Good Doctrine - Bad Application - Job 11

 Job 11:13-20 (ESV)

“If you prepare your heart,

you will stretch out your hands toward him.

If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,

and let not injustice dwell in your tents.

Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish;

you will be secure and will not fear.

You will forget your misery;

you will remember it as waters that have passed away.

And your life will be brighter than the noonday;

its darkness will be like the morning.

And you will feel secure, because there is hope;

you will look around and take your rest in security.

You will lie down, and none will make you afraid;

many will court your favor.

But the eyes of the wicked will fail;

all way of escape will be lost to them,

and their hope is to breathe their last.”

As Job sits in pain and suffering, three friends show up with the intent to give him “comfort.”   They offer their advice as they sit by him, but with less comfort and more condemnation.  The third friend, Zophar, in chapter 11 is the most condemning of all.   Zophar starts out the chapter by telling Job that God is actually giving him less than he deserves.    Zophar makes the point that if God really gave us what we deserve we would not be able to stand before God.   Like most people with opinions, there is an element of Zophar’s speech that is true.   He is not totally wrong in his doctrine.   He is, of course, completely off base with the application of his doctrine.   God has already told us (in the first chapter) that this happening to Job, not because of his sin, but in fact, because he is righteous.   So, Zophar can say what he wants, but the application is all wrong.  The above passage is a case in point.   Zophar is correct, if we prepare our hearts and reach out to God and put iniquity far from us, we can know that God will respond in kindness and give us the security and take away our shame.   Zophar has some good theology.   Job’s issue is that he didn’t commit a sin for this to happen to him.  Zophar, like his two friends, has no place in his doctrine for the suffering of the innocent.   He, like most in our world today, simply believes that if you suffer, you deserve whatever is happening to you.   Zophar’s doctrine fits the unrighteousness of man, perfectly.  But, he has not offering any solution to the thought of what happens when the righteous suffer.   We can be really good with doctrine, but really bad with application.    It is not a matter of just knowing good doctrine.  It is also a matter of knowing good application.