But Job answered and said,
Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.
Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.
As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?
Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.
Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.
Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?
Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.
Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.
They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?
Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.
One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.
Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.
For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,
That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.
Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?
Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.
The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.
How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?
Job 21 addresses a central point of contention in the book: the prosperity of the wicked. In this chapter, Job presents a powerful and unsettling counter-argument to the conventional wisdom espoused by his friends – the simplistic notion that the righteous are always blessed and the wicked always punished. He challenges their presuppositions, demanding a more nuanced understanding of God's ways and the realities of life.
A Plea for Understanding (Job 21:1-6)
Job begins by imploring his friends to listen attentively to his words (Job 21:2). He acknowledges their initial reactions, perhaps even anticipating their continued disagreement. He asks for their patience, emphasizing that his complaint stems from deep anguish and profound suffering. He suggests that even the mere sight of his wretched condition should evoke empathy and silence (Job 21:5), a stunned recognition of the complexities of human suffering that defy easy answers.
The Prosperity of the Wicked (Job 21:7-16)
Job then launches into a detailed description of the wicked who prosper. He observes that they often live long lives, grow old, and increase in power (Job 21:7). Their offspring are established before them (Job 21:8), their homes are safe and free from fear (Job 21:9), and their herds multiply. Their children dance and sing (Job 21:11-12), and they spend their days in prosperity, descending to the grave in peace (Job 21:13).
This prosperity is particularly galling to Job because these are the very people who reject God. 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 if we pray to him?" (Job 21:14-15). They live for the moment, oblivious to eternity, driven by self-interest and disregard for their Creator's will. This mindset, focused solely on earthly gain, stands in stark contrast to a life of faith and obedience.
A Challenge to Dogma (Job 21:17-33)
Job further challenges his friends by questioning the certainty of their dogma. He asks if the lamp of the wicked is always put out or if disaster always comes upon them (Job 21:17). He suggests that the reality is far more complex than their simplistic formulas allow. He points out that God does not always punish the children for the sins of their parents (Job 21:19), and that the wicked often escape judgment in this life (Job 21:30).
Futile Comfort (Job 21:34)
Job concludes by lamenting the futility of his friends' comfort. He asks how they can offer him empty platitudes and false hope when their arguments are so clearly contradicted by the evidence before them (Job 21:34). Their pronouncements, based on rigid and unyielding principles, fail to address the complexities of his suffering and the perplexing realities of the world.
Reflections on Job 21
Job 21 is a powerful reminder that the relationship between righteousness and prosperity is not always straightforward. It acknowledges the uncomfortable truth that the wicked sometimes flourish, while the righteous sometimes suffer. This chapter resonates with the sentiments expressed by the psalmist in Psalm 73, who also struggled with the apparent injustice of the wicked prospering.
It challenges us to move beyond simplistic explanations and to embrace a more nuanced understanding of God's sovereignty and the complexities of human existence. It encourages us to question conventional wisdom, to examine our own presuppositions, and to seek God's wisdom in the face of suffering and injustice. Job, though not yet at the point of peaceful clarity, foreshadows the need to enter into God’s house, a place of changed perspective, to truly see the fleeting nature of earthly prosperity when divorced from God.
Ultimately, Job 21 invites us to grapple with the difficult questions of life, to wrestle with our doubts, and to trust in God's unfailing love and justice, even when we cannot fully understand His ways.
But Job answered and said,
Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.
Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.
As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?
Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.
Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.
Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?
Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.
Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.
They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?
Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.
One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.
Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.
For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,
That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.
Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?
Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.
The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.
How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?
Job 21 addresses a central point of contention in the book: the prosperity of the wicked. In this chapter, Job presents a powerful and unsettling counter-argument to the conventional wisdom espoused by his friends – the simplistic notion that the righteous are always blessed and the wicked always punished. He challenges their presuppositions, demanding a more nuanced understanding of God's ways and the realities of life.
A Plea for Understanding (Job 21:1-6)
Job begins by imploring his friends to listen attentively to his words (Job 21:2). He acknowledges their initial reactions, perhaps even anticipating their continued disagreement. He asks for their patience, emphasizing that his complaint stems from deep anguish and profound suffering. He suggests that even the mere sight of his wretched condition should evoke empathy and silence (Job 21:5), a stunned recognition of the complexities of human suffering that defy easy answers.
The Prosperity of the Wicked (Job 21:7-16)
Job then launches into a detailed description of the wicked who prosper. He observes that they often live long lives, grow old, and increase in power (Job 21:7). Their offspring are established before them (Job 21:8), their homes are safe and free from fear (Job 21:9), and their herds multiply. Their children dance and sing (Job 21:11-12), and they spend their days in prosperity, descending to the grave in peace (Job 21:13).
This prosperity is particularly galling to Job because these are the very people who reject God. 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 if we pray to him?" (Job 21:14-15). They live for the moment, oblivious to eternity, driven by self-interest and disregard for their Creator's will. This mindset, focused solely on earthly gain, stands in stark contrast to a life of faith and obedience.
A Challenge to Dogma (Job 21:17-33)
Job further challenges his friends by questioning the certainty of their dogma. He asks if the lamp of the wicked is always put out or if disaster always comes upon them (Job 21:17). He suggests that the reality is far more complex than their simplistic formulas allow. He points out that God does not always punish the children for the sins of their parents (Job 21:19), and that the wicked often escape judgment in this life (Job 21:30).
Futile Comfort (Job 21:34)
Job concludes by lamenting the futility of his friends' comfort. He asks how they can offer him empty platitudes and false hope when their arguments are so clearly contradicted by the evidence before them (Job 21:34). Their pronouncements, based on rigid and unyielding principles, fail to address the complexities of his suffering and the perplexing realities of the world.
Reflections on Job 21
Job 21 is a powerful reminder that the relationship between righteousness and prosperity is not always straightforward. It acknowledges the uncomfortable truth that the wicked sometimes flourish, while the righteous sometimes suffer. This chapter resonates with the sentiments expressed by the psalmist in Psalm 73, who also struggled with the apparent injustice of the wicked prospering.
It challenges us to move beyond simplistic explanations and to embrace a more nuanced understanding of God's sovereignty and the complexities of human existence. It encourages us to question conventional wisdom, to examine our own presuppositions, and to seek God's wisdom in the face of suffering and injustice. Job, though not yet at the point of peaceful clarity, foreshadows the need to enter into God’s house, a place of changed perspective, to truly see the fleeting nature of earthly prosperity when divorced from God.
Ultimately, Job 21 invites us to grapple with the difficult questions of life, to wrestle with our doubts, and to trust in God's unfailing love and justice, even when we cannot fully understand His ways.