Job 11-12: Job Claps Back to Zophar’s Insult

There’s a kind of confidence that comes easy when you’re not the one suffering. Zophar has it—bold, unwavering, and a little smug. He tells Job that God is beyond his understanding, that Job’s suffering is deserved, and that, frankly, he should be grateful it isn’t worse. But Job isn’t buying it. He fires back, dripping with sarcasm: “Oh, you guys are so wise. If you died, wisdom itself would perish from the earth.” Then, he points to creation itself—birds, beasts, and even the fish in the sea—to make his case: God’s power is absolute, but that doesn’t mean Zophar understands it any better than he does.

The Rev. Jim Daub, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Havelock, NC, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Job 10 and 11.

Why do the righteous suffer? That’s the burning question at the heart of the book of Job—one of the most profound and challenging books in all of Scripture. From a Lutheran perspective, Job’s story isn’t just about a man enduring unimaginable hardship; it’s about wrestling with God’s will, grappling with well-meaning but misguided advice, and ultimately finding comfort in God’s grace rather than human understanding. As Job’s friends offer simplistic answers, Job demands the truth, and God’s response reminds us of His infinite wisdom and mercy. Through it all, we see glimpses of Christ—the truly innocent sufferer—who redeems our pain and points us to the cross, where suffering meets salvation. Join us as we journey through Job, confronting tough questions about faith, suffering, and God's mysterious ways with hope grounded in Christ alone.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.