“Shall a multitude of words go unanswered and a talkative man be acquitted?” Job 11:2
Today we are introduced to Job’s 3rd friend Zophar and his response. As I mentioned earlier, he and his 2 friends had previously sat for 7 days saying nothing. Why should anything change? “Hey Zophar”, limit your words to “Job, we’ll be praying for you”, and then move on. Or, how about, “Job, is there anything we can do to help while you’re down and out?” But his opening salvo reveals what is truly in his heart; No Respect! There comes a point when “Iron sharpening Iron” becomes Iron beating incessantly on wood.
The Overriding Lesson in Job is, “Don’t Be Like His Friends”! The temptation is always before us to provide counsel to others where it’s not asked for. May this help us to avoid that Pitfall!