Job’s friends had exhausted him with their continued argument that the wicked never prospered and the innocent never suffered; therefore, since he was suffering, he must be wicked. He countered their accusations, pointing out that the wicked don’t always die young and they don’t always receive the punishment they deserve here in this life. In fact many remain quite powerful, even into their old age; and their descendants are also frequently strong and powerful. Job’s correct argument was that the circumstances of a person\u2019s life cannot be the absolute indicator of their innocence or wickedness and that life often doesn\u2019t seem fair.<\/p>\n
Scripture describes this problem in several places. In Psalm 73, Asaph wrote: “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; \/ My steps had nearly slipped. \/ For I was envious of the boastful, \/ When I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (73:2\u20133). Asaph, like Job, saw that the wicked prospered, and it caused him to question life. He couldn’t understand how a wicked and mean person could seemingly get away<\/em> with all the evil they were doing. And worse than just getting away with wickedness, they seemed to be thriving in it, living in luxury. Asaph\u2019s confusion continued “Until [he] went into the sanctuary of God; Then [he] understood their end” (73:17). The fallacy with this line of reasoning is thinking that this present life is the end of the story. We cannot judge the circumstances of a person’s life as they relate to the present because God sees the circumstances as they relate to the eternal.<\/p>\n We stumble when we find ourselves looking more for present benefits than eternal ones. But when we come into God\u2019s presence, we begin to understand that this earthly life is just the first phase of our existence. Jonathon Edwards, in his classic sermon, \u201cSinners in the Hands of an Angry God,\u201d startled his listeners when he preached on Deuteronomy 32:35: \u201cTheir foot shall slip in due time.\u201d Many were moved that day to see things from an eternal perspective, and were brought to repentance. That is always the longing of our heavenly Father. He desires all to repent: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).<\/p>\n “LORD, we do want to walk with You and serve You this day. Please lead us we ask in Jesus’ name.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n Job 21 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0But Job answered and said,\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.\u00a04<\/sup> As for me,\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>my complaint to man? and if\u00a0it were so\u00a0<\/em>, why should not my spirit be troubled?\u00a0\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0Mark me, and be astonished, and lay\u00a0your\u00a0<\/em>hand upon\u00a0your\u00a0<\/em>mouth.\u00a0\u00a06<\/sup>Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh. 7<\/sup>\u00a0Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0Their houses\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>safe from fear, neither\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>the rod of God upon them.\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.\u00a0\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. 15<\/sup>\u00a0What\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?16<\/sup>\u00a0Lo, their good\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me. 17<\/sup>\u00a0How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and\u00a0how oft\u00a0<\/em>cometh their destruction upon them!\u00a0God\u00a0<\/em>distributeth sorrows in his anger.\u00a0\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.\u00a0\u00a019<\/sup>\u00a0God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.\u00a021<\/sup>\u00a0For what pleasure\u00a0hath\u00a0<\/em>he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?\u00a022<\/sup>\u00a0Shall\u00a0any\u00a0<\/em>teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.\u00a023<\/sup>\u00a0One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.\u00a0\u00a024<\/sup>\u00a0His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.\u00a0\u00a025<\/sup>\u00a0And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.\u00a026<\/sup>\u00a0They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them. 27<\/sup>\u00a0Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices\u00a0which\u00a0<\/em>ye wrongfully imagine against me.\u00a028<\/sup>\u00a0For ye say, Where\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>the house of the prince? and where\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>the dwelling places of the wicked?\u00a0\u00a029<\/sup>\u00a0Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,\u00a030<\/sup>\u00a0That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.\u00a0\u00a031<\/sup>\u00a0Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him\u00a0what\u00a0<\/em>he hath done?\u00a032<\/sup>\u00a0Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.\u00a0\u00a033<\/sup>\u00a0The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as\u00a0there are\u00a0<\/em>innumerable before him.\u00a034<\/sup>\u00a0How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Job’s friends had exhausted him with their continued argument that the wicked never prospered and the innocent never suffered; therefore, since he was suffering, he must be wicked. He countered their accusations, pointing out that the wicked don’t always die young and they don’t always receive the punishment they deserve here in this life. In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7587"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7587"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7587\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16459,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7587\/revisions\/16459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}