For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has seized houses he did not build. – Job 20:19

Today's Scripture Reading (July 18, 2021): Job 20

French novelist Romain Rolland (1866-1944) argued that "I find war detestable but those who praise it without participating in it even more so." For Rolland, nothing was possibly more disgusting than a warmonger who knew that he would never have to risk his life on the field of battle. Rolland believed that waging war without risking anything personal in the process is simply unconscionable. Yet, that is the reality of war in our age. Gone are the days when the king rides out with his army as they go to battle, taking part in the personal risks and the rewards. It is more likely for the modern decision to wage war to be made in the boardroom by men and women in suits who will never be called on to take their place on the field of battle. And that is what Rolland found detestable.

Our definition of what is detestable is wide and varied. Many things often make our list. For some, the most detestable sin is abortion; the theft of the life of an unborn child is something that some find objectionable. Another big-ticket item in some conservative Christian circles is the concept of same-sex marriage. Battles rage in our denominations between those who see same-sex marriage as anti-Christian and those who believe that we should welcome LGBTQ+ into our congregations with open arms.  For those who believe in a big welcoming tent, those who preach exclusion are often the ones often considered to be detestable. What might be right is dependent on your theology and your interpretation of Scripture.

Zophar the Naamathite has his definition for what is detestable. Zophar believes that what is detestable is the oppression of the poor. But, more than that, the actions of the rich that condemn segments of the population to poverty by being willing to seize the homes of the destitute, taking them and making them the property of the rich, this is what Zophar believed was detestable.

But Zophar is also making an accusation. While the others have danced around the point, Zophar has gone to the heart of the issue. Job had gained his riches because he had taken advantage of the poor; he had taken homes that Job did not build, and with this ill-gotten gain, he had made his fortune. And it was because of this detestable sin that Job was suffering under the wrath of God.

Zophar's opinion of Job is the opposite of God's assessment of the Prophet's character. "Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil'" (Job 1:8). Job, above most of his contemporaries, fulfilled what Micah thought God desired of his people.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)

If Job had oppressed the poor, God would never have declared him to be "blameless and upright." Therefore, Zophar is wrong in his accusation; Job is not who he believes him to be.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Job 21