As Zophar begins his second and final reply in the friends’ debate with Job, some scholars believe his words imply an impatience that perhaps interrupted Job’s speech, or perhaps prevented one of the other friends from standing to reply. The language Zophar uses concerning his need to reply reminds me of Paul’s words about how a proper service should be conducted when Christians assembled together to learn about God’s word: “And if there are two or three prophets, let them speak, and let the others judge. If a revelation is revealed to another sitting by, let the first be silent. For you may all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be comforted” (1 Corinthians 14:29-31). No doubt, Zophar felt he was inspired by the Lord and needed to speak, and, perhaps, thought he would be judged, if he didn’t do so. So, Zophar believed he was on a mission, and wouldn’t be silenced.
It appears that Zophar was agitated by Job’s words:
“Why then do you say: ‘Let us persecute him, and let us find occasion of word against him?’ Flee then from the face of the sword, for the sword is the revenger of iniquities: and know that there is a judgment” (Job 19:28-29).
He simply couldn’t allow Job to turn the tables of God’s wrath upon the friends, whose theology condemned Job as the sinner but vindicated themselves. Therefore, inner thoughts for his own justification urged him on (Job 20:1-3). Zophar appealed to what one might call ‘common knowledge’ that, when mankind was placed upon earth, so began the tradition that the success of the wicked and the enjoyment of the hypocrite would be merely for a season (Job 20:4-5), and, according to Zophar, this is the manner in which the normal course of events occurred.
Moreover, Zophar’s wording is such that Job shouldn’t be surprised over the fact that his own suffering publicly exposed him as a wicked man. In other words, Job rose to great honor; he obtained great wealth. Nevertheless, now he has fallen, exposed as a wicked hypocrite. His season of glory has expired and his sin had found him out, now the judgement of God’s wrath was upon him. So, why should he be so surprised that his life is now falling apart and destroyed?
What Zophar had failed to recognize was that he hadn’t proved his case. His only proof that Job was a great sinner is that the friends’ theology had condemned him as a wicked man, a theology which embraced the ancient tradition that God judges the wicked in his lifetime. Zophar’s reasoning, however, is circular. First, his theology claimed the wicked would suffer at the hand of God, and, secondly, Job was at that very time suffering at the hand of God. Therefore, Job had to be wicked and the friends’ theology is proved correct, notwithstanding Job’s attempt to shame his friends (cp. Job 19:28-29).
The facts show that Job’s punishment was certain, no matter what height he might have attained (cp. Daniel 4:22). No wicked man had ever became so great that the Lord couldn’t and didn’t reduce him to nothing (cp. Daniel 4:30-33). In fact, the calamities that had overtaken Job already had reduced him to the point where he was ready to perish and decay in the grave, and folks would wonder what happened to him (Job 20:6-7).
Nevertheless, memory of him would soon fade away, like a dream in the night (Job 20:8). Once his life was gone, Job would be unable to return to his tabernacle, and no one would ever see him again (Job 20:9). Moreover, his children, vis-à-vis Job’s disciples, instead of continuing to carry on his teaching, would seek to undo all that Job had done. They would do so in hope to be accepted back into normal society (Job 20:10).
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