“Then Job replied: “Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me. Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. “Is my complaint directed to a human being? Why should I not be impatient? Look at me and be appalled; clap your hand over your mouth. When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body.
Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes. Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not on them. Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry. They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about. They sing to the music of timbrel and lyre; they make merry to the sound of the pipe. They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?’ But their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.
“Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger? How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale? It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’ Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it! Let their own eyes see their destruction; let them drink the cup of the wrath of the Almighty. For what do they care about the families they leave behind when their allotted months come to an end?
“Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges even the highest? One person dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease, well-nourished in body, bones rich with marrow. Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good. Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both.
“I know full well what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me. You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great, the tents where the wicked lived?’ Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts—that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,
that they are delivered from the day of wrath? Who denounces their conduct to their face?
Who repays them for what they have done? They are carried to the grave, and watch is kept over their tombs. The soil in the valley is sweet to them; everyone follows after them, and a countless throng goes before them. “So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”
Job is completely disgusted! All these visitors have done is to insult and accuse him. None of these so-called “friends” have troubled themselves to attempt to understand Job’s real problems. At the crux of Job’s complaints is his relationship with God. Hitherto, Job has always worshiped God and God has blessed him. But now God appears to have abandoned him, and Job doesn’t understand why. At the same time, God also seems to be blessing the wicked by perpetuating their families and multiplying their wealth. Even though people know men to be wicked, people still seek them out because of their power and influence.
Job’s visitors have accused him of secret wickedness for which God is punishing him. But Job points out that many times, the overtly wicked are not punished at all; in fact, the wicked and their families prosper. God’s refusal to punish the wicked means that these accusations are baseless and ridiculous. Job’s final retort to his friends: “So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”
APPLICATION: By this point, not only is Job fed up with his self-styled comforters, but so are we! Around the world, there are lots of evil people who persist in their evil and yet make the Forbes list of world’s most wealthy. The argument that God punishes the wicked by making them suffer simply isn’t true.
The big question is WHY? Why doesn’t God just wipe out the wicked? For the answer, we must go back to Jesus’ conversation with a religious leader named Nicodemus. Nicodemus must have been a wonderful man and very serious about seeking God; however, Nicodemus was worried about his standing with his fellow religious leaders. To avoid ridicule, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to find out if Jesus really was the long – awaited Messiah for whom sincere believers had been longing. You can read the story in John 3:1-21. Jesus tells Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and onlye Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
God sent Jesus into the world to die for the sins of all mankind. 2 Peter 3:9 assures us, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.” God wants everyone to have the opportunity to repent and to turn to Him. God gives the wicked as much opportunity as possible so that they will have time to turn to Him. God has created us with free will; good people can make terrible decisions. But bad people can also make good ones.
One former member of a notorious motorcycle gang turned to God after being rescued from attack by a local minister. Later, I met this man’s mother and learned that she had prayed faithfully for him for years. One hero of faith has been quoted as saying that he always tries to see Jesus in every person he meets, no matter their nature.
God is far more merciful than we are! We would be willing to judge others, just as long as we ourselves can avoid their judgement. It is the judgement from Job’s visitors that is paining him, and these men aren’t about to let up. May we copy this fine man and refuse to copy Job’s friends!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to see those around us with Your eyes, as people who have infinite value to You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment