who has been wrongfully condemned. His friends are the jury who consigned him there and the cruel guards who enforce his isolation.

He cries out that he is innocent; they counter that he is guilty and taunt that if he would confess he could be spared and restored. But he cannot confess to a crime he did not commit. Therefore he must remain in his bitter hold knowing he is innocent and wrongly condemned.

Job is in the grips of a vise. A vise is a device, usually fastened to a workbench, consisting of two jaws which open and close by a screw and lever. It holds firmly in place an object being worked on.

He has not yet been delivered from insults nor enlightened through understanding nor restored from his deep losses. He is hemmed in by verbal assaults, confusion, grief, fear and demonic forces.

But seen from above, the vise Job is in are the hands of God.

Yet, you say, didn't God say that Job was blameless? (Job 1:8; 2:3) So why was he shattered so that he must now be in God's vise for repair? The potter has the right to reshape the clay. (Jer 18:4)

Some objects of affection are destined for God's workbench to become more useful than they were, and some go there to be made more beautiful.