Job 23:13
Job continues speaking and says in Job
23:13-17, But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.[14] For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many
such things are with him.[15] Therefore am I troubled at his presence:
when I consider, I am afraid of him.[16] For God maketh my heart soft,
and the Almighty troubleth me:[17] Because I
was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from
my face. In these verses Job realizes that God has plans and
thoughts and purposes and ideas that are totally removed from all human beings.
God knows what He knows. Man does not know what God knows. True, we can learn a
lot about God through faith in Christ, but there will always be a great number
of things about the mind of God and the purpose of God that we will not know in
this life. That is why Job said in verse 13, But
he is in one mind, and who can turn him? This
is especially true concerning things that happen to us. Things will happen that
we do not understand why. We do not know Gods purpose for allowing this or
that. As in Jobs case, the things that God allows may be terrible sufferings.
Unlike man who is limited, God can do whatever He wants to do. That is why Job
said in verse 15, Therefore am I troubled
at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him. The things that Job suffered were so horrible that he
said many times that Job thought it would have been better to have died than to
have suffered such things. Job said in verse 17, Because I was not cut off before the darkness. The darkness came into Jobs life, and Job knew that it
was the mind of God that planned these things. God is all in all, and Job knew
that.
Concerning this whole subject of the
mind and purposes of God, and our limited ability to know Gods purposes, we
have a great promise in Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. We may not understand Gods purpose, but we can put our
faith in Him and His promise and know that good will come out of it.
Job continues speaking and says in Job
24:1, Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that
know him not see his days? This verse sets the theme for everything else that Job
says in chapter 24. It refers to the truth that Job has been saying throughout
the book of Job: some people seem to be doing just fine for a while even though
they are wicked. Therefore, the argument given by Jobs friends that Job has
suffered because Job has wickedly departed from God is not true. In verse one
Job says, they that know him not see his
days. Job knows that there are many examples
of people who are evil and who seem to be doing fine. They seem to be getting
away with what they are doing. Of course, they will die and then will be the
judgment. As Job says in verse 24, They are
exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low
The emphasis here is a
little while. Life is very short comparted to
eternity, and so the lives of the wicked are very short and they are heading
towards death and judgment. That is exactly what is said in the New Testament
in Hebrews 9:27, And as it is appointed
unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
Job begins to describe the lives of
wicked people and Job says in Job 24:2-6, Some remove the landmarks; they
violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.[3] They drive away the ass
of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.[4] They turn
the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.[5]
Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising
betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for
them and for their children.[6] They reap every one
his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
In verse two Job points out that wicked people in this world cheat and steal.
In verse three and four Job states that the wicked people take advantage of
those who are vulnerable or less powerful: orphans and widows and poor people.
When the wicked feel like it, they rise up and take someone as an animal takes
prey. And then after the wicked have done these things, they go about supplying
the needs of their families. They reap their harvests, and they live their
lives, even though it has been by ill-gotten gains.
Job continues talking about what kind
of lives the wicked live and what happens to them in this life in Job 24:7-12,
They
cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the
cold.[8] They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the
rock for want of a shelter.[9] They pluck the fatherless from the
breast, and take a pledge of the poor.[10] They cause him to go naked
without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;[11]
Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer
thirst.[12] Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not
folly to them. To live everyone needs at least food, clothing, and
shelter. This passage mentions poor people who lack all three of these things,
and the wicked oppress them no matter how great are the needs of the poor
people. Notice that verse seven speaks of people who are without clothing and
who have no covering. Verse eight says these poor ones have want of a shelter. And
verse 10 says that the wicked take away the
sheaf from the hungry. What happens to the
wicked people who are so cruel and who multiply the sufferings of the poor? In
this life often it seems to be just as Job noticed in verse 12, yet God layeth not folly to
them. Many of the wicked go on for a good
long while, and God does not make the wicked pay for their wickedness: not yet.
Job continues talking about what kind
of lives the wicked live and what happens to them in this life in Job 24:13-17,
They
are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor
abide in the paths thereof.[14] The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a
thief.[15] The eye also of the adulterer waiteth
for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth
his face.[16] In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked
for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.[17] For the
morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in
the terrors of the shadow of death. In verse 13 Job
states why the wicked are wicked: they rebel
against the light. Everyone is offered light.
It says about Jesus in John 1:9, That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Jesus gives
everyone an opportunity to see the Light, but Jesus also gives everyone a free
choice. Some people rebel against the Light, and that is what makes them evil.
When anyone truly repents and turns to Jesus, part of that is a surrender to
the will of God. You will either have surrender or you will have rebellion to
the call of God. Once a person turns away from God, they are on the path of
sin. Verse 14 mentions murderer and thief. Verse 15 mentions adulterer. Verse
16 speaks of the fact that the wicked are always planning their next crime and their
next sin: they dig through houses, which
they had marked for themselves in the daytime.
In Job 24:17 Job states the result of a
wicked life, and Job uses the term the shadow of death twice. That
is because the result of a wicked life is death and destruction. They harm
others whether it is through stealing, adultery, murder, lying, or other
immoral and unethical actions. They are a bad example, and they lead many
astray. And their own soul is headed for doom and destruction too. And so the
shadow of death is all around them.
Job continues talking about what kind
of lives the wicked live and what happens to them in Job 24:18-25, He is swift
as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth
not the way of the vineyards.[19] Drought and heat consume the snow
waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.[20] The womb shall
forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered;
and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.[21] He evil entreateth the barren that beareth
not: and doeth not good to the widow.[22] He draweth also the mighty
with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of
life.[23] Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.[24] They
are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken
out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.[25]
And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing
worth? In verse 18 Job says about the wicked: He is swift as the waters
Job means that their life passes quickly. That is true of all people. Life is
short, especially if you compare life on this earth to eternity. At the end of
their lives is when you will really see what happens to the wicked. In verse 19
Job states that the grace will consume those
which have sinned. No one will escape the
full result of their sins without a Savior That is why it is important that a
person repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness.
In verse 20 when Job says about the
wicked, The womb shall forget him, and he shall be no more
remembered, I think that Job is talking about in eternity. That presents an
interesting thought. Those who are declared to be righteous because they
believe on Jesus will go to heaven. The wicked who turn away from Jesus will go
to hell. We know that heaven is a place of eternal happiness. But when we are
in heaven what will our thoughts be of all the people who are in hell paying
the price for their own sins forever and ever? There are a few possibilities.
Maybe we will only remember good things about them. Perhaps we will see and
remember how God blessed them in their lives because God does bless all people
on this earth. Perhaps the grace of God will reveal to us the fact that the
wicked received the just deserts for their evil deeds. But perhaps the things
that Job said in Job 24:20 tell us that we will not even remember the wicked in
any way. The memory of their very existence would then disappear from our
minds.
Job 24:21 is a reminder of the sins
that the wicked committed. It says, He evil entreateth
the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to
the widow. The wicked have no heart for those who are in need. From the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, and the
wicked speak against those that are alone: the barren. Especially in ancient
days, a woman who was barren had no children to help her. As children get
older, they become workers for the needs of the family. The more children that
you had, the stronger was your family. A barren woman was in a very weak place
in life. Women have many more opportunities now, but not in those days. The
same was true about widows. Their man is gone, and they are alone. A barren
woman and a widow woman symbolized those that are weak and powerless in
society. We have people in situations like that today: many of them in the
forgotten middle class. The powerful and rich who are wicked do not think of
the forgotten masses. The wicked only think of themselves and their agenda for
domination and control.
In verse twenty-two Job mentions the
destructive nature of wicked people: no man is sure of life. The way to
help the world is to serve God through faith in Christ. It is the only way to
help the world. If you go to your work each day with faith in Christ and
dedicate your work to Him, then God will bless you, guide you, and use you, and
God will make your efforts to feed your family as a part of His work. But that
is not true for a wicked person, no matter how hard they work. Because their
heart is against God, all of their work will be part of the work that is
against God. It will happen naturally. That is why Jesus said, He that gathers
not with me, scatters abroad.
Job concludes what he has been saying
about wicked people in verse 24: They are exalted for a little while,
but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and
cut off as the tops of the ears of corn. They live their wicked lives and
they are part of the system that is against God, and they appear to prosper.
But only for a little while. The grave and the judgment of God
awaits them and beckons them. They go the way as all other. They die:
they are cut off from among the living when their time comes. That is why they
need to repent and turn to Jesus while they have time.
For anyone who knows God and knows the Bible, one would think that
the things that Job said in this passage about wicked people would be obvious.
And so Job asks the question in verse 25, And if it be
not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
___________________________________________________
Copyright; 2018 by Charles F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved