Job 12 PARTIAL ANSWERS DON'T CUT IT Job's longest discourse is chapter twelve through chapter fourteen. In this he first addresses his friends, and then, as he did previously, he addresses God. To his three friends he pointed out that a study of life doesn't produce a set of inflexible life principles like they affirmed. In their pride they were rigid in their theology but insensitive in practice. Pious talk on their part didn't give him any insight as to why he suffered so much. They actually mocked him which would have been a disgrace to a person who was known publicly for his piety and concern for God and His ways.
Job began his answer to Zophar with a sarcastic comment, "No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!" Then he went on to tell him that he didn't need any of them to explain God to him. What they had been doing in criticizing and mocking him, was producing a defensive mindset in Job rather than ministering to his need. As a consequence, Job was actually led to self-vindication which is a problem in itself and can quickly lead to sinful words and thoughts instead of being a benefit to him.
It is a point to be made for our learning that in "the multitude of words, there wanteth not sin." To be able to make a salient point in as few words as possible, strengthens the dialogue. Too many words of explanation may confuse something that could be explained simply. Our Lord Jesus was a master at saying what needed to be said clearly and plainly, and even His questions were easily understood.
Those three men who were Job's friends only thought of God as a God of law, not of grace and mercy. Experience, traditions and legality were all they brought into the situation and that did not produce any answer to the need Job had. They did not bring truth into the matter, only their opinions. When we substitute our opinions about the Bible rather than teach and practice the truth of the Bible as the word of God, then we are only going to create deeper problems that often lead to division between people and even between assemblies of God's people.
Many people today who are Christians boast of who they are, what they have done and how much they have contributed to God, and accomplished in their service for Him. We should rather recognize than anything of value is God working through us who are mere tools in the hand of the Supreme Carpenter and Master Potter. It is God who works in us to accomplish His will. All of us by nature are condemned before God because of our sin. "I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." It is only by "the grace of God I am what I am."
Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar had a wrong understanding of themselves, and about God. God is to be praised and honored, not us. We get nowhere with God until we recognize who we are, our guilt, our condemnation - and then we will vindicate God in whatever He chooses to do whether it be good or bad in our eyes. Job took a look around and said, "Those who provoke God are secure." That appears true to the casual observer, but only those who have been through the mill of suffering will know what is really true by first-hand experience. There are times when we must "walk a mile in another person's shoes," before we give a whole lot of pat answers to those in hard times.
It is simplistic and false to think that God always acts in the same way in every situation. Those men thought God works simple predictable ways all the time. Job told the three friends that even nature teaches us that both good and bad come from the hand of the Lord. In the same way our ears test the words we hear as to whether they are good or bad, and our mouths test the food for quality. So he was testing their words and viewpoints. Job acknowledge the importance of learning from older and wiser men, but he believed our principles and practices in life need to take account of everything that surrounds a matter. Actual facts must be considered, not just opinions.
This is true whenever we are faced with a decision and especially when there are different opinions about a issue. That which we hear needs to be tested by the word of God to make sure the opinions and facts are right and true. God is sovereign. He alone is the source of all wisdom and strength Job said. God has His plans and can give to us the best ways to carry out His plans for us. Job knows this, but he still hasn't got a satisfactory answer from God up until that time as to why the suffering came upon him and what he can do to alleviate the pain.
He observes that kings bind their clothes around them with a band, and yet can be led away captive with no more than a belt if that is what God wants to happen. Wise and trusted elders can have no advice at all to give to others if God chooses to take that away from them. It makes no difference to God, whether there is darkness or light. Nothing is hidden from Him. We can erect no barrier that will keep Him away from us or hide anything from Him. Even death does not keep anything from God's knowledge.
There is no real and true wisdom that comes from man that did not originate with God. Nothing that man studies, or the conclusions man draws from his research that can go father than what our infinite God allows. It is from His infinite knowledge that he gives information to those who apply themselves to seeking for what they do not know. Those who submit to Him and diligently seek Him will find Him. All that He wants us to know is available to us.
There is no wisdom or source of wisdom that is greater than the wisdom of God. When we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him. God's sovereignty exceeds any explanation that we may try to make about Him, or even about life-experiences that we learn in the school of hard knocks. God makes foolish the wisdom of this world, and He can also make the weak things wise.