JOB 11

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

Whereas Eliphaz based his view on observation and his experience of a revelation, and Bildad rested his case on appearance supplemented by an appeal to the wisdom of the sages, Zophar is content with mere assumption. He is the dogmatist. He knows!*

Job must be condemned

For verbosity

2 Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?

and presumption (vv. 3-4)

3 Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

4 For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

5 But oh that Eloah would speak, and open his lips against thee;

6 And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that Eloah exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

7 [Wilt thou find out Eloahh by searching?Or to perfection, wilt thou find out 'Shaddai? (Bro Thomas)]

The subject is indeed great, for God is great; and when we come to contemplate it aright, we are led with the apostle to exclaim,

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who knows the mind of the Lord? Or who becomes his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? For out of him, "εξ αυτου and through him, and for him are all things. To him be glory for the Aions. Amen," Rom. 11:33-36.

To Zothar we reply, that "by searching" through the height of the heavens, or the depth of the unfathomed abyss, we cannot find out Eloahh-Shaddai.

"That known of God is made manifest among men; for God makes manifest to them (for his invisible things from the creation of the world being understood by the works are discerned, both his ever-existing (αιδιος) power and deity,) that they may be inexcusable, Rom. 1:19.

But to discern this by a contemplation of the heavens, earth and sea, is not to

"find him out to perfection."

They proclaim an Ever-existing Power, and that this power is superior to "corruptible man;" and, therefore, "incorruptible, ̔ο θεος, incorruptible power; or, as we say, God."

But while they proclaim this, they do not reveal the mode of his existence, the place of his throne, his mode of thinking, his character, purpose, and so forth. The wisest of men, who have speculated upon these apart from a written revelation, have only become vain in their imaginations; and, though professing to be wise, became fools.

They have thought to define God; and in so doing, have imagined that he was such an one as themselves. But all their speculations have been stamped with the seal of his reprobation; for both Old and New Testaments testify that

"the world by wisdom knew him not, Ps. 14:1, 2; Rom. 3:11.

God delights in stimulating the intellect of his creatures. In revealing himself therefore to them, he manifests himself mysteriously.

"It is the glory of Elohim," says Solomon, "to conceal a word; but it is the glory of kings to search out the word."

A word is concealed when it is enigmatically expressed; and it is the glory of those whom God has chosen for his kings in the future government of the world, to search out the wisdom he hath hidden from the wise in their own conceit. "The world by wisdom," saith Paul,

"knew not God: * * * but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden, which none of the chiefs of this Aion knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory," 1 Cor. 1:21; 2:7, 8.

Paul was sent to turn the Gentiles to the knowledge of the true and living God, and in so doing taught them the mystery which it was the glory of the apostolic proclamation to explain or reveal. Hence their preaching came to be styled, "the Revelation of the Mystery," and is thus alluded to by Paul, who taught

"the Gospel which God had promised through his prophets in the holy scriptures," in Rom. 16:25-"To him that is of power," says he, "to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus anointed; according to the revelation of a mystery concealed during Aionian times, (χ̈́Qοόνοις αιωνιοις) but now made manifest, also through the prophetic writings according to the commandment of the God of the Aion, (του αιωνιου θεου) for obedience of faith made known for all the nations: to God only wise, through Jesus anointed, to him be the glory for the Aions. Amen."

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Feb 1858

God tells us that there are far higher mental powers than ours.

We must realise that there are very real limits to our physical capacity to understand. We cannot understand how time has no beginning, or space has no end. We have not been given that kind of understanding capacity, no matter how we develop. We have been given sufficient mental capacity to run the race of life successfully, if we follow the rules. That's all we need.

But should our incapacity to comprehend the marvels of beginningless and endless time deter us from the obviously practical wisdom of extracting every drop of value from every moment of time as it so quickly runs through our fingers?

Bro Growcott - Strength and weakness

8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than Hell [sheol]; what canst thou know?

9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

The subject is indeed great, for God is great; and when we come to contemplate it aright, we are led with the apostle to exclaim:

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who knows the mind of the Lord? Or who becomes His counsellor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to Him again? For out of Him, (ex autou) and through Him, and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory for the Aions. Amen" (Rom. 11: 33-36).

To Zophar we reply, that "by searching" through the height of the heavens, or the depth of the unfathomed abyss, we cannot find out Eloahh Shaddai.

"That known of God is made manifest among men; for God makes manifest to them: (for His invisible things from the creation of the world being understood by the works, are discerned, both His ever-existing (aidios) power and deity) that they may be inexcusable" (Rom. 1:19).

But to discern this by a contemplation of the heavens, earth and sea, is not to "find Him out to perfection."

They proclaim an "EVER- EXISTING POWER" and that this power is superior to "corruptible man," and, therefore "incorruptible (Theos), incorruptible power; or, as we say, "God." But while they proclaim this, they do not reveal the mode of His existence, the place of His throne, His mode of thinking, His character, purpose, and so forth.

The wisest of men, who have speculated upon these apart from a written revelation, have only become vain in their imaginations; and, though professing to be wise, become fools. They have thought to define the Deity; and in so doing, have imagined that He was such an one as themselves. But all their speculations have been stamped with the seal of His reprobation; for both Old and New Testaments testify that "the world by wisdom knew Him not" (Ps. 14:1,2; Rom. 3:11).

The Deity delights in stimulating the intellect of His creatures. In revealing Himself, therefore, to them, He manifests Himself mysteriously. "It is the glory of Elohim," says Solomon, "to conceal a word, but it is the glory of kings to search out the word."

A word is concealed when it is enigmatically expressed; and it is the glory of those whom God has chosen for His kings in the future government of the world, to search out the wisdom He hath hidden from the wise in their own conceit.

Phanerosis - God's Revelation Of Himself

10 If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?

11 For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?

12 For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.

13 If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;

14 If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

All that he could offer the tortured Job was that God knew Job's sins, even though hidden from Job, as God is just, and therefore Job should seek repentance. Like his other two contemporaries, Zophar did not seek to understand the true cause of Job's sufferings: that suffering worketh patience. Thus Zophar's speech is one of assumption that Job is a hypocrite.*

15 For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:

16 Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:

17 And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.

19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the spirit.

Impenitence will bring death. And death will be the only consolation. So Job is here left without hope!

- GEM, Logos.