Beloved, I am pleased to share with you today the above theme from Job 21:1-2 and following. Indeed, Job is faced with an impenetrable mystery: Why does God, who is righteous, strike precisely the one who sought to please him? (And isn’t that the question of questions: the one Jesus asked on the cross? – Ps. 22:1-4). Why, on the other hand, contrary to what Eliphaz, Bildad and Tsophar have claimed, do the wicked prosper at will on earth? They insult God by saying, “Withdraw from us, we do not desire to know your ways!” (v. 14) and yet go unpunished! (vs. 7-15; Ml 3.13-18). God’s silence, His apparent indifference to the provocations of men, is an enigma to many believers (Ps. 50:16-23). This serious problem torments, for example, the pious Asaph in Ps 73:1-28. What good is it to purify my heart – does it meditate bitterly – if my punishment still has to come back every morning? The bad guys have a bigger share than me. But let’s read v. 17 of this psalm: “… I understood their end”! Ah! Let’s not envy those of the world! It is not on this side of the grave that God says His last word. There is a stark contrast between this terrible end that awaits those who have not believed and the glorious future that the Lord has in store for His dear redeemed (John 14:1-4; 17:24; Rom 8:16-18).
“And Job answered and said, ‘Listen, listen to my speech.’ From that moment on, there seems to be some progress in him. It was not that his soul was still brought into the presence of God; for this we must wait for other divine ways towards him, which we hope to be able to consider later. But every ray of grace is consoling to the soul, and it seems that Job no longer indulges in so much bitterness or discouragement when speaking of God. Moreover, we no longer hear him express such an intense desire to die in order to be delivered from suffering. This thought was not surprising in a believer who saw nothing before him but the most miserable condition possible and that on the part of God. It would have been a great consolation for him to enter into her presence, and he knew what he would find there from her. What testifies to a marked change in Job’s dispositions is that, from that moment on, he accepts the measure of truth that could be contained in the speeches of his friends. Nothing shows so much the moral advantage gained by a man over his opponents. What could be more painful than seeing two opponents opposing each other, each taking a different side of the truth? There is never a satisfactory outcome to the debate unless you recognize the measure of truth of your opponent’s arguments. In such a case, it is formal proof that God has given us victory over ourselves, which is a great gain.
Thus, from now on we will see Job recognize the measure of truth that was in what his friends were telling him, who became, sadly to note, his opponents. But it also demonstrates the folly of turning a blind eye to God’s current long patience with the wicked. “Is my complaint addressed to a man? And why wouldn’t my mind run out of patience? Turn to me, and be amazed, and put your hand on your mouth. When I remember it, I am terrified, and the thrill grips my flesh: Why do the wicked live, become old, and even grow in strength?” Thus, before yielding to the point he could recognize, he draws attention to the undeniable fact that, far from the present life being the complete expression of God’s moral government, there is nothing more striking than to see that he often allows wickedness to triumph and the righteous to be completely thrown to the ground and severely tested. It was an absolute contradiction of their thesis, no doubt, and he formulated it before making the concession to which we alluded. “Why do the wicked live, become old, and even grow in strength?”
What do his friends have to say in response? They miss the field completely under their feet. They had claimed that, according to God’s government, no iniquitous man could prosper, nor any just absolute being. There could not be a more erroneous appreciation of the world as it is today. This will be the case when the Lord takes the reins of government. Then, truly, the righteous will be established and all iniquity will close its mouth. At that time, no harm will be tolerated. But who can consider this world as it is, and seriously admit such a thought? But how did these pious men fall into such a strange error? There are no men who are drawn into greater mistakes than believers when they do not walk in dependence on God.
Nevertheless, without a doubt, the time has not yet come for all things to be manifested in power according to his thought and will. It is useless for Israel or the Church to want to pre-empt the moment, as both have done; for “proper time” (1 Tim 6:15) cannot come before Christ comes. “God reserves for his sons the punishment of his wickedness: he returns it to him and he will know it. His eyes will see his calamity.” That is, it is not only the villain himself who is hit, but sometimes his family. This line of thought is fully developed until the end of the chapter. With less personal distress and a more collected mind than before Job began a response to Tsophar. His courageous hope of justification has strengthened his soul and is not without effect on his bodily condition. The calm tone of this final address of the second colloquium contrasts with his previous agitation and the growing eagerness of friends to convince him of wrong. Certainly, he still has to speak of disturbing and impenetrable facts of human life.
Where they rest, he must look, and terror takes hold of him, as if he were moving on the brink of chaos. Yet it is no longer his own controversy with God that worries him. For now, he is able to leave this to the day of revelation. But seeing a wider field where justice must be revealed, he is in a way forced to face the difficulties encountered in this investigation. Throughout the conference, the friends presented in various images the offensive of the villain and his certain destruction. Job, extending his gaze to the field they claimed to be looking for, sees the facts in a different light. While his statement is in the way of a direct negative to Tsophar’s theory, he must point out what seems a terrible injustice in God’s providence. However, he is not drawn back into the tone of revolt. The opening words are as usual, but with a ring of vigor. Job puts aside his friends’ arguments and the only request he makes now is their attention. “Listen carefully to my speech, and may this be your consolation.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Why do the bad guys thrive?
- Mockery of men
2 Kings 2:23 He went up from there to Bethel; and as he walked uphill, little boys came out of the city, and mocked him. They said to him: Go up, bald! go up, bald! Ps 22:8 All who see me mock me, They open their mouths, shake their heads: Acts 17:32 When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some laughed, and others said: We will hear you on this another time. Hb 11.36 others suffered mockery and whipping, chains, and imprisonment;
- Injustice, sometimes attributed to God
Jb 21:7 Why do the wicked live? Why do we see them getting older and increasing their strength? Jer 12:1 You are too righteous, Lord, for me to dispute with you; Nevertheless, I want to speak to you about your judgments: Why is the way of the wicked prosperous? Why do all treacherous people live in peace? Mt 20:12 and said: They have worked only one hour, and you treat them like us, who have endured the fatigue of the day and the heat. Rom 9.14 What shall we say, then? Is there injustice in God? Far from it!
- Abandonment of God, general references
2 Ch 15:2 and Azaria went before Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is with you when you are with Him; if you look for it, you will find it; but if you abandon him, he will abandon you. Jer 15:6 You have forsaken me, says the Lord, you have gone backwards; But I stretch out my hand on you, and I destroy you, I am tired of compassion. Ez 6:9 Your escapees will remember me Among the nations where they will be captive, for I will have broken their adulterous and unfaithful hearts, and their eyes which have prostituted themselves after their idols; They will take themselves in disgust, Because of the infamy they have committed, Because of all their abominations. 2 P 2.15 After leaving the right path, they lost their way following the way of Balaam, son of Bosor, who loved the wage of iniquity,
- Harmful plans, general references
Ps 36:5 He meditates on injustice on His bed, He stands on a path that is not good, He does not repel evil. Esa 32.7 The weapons of the deceitful are pernicious; He forms guilty designs, To lose the unfortunate by false words, Even when the cause of the poor is just. Ez 11:2 And the Lord said to me, Son of man, it is men who meditate on iniquity, and who give bad counsel in this city. Mi 2.1 Woe to those who meditate on iniquity and forge evil on their diaper! At the point of the day they execute it, when they have the power in hand.
From all of the above, we note that so far, even for Job, although he has looked beyond death, his mystery is oppressive; and he is right to push this mystery on his friends to convince them of ignorance and presumption. The distinctions they claim to be between the good and the bad are not made by God in setting the hour of death. One is called in his strong and vigorous virility; another lingers until life becomes bitter and all bodily functions are impaired. “They lie down in the dust likewise and the worms cover them.” Thought is full of suggestion; but Job continues, returning for a moment to the false accusations made against himself so that he can bring a final argument to his accusers. Far from being overwhelmed by calamity, the evildoer is considered saved as by an invisible hand. Whose hand? My house is devastated, my homes are desolate, I am exhausted, ready to die. That’s right: but those who travel the country would teach you to seek another end to my career if I had been the proud transgressor you mistakenly assume I was. I would have found a safe way when the storm clouds gathered and the fire of the sky burned. My prosperity would hardly have been interrupted. If I had been what you say, none of you would have dared to accuse me of crimes against men or ungodliness to God. You would have trembled now in front of me. The power of an unscrupulous man does not break easily. He faces fate, braves and overcomes the judgment of society. And society accepts his self-esteem, the happy account, honors him at his death. The scene of his funeral refutes the specious interpretation of providence that has so often been used as a weapon against Job. Perhaps Eliphaz, Bildad and Tsophar know something about the funeral paid for by a prosperous tyrant, so powerful that they did not dare to deny him homage even when he was lying on his coffin. Who will give back to the wrongdoer what he did? Let us not envy those of the world! It is not on this side of the grave that God says His last word. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom as I walk in your ways.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “Eliphaz’s Third Speech to Job.” (Jb 22)
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.