Zophar’s Naivety

Synopsis     Job 11:4-12:18     6/1/2021 

Zophar accused Job. Although he didn’t identify Job’s sin, he concluded Job had sinned. In fact, Zophar reckoned Job a sinner because of his misfortune.  

As he saw it, every man was a sinner. As a result, he concluded that Job’s suffering was because of his own sin. Accordingly, he advised Job to repent. Furthermore, Zophar promised that God would restore his fortunes if he simply admitted his sin.  

Job refused Zophar’s advice. And he mocked Zophar’s intelligence.  

Job observed it is easy to offer pontificate when everything is going well. At the same time, he pointed out that sophisticated thieves often have very nice homes. As a result, he rebuked Zophar naivety.  

Zophar’s Naivety 

Zophar was a successful man. Most likely he recognized the link between virtues like hard work and success in life.  

But Job’s point was that no amount of virtue guarantees an undisturbed life. Everyone experiences some pain and suffering regardless how virtuous.  Curiously, on the other hand, people who lack virtue very often live relatively undisturbed lives.  

And so, Job rejected Zophar’s reasoning and his advice. 

Naivety 

It would be convenient if the meaning of life followed simple lines. And it would be nicer still if virtue came guaranteed to produce a life free from pain and suffering.   

But my life is messy. And in my case, it has been filled with failure. Oddly, the correlation between my sins and my successes has never been obvious in the moment. And even in hindsight, I’m often confused by what moral cause led to which circumstantial outcome.  

And yet, virtue is always worthy – always good.  

“The naive believe everything, but the shrewd watch their steps.” Prov 14:15