Job 27:19

Job 27:19

Job continues speaking and Job says in Job 27:19-23, “The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.[20] Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.[21] The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.[22] For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.[23] Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.” Once again Job points out that the rich will die. That is their future: just like everyone else. The implication is: what will their riches do for them when their appointed day of death comes: nothing. If they do not know Jesus as Savior, they will face the greatest of all “terrors:” to stand before the Judge still in their sins. One of the things that many human beings forget is the following: God has given you life, and God will take it away when He pleases. Verse 23 is an interesting verse. It means that God can and will use the death of someone to show others what God can do when He chooses to remove people from their place. That is the lesson of death that people should remember. Death reminds us every time it comes that God is in charge, and that everyone had better get ready to meet God because the day is coming for you also to leave this earth. God uses all things. God can use the death of someone to make people “hiss.” That means to make them astonished and to shake them up, and to realize that life is very short.

The entire chapter 28 is a beautiful description of how much God knows and how little man knows. It is good to read the whole chapter at once because it all goes together, with one great conclusion in verse 28. Job says in Job 28:1-28, “Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.[2] Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.[3] He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.[4] The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.[5] As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.[6] The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.[7] There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:[8] The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.[9] He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.[10] He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.[11] He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.[12] But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?[13] Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.[14] The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.[15] It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.[16] It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.[17] The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.[18] No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.[19] The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.[20] Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?[21] Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.[22] Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.[23] God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.[24] For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;[25] To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.[26] When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:[27] Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.[28] And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”

Verses 22 and 23 are important to notice: “Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.[23] God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.” Destruction and death come across the paths of all of us at some time. Often we ask, “Why.” And that is a question that we usually do not know the answer to. But God knows. It all fits into His great plan for every person in the world. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Because of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, God brought death to the human race. And God controls death. For every single person who lives, God has given them life. And for every single person who dies, God takes away their life, and God does it in such a way that it all fits perfectly into His eternal plan.

In verse 12 Job asked a question, “But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?” In verse 28 Job answers the question: “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” We are reminded of this great truth many places in the Bible. It says in Psalms 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments.” It says in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” It says in Isaiah 11:3 about the Messiah, “And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord…” The New Testament says in James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Notice that in the last part of Job 28:28 Job wrote, “and to depart from evil is understanding.” You are not seeking wisdom from God unless you have turned from your sins, and turned to Jesus to start following Him. God is holy. If you have a true understanding of the Holy One, then you understand that He wants you to have a holy life.

This is another chapter that is good to read in its entirety. Job is thinking back to his life and how happy it was before all his tribulations came upon him. The Bible says in Job 29:1-25, “Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,[2] Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;[3] When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;[4] As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;[5] When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;[6] When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;[7] When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street![8] The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.[9] The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.[10] The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.[11] When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:[12] Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.[13] The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.[14] I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.[15] I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.[16] I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.[17] And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.[18] Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.[19] My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.[20] My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.[21] Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.[22] After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.[23] And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.[24] If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.[25] I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.”

In verse two Job spoke of “the days when God preserved me.” Most of us are taken very well care of. Our needs are supplied. We have been given ability, and opportunity, and strength. Those things did not come to us by accident. They come by the grace of God. But what God gives, He can take away. God took it away from Job. Notice verses twelve and thirteen. When Job lived in abundance, he did not only enjoy these things for himself. Job reached out to others to help them where he could. “[12] Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.[13] The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.” Even if you do not have material things to share, you can pray for them and give them words of encouragement.

In verse 14 Job said, “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me.” Job’s goal was to do the right thing. Job did not let his prosperity keep him from keeping his priorities right. Sometimes people with money take their eyes off the Lord. They focus on their material possessions, and that replaces their focus on God.

In verse 17 Job said, “And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.” Job understood the conflict between good and evil. And Job knew which side he was on. Our police force and judicial system is involved in that battle. That is their primary responsibility: to punish evil-doers. God will punish evil-doers and so should those who have been given authority under God. As it says in Romans 13:1-4, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.[2] Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.[3] For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:[4] For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”

There is one thing that Job was wrong about. He said in verse 18, “Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.” Things were going so well for Job for such a long time that Job thought they would just keep going on like that. But life is not like that. Everything in life is temporary. Life itself is temporary. Do not forget that great fact. Whatever you have today might be gone tomorrow. Your soul might leave your body today or some day soon. Make sure you are ready. Turn to Jesus while you have time.

Job continued talking and Job said in Job 30:1-2, “But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.[2] Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?” Children should honor their parents, and those who are young should honor their elders. Older means wiser, or at least it should. Those who are older than you have provided the way for you. They made the world the way it is, and therefore, along with God they gave you the opportunities that you now have. They protected you. They set you the example. Hopefully, they followed God. They sacrificed and suffered so that you could prosper. They know things that you do not know, and therefore you should honor them and respect them. You need to learn and benefit from them even more. Therefore, show them the proper respect that is due to them because of their age. One of the great sufferings of Job was that those younger than him did not respect and honor him. I wonder how many elderly people have suffered the same. Do not make that mistake towards your elders. Honor and respect both God and man.

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