Today's Reading:

Job 18
Job 19
Job 20
Job 21

 

In Job chapter 20, there was a lot of vivid imagery of the wicked person. Zophar (friend #3) told Job that his former reputation and greatness did not matter. Job’s suffering proved that he was one of the wicked by the afflictions from God. “Though the pride of the godless person reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, he will perish forever, like his own dung” (Job 20:6-7). This brings back thoughts of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:4), where humans tried to “make a name” for themselves and reach the heavens in pride only to be scattered and language confused. God shut down the arrogance. Zophar told Job, no matter how high the wicked boast and climb to touch the sky, how godlike they appeared, their end would be a total loss, ruin would be inevitable and they would vanish without a trace like flushing a toilet. Zophar used one of the Bible’s crudest images that the wicked end up like their own dung, nothing worthwhile left behind. If true, what kind of legacy are you leaving behind- is it worthwhile or will it be swept away like filth? 

 

In chapter 18, we continued with round 2 of the conversations between Job and his friends and they no longer pretended to comfort him. Bildad described a picture of a wicked person: terror came about, disease ate their body, their family was wiped out, and the memory of them was erased. Bildad bluntly pointed out to Job that all these things had happened to him, therefore, he must have been wicked. Bildad offered him no comfort, just a matter-of-fact statement that his suffering in essence proved he was guilty. 

Job responded to his friends in complaint that they were tormenting him with their words. Job continued with describing how he felt abandoned by God, and that God had done him a disservice by removing his honored status by his family, his wife, and that even his friends have rejected him. Despite feeling trapped in suffering, Job hung onto hope through a living Redeemer and a future bodily resurrection, “And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God…” (Job 19:26-27). That even in these worst of circumstances, Job had a relationship with God and knew that He would be with him forever, such a mark of faith he had.  

Zophar, friend #3, had his second speech and was even more brutal. He insisted that the joy of the wicked person was short, that they may prosper for a bit, but that God would make them vomit it up (20:15) and they would perish like their own dung (20:7) soon to be forgotten. Such colorful imagery was used by Zophar in saying- all of this was you, Job, your ruin was inevitable as God would hit the nail on the head (or a bronze-tipped arrow pierced him) (20:24) when He exposed Job’s guilt.  

Job responded to the bold accusations of Zophar and said to listen carefully, his complaints were to God and between Job and God. Where was the pity and concern from his friends? What was the reason the wicked got to live long and prosperous lives. They got to have families, homes, livestock, prosperity and then when they die, it was peaceful! Meanwhile, Job had to suffer without cause. It seemed to Job that both the wicked and the righteous die and end up in the same dust of the earth. The wicked did not pray, they had no regard for God yet were spared where was the consistent judgment. There was a shift in the chapters from why was Job suffering, to does God rule the world justly?  This would set the parameters for God to answer Job and his friends at the end of the book. There is a modern tendency to assume that there is a one-on-one correlation between a person’s moral status and their circumstances. We need to consider our own perception of justice versus the wisdom and sovereignty of God.  

Today's Discussion question: 

There is a modern tendency to assume that there is a one-on-one correlation between a person’s goodness and badness to their circumstances. 
Zophar used one of the Bible’s crudest images that the wicked end up like their own dung, nothing worthwhile left behind. If true, and an evil legacy is fleeting, then what kind of legacy are you leaving behind- is it worthwhile or will it be swept away like filth? 

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