Zophar is a real downer, huh? He has zero hope for the wicked. And he doesn’t come right out and say it, but he’s pretty much telling Job that this is what he is – a wicked, evil, vile man who’s getting his comeuppance. We know this is kind of a repeat of what’s been said already, but I realized something new in Zophar’s words today, and that is what I alluded to in the beginning: Zophar has no hope for the wicked. He says what’s done is done, and the wicked will die horrible deaths with no chance of being remembered fondly by anyone. But we know this isn’t true. And now we know that several things Job’s friends have spoken are absolutely, positively untrue. And Job is not convicted or convinced otherwise. He not only knows he is innocent, but several times he has contemplated about Jesus … or the thought of Jesus … or rather the thought of there being a mediator so that he can speak directly (in a sense) to God. In other words, Job has HOPE. He consistently and repeatedly reveals his hope, too, in ways that I don’t even think he knows he’s doing, and we could read Job a thousand different times and see a thousand different ways he keeps hope alive throughout his entire journey, which we’re about midway through right now, and aren’t you just in awe of this man? You can take every single one of his words to heart. You can take any situation you’re in and then compare it to Job’s, and I promise, loved ones, you will find a hope you can confidently proclaim to those around you who doubt. And like Zophar will eventually see the hope of Jesus through Job, others will see the hope of Jesus through you.
Writing prompt: the haters
Write about someone who loves to hate stuff.
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