Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
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.
They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.
They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.
In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.
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.
He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.
Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.
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.
He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.
Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.
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.
And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
Job 24 delves into the heart of a timeless struggle: the apparent injustice in the world. Job, despite his own suffering, turns his attention to the plight of the poor and needy, highlighting the wickedness that seems to go unchecked. This chapter isn't just a lament; it's a desperate plea for divine intervention and a challenge to the perceived indifference of God. It is also a continuation of Job's defense, insisting that if a trial were held in heaven’s court, God would pay attention to his case and declare him not guilty (Job 23:3-7). The problem, Job had decided was that he didn’t know where to find God (Job 23:8-9). Yet, even though he was frustrated in his desire to get a hearing, Job was confident that God knew his heart. He was sure that when God had tested him, he would emerge as pure gold (Job 23:10).
The Reality of Wickedness (Job 24:2-12)
Job begins by painting a stark picture of the injustices he observes (Job 24:2-12). He describes how the wicked exploit the vulnerable, moving boundary stones to steal land, and seizing flocks. They drive away the donkeys of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox for a pledge. The poor are forced to labor in the fields to provide food for the wicked, and they themselves go hungry. They are naked and without shelter, exposed to the elements. The groans of the dying rise up, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help.
This passage serves as a poignant reminder that suffering is not always a consequence of personal sin. Job acknowledges that the world is filled with individuals facing hardship due to the actions of others. It compels us to recognize the realities of injustice and oppression that exist in our own communities and around the globe.
The Seeming Indifference of God (Job 24:12)
The most troubling aspect of Job's observation is his perception that God "pays no attention" to these crimes (Job 24:12). This is the crux of Job's struggle: if God is just, why does He allow such wickedness to flourish? Why does He seem to turn a blind eye to the suffering of the innocent?
This question resonates deeply with anyone who has wrestled with the problem of evil. It's a challenge to our faith, forcing us to confront the mystery of God's sovereignty in a world marred by sin.
The Wicked's Dark Deeds (Job 24:13-16)
Job continues by detailing the specific deeds of the wicked, highlighting their secrecy and cunning (Job 24:13-16). He speaks of those who rebel against the light, who are strangers to its ways and do not remain in its paths. Murderers rise before dawn to kill the poor and needy, and thieves prowl in the night. Adulterers wait for twilight, disguising their faces to avoid detection.
These verses emphasize the deliberate nature of wickedness. It's not simply a matter of ignorance or impulse; it's a conscious choice to reject God's law and harm others. The darkness becomes a metaphor for the hiddenness of their deeds, a desperate attempt to escape accountability.
A Call to Examine Our Own Hearts
While Job focuses on the external injustices he sees, this chapter also invites us to introspection. Are there ways in which we, perhaps unintentionally, contribute to the suffering of others? Do we turn a blind eye to injustice when it's inconvenient or uncomfortable to speak out?
Job's words challenge us to live with greater awareness and compassion, actively seeking to alleviate the burdens of those around us.
Finding Hope in the Midst of Despair
Job's lament in Job 24 is raw and honest, reflecting the pain and confusion that arise when we witness injustice. However, even in the midst of his despair, there's a glimmer of hope. Job's very act of questioning God demonstrates his unwavering belief in a higher power. He refuses to accept the status quo, clinging to the hope that justice will ultimately prevail.
Like Job, we may not always understand God's ways, but we can trust in His character. We can find solace in knowing that He sees the suffering of the world and that He is working, even now, to bring about His ultimate plan of redemption and restoration.
A Model for Hunger for God's Word
I have not departed from the commands of [God’s] lips; I have treasured the words from his mouth more than my daily food (Job 23:12). Believers who aren’t regularly feeding on God’s Word are malnourished. It’s not enough just to be under the teaching of the Bible weekly in church. We also need to be in the Word daily. When we want to hear from God in his Word more than we want to eat, we are on the way to developing healthy spiritual lives. In this way, Job is a model for us in his hunger for the commands and words of God’s mouth. And he foreshadows the one who would one day say, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34).
Continuing the Dialogue (Job 25:1-31:40)
Job 24 sets the stage for the ongoing dialogue between Job and his friends. As the book progresses, we see a deeper exploration of the complexities of suffering, justice, and God's sovereignty. While Job's initial questions remain unanswered, his journey ultimately leads him to a profound encounter with God, an encounter that transforms his perspective and deepens his faith.
Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
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.
They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.
They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.
In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.
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.
He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.
Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.
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.
He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.
Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.
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.
And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
Job 24 delves into the heart of a timeless struggle: the apparent injustice in the world. Job, despite his own suffering, turns his attention to the plight of the poor and needy, highlighting the wickedness that seems to go unchecked. This chapter isn't just a lament; it's a desperate plea for divine intervention and a challenge to the perceived indifference of God. It is also a continuation of Job's defense, insisting that if a trial were held in heaven’s court, God would pay attention to his case and declare him not guilty (Job 23:3-7). The problem, Job had decided was that he didn’t know where to find God (Job 23:8-9). Yet, even though he was frustrated in his desire to get a hearing, Job was confident that God knew his heart. He was sure that when God had tested him, he would emerge as pure gold (Job 23:10).
The Reality of Wickedness (Job 24:2-12)
Job begins by painting a stark picture of the injustices he observes (Job 24:2-12). He describes how the wicked exploit the vulnerable, moving boundary stones to steal land, and seizing flocks. They drive away the donkeys of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox for a pledge. The poor are forced to labor in the fields to provide food for the wicked, and they themselves go hungry. They are naked and without shelter, exposed to the elements. The groans of the dying rise up, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help.
This passage serves as a poignant reminder that suffering is not always a consequence of personal sin. Job acknowledges that the world is filled with individuals facing hardship due to the actions of others. It compels us to recognize the realities of injustice and oppression that exist in our own communities and around the globe.
The Seeming Indifference of God (Job 24:12)
The most troubling aspect of Job's observation is his perception that God "pays no attention" to these crimes (Job 24:12). This is the crux of Job's struggle: if God is just, why does He allow such wickedness to flourish? Why does He seem to turn a blind eye to the suffering of the innocent?
This question resonates deeply with anyone who has wrestled with the problem of evil. It's a challenge to our faith, forcing us to confront the mystery of God's sovereignty in a world marred by sin.
The Wicked's Dark Deeds (Job 24:13-16)
Job continues by detailing the specific deeds of the wicked, highlighting their secrecy and cunning (Job 24:13-16). He speaks of those who rebel against the light, who are strangers to its ways and do not remain in its paths. Murderers rise before dawn to kill the poor and needy, and thieves prowl in the night. Adulterers wait for twilight, disguising their faces to avoid detection.
These verses emphasize the deliberate nature of wickedness. It's not simply a matter of ignorance or impulse; it's a conscious choice to reject God's law and harm others. The darkness becomes a metaphor for the hiddenness of their deeds, a desperate attempt to escape accountability.
A Call to Examine Our Own Hearts
While Job focuses on the external injustices he sees, this chapter also invites us to introspection. Are there ways in which we, perhaps unintentionally, contribute to the suffering of others? Do we turn a blind eye to injustice when it's inconvenient or uncomfortable to speak out?
Job's words challenge us to live with greater awareness and compassion, actively seeking to alleviate the burdens of those around us.
Finding Hope in the Midst of Despair
Job's lament in Job 24 is raw and honest, reflecting the pain and confusion that arise when we witness injustice. However, even in the midst of his despair, there's a glimmer of hope. Job's very act of questioning God demonstrates his unwavering belief in a higher power. He refuses to accept the status quo, clinging to the hope that justice will ultimately prevail.
Like Job, we may not always understand God's ways, but we can trust in His character. We can find solace in knowing that He sees the suffering of the world and that He is working, even now, to bring about His ultimate plan of redemption and restoration.
A Model for Hunger for God's Word
I have not departed from the commands of [God’s] lips; I have treasured the words from his mouth more than my daily food (Job 23:12). Believers who aren’t regularly feeding on God’s Word are malnourished. It’s not enough just to be under the teaching of the Bible weekly in church. We also need to be in the Word daily. When we want to hear from God in his Word more than we want to eat, we are on the way to developing healthy spiritual lives. In this way, Job is a model for us in his hunger for the commands and words of God’s mouth. And he foreshadows the one who would one day say, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34).
Continuing the Dialogue (Job 25:1-31:40)
Job 24 sets the stage for the ongoing dialogue between Job and his friends. As the book progresses, we see a deeper exploration of the complexities of suffering, justice, and God's sovereignty. While Job's initial questions remain unanswered, his journey ultimately leads him to a profound encounter with God, an encounter that transforms his perspective and deepens his faith.