I
believe Zophar’s monologue is a classic representation of a traditional
religious person who morphs into the prosecution, jury and judge over a fellow Believer
without all of the facts. It is embarrassing to admit that I’m actually
guilty of some of this behavior because my: second, third or even sixth handed
information came from a reliable source, a leader. Rather than saying “thanks but no thanks” and
turning a deaf ear, I listened and then viewed the allegedly “accused” as
guilty. Shame on me but I have repented,
asked God to forgive me but it’s my responsibility to be alert of the enemy’s
sly tricks to draw me back into that role.
Another
epiphany that I had as a result of yesterday’s declaration was that part of the
challenge is that we put way too much expectation on ministries. Every ministry
is not set up to handle every life situation from a natural standpoint. Each ministry is set up and blessed with
certain “graces”. For example: some
ministries specialize in helping new converts but they can’t hold seasoned
ones; others have excellent music and arts ministries but the
preaching/teaching is much to be desired and there are also ministries that
have good follow up and counseling service, yet others have amazing outreach
programs, but unless it’s a mega church like a Saddleback, TD Jakes, IV
Hilliard, etc. you’re not going to find the complete package from A-Z at most
local ministries, especially a storefront type ministry with 50 members or
less. Every Pastor/Leader is not set up
to handle every life challenge, especially those Pastors that still work a full
time job and that’s OK. It’s important
to know your ministry’s capacity and if the expert help that you need is not at
your local ministry you need to find it.
You can start by asking your Pastoral leadership if they have referrals
and if they don’t, use google, your personal network but don’t just sit down in
the middle of the floor and give up.
Job
Chapter 12 through my sanctified imagination I imagine the following
conversation with Job and his Amigo: “You
know what Zee (Zophar), you ‘da man, my brother. No one’s wisdom can compare to yours, as a
matter of fact, when you die, all wisdom will die with you. And to think, I’ve had the pleasure of
sitting in your company for the past few weeks as you spout off your rhetoric,
I’m sorry I mean accusations. Oh my
goodness what am I saying, I mean ‘wisdom’. The devil is a lie!!!! I have just as much understanding, if not,
more than you given that I have always had more property, servants, livestock
and money than all of you put together.
You don’t acquire as much as I have from being stupid. No, no, no, my bad. That’s not what you said, I believe you
compared me to an “empty-headed man,
who will be wise as soon as wild donkeys start giving birth to human
beings”.
Job
then stood as he grimaced in pain from the sores on the back of his legs that
just opened up again
You
are my friends yet you have done nothing but ridicule me since you opened your
mouths, mocking me because I have told you that I have conversations with
God. You have taken my words out of
context hatin’ on me by sarcastically saying:
‘Look at the man who never did wrong!’
I never said that ‘I didn’t do anything wrong’ I said I was an upright
man before God, offering sacrifices to God on behalf of my sins and even the
sins of my children.’ As you sit before me
not even trying to understand my position or offer any sympathy I can imagine
it’s easy for you to point your fingers in blame as you look down in scorn at
people like me that are struggling just to make it through to the next day.”
Job
paused, dropped his head and the tears began to fall to the ground as he
reflected on the days when he went to the city gates and people marveled at his
wisdom, his children when they were young and how they sat around after their
evening meals sharing stories or playing games.
He then remembered how he used to call on God and receive an answer, and
in those bright days he didn't feel like he needed a lamp, because his life was at ease. Now it was all different: cold, lonely and darker than it
had ever been especially since those he had considered his friends only mocked
and misunderstood him. Everything about
Job’s life and prior understanding currently felt like someone pulled the rug
from under him causing him to fall hard on his backside. Before, everything
seemed to make sense, the righteous seemed to be blessed and the wicked seemed
to be afflicted. But this right here,
this right here, this was so big it changed the game and no one bothered to
tell him what the new rules were, in particular, God who had been unusually
silent for quite some time now. Job was
wise enough to know that friends come and go, that wasn’t his big issue, his
primary issue was God’s silence.
Job
took a deep breath and laid into the Three Amigos with some cold game as he
looked them square in the eye and said: "If
you want to know the ways of the Lord just look around you. You can theologize
all you want, but if your theories do not mesh with the nature of things as
they are, then what good are such theories? Even a dog has more knowledge of
God than you do!” God’s power; majesty;
wisdom; strength; wise counsel; understanding, etc. are matchless. Do you understand that if God breaks something
it can never be repaired; if he binds someone they can never get loose; that
the deceived and deceiver are His. He
can take away the understanding of any leader in authority, causing them to
grope in the dark without light, wandering in the pathless wilderness or
stagger like a drunken man. What you
know, I know, but you want to question my wisdom about God, especially you
Zophar with your unnecessary sarcasm and accusations of my intellect and
sincerity for God! If I had the
opportunity I would plead my case before God and ask why he allowed me to
suffer like this.”
In
Job Chapter 13 Job starts to get a little off course. Though he says he would plead his case to
God, the example of questions that he would ask are very accusatory in
nature. And Job 14 are more of the same
except in my opinion he seems to be ranting.
I’m
out of time, we’ll have to pick it up tomorrow.
In
His New Excellence,
Tania
Not Tanya
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