Job 20:1-29

20:1-29 | Zophar describes the fate of the wicked in his second speech: they have their short times of triumphing – there may be “passing pleasures of sin” (Heb. 11:25) – but judgment is coming. Job’s spiritual experience did not line up with Zophar’s rigid expectations, so Job was branded a wicked man.

20:4-8 | Contrary to Zophar’s confident assertion, sometimes wicked people live long lives. For example, Noah endured the wickedness of his neighbors for 120 years while he preached and built the ark (Gen. 6:3), and God gave the Canaanites four centuries before He judged them as a nation.

20:12-19 | These verses represent the heart of Zophar’s perceptions about Job’s life and circumstances. Yet his conclusions were wrong because his perceptions were false – Job was not a “wicked man.” Regardless of what others perceive, the godly can always stand firm in the truth.

20:20-29 | Eloquent oratory is impressive only if it tells the truth. Zophar’s commitment to the retribution principle led him to presumptuous, insulting, and false claims. To see things form the perspective of the hurting – and most importantly, from God’s perspective – is the only way to truly encourage them.