Job was in need of comfort and encouragement. He was not receiving that from these three friends. They were not pleasing God with their vain words. They were not helping Job at all. We find that Job was willing to teach these men the truth, in spite of the suffering he was facing. We can learn here that it is good for a saint to get his or her mind off themselves and choose to serve God instead. When a true child of God seeks to serve God, it will help get their minds in a better state.
In these final verses of this chapter, Job would warn these men of the extreme danger they were living in. Their deluded ideas were not based in reality.
Job stated that he would teach these men by the hand of God. They did not need his opinions. He did not need their opinions. Job would not hide what the Almighty had stated. There are false religions that are secretive. You have to become a part of their elite group before they will give you what they truly believe. God is not like that. God makes His truth plain to all who will read His Word. Of course the devil will always try to distort the truth. That is why a good local church is so important. The only way you can truly understand what God has to say is if you are properly taught the truth.
In Acts 8 we read of the Ethiopian Eunuch who was travelling back home in his chariot. He was reading from Isaiah 53, but did not understand what he was reading. God directed Philip to run along and catch up with that chariot and help this man. God enabled Philip to catch up with this chariot and not be out of breath. The Eunuch invited him to join him in the chariot and Philip was able to teach this man the meaning of the passage he was reading. The Eunuch believed the truth and was saved and baptized. He was blessed in reading God’s Word and allowing God to open his heart and mind to the truth. Philip was blessed of God in being available to help this man to understand what he was reading.
In verse 12 Job pointed out that these men had the opportunity to know the same truths he knew. Why were they choosing to believe vain things, rather than the truth? There are many people today who express confusion about the Word of God because they do not know who to believe. The many perversions do not agree with each other and then those who use those perversions do not agree with each other either. Every so often we read of another religious split that has taken place.
If a person would accept the truth, Jesus promised that the truth shall make you free. People want to argue about where the truth is. Pilate questioned Jesus about this. Jesus Christ is the truth and He was standing right before Pilate, but he did not want to know the truth. His wife warned him not to have anything to do with Jesus, but Pilate saw this whole event as a challenge that he could not resist. He is suffering in torment today because of his foolish pride.
In verse 13 Job warned of the fruit of the wicked. He reminded these men that God was in charge of the judgment, not Job.
They had stated that the righteous person would be blessed with many earthly blessings. He would have children and possessions, etc. Job warned them that this was not so. Even if the ungodly have many children, they will be raised to fall by the sword.
King Saul had children. They were loyal to him. He died in battle and his sons died as well. Jonathan was not a wicked man like his father, but he still died in battle. God promised Saul that his reign would end with his death. His sons would not carry on in the throne. David was blessed with sons and God promised that his throne would be an everlasting throne. David walked in the fear of God, whereas Saul chose to defy the true God.
Job also stated that the children of the wicked would not be satisfied with bread. Those that survive the sword will not find enough bread to satisfy them. They will still die and be buried. His widows will not weep for them. We know that polygamy was first practiced in Genesis 4. It was a sin that has plagued mankind since that time. The widows would not weep, either because they too would suffer death or because their husbands were a shame to them.
Job further stated that even if the wicked became wealthy and had great possessions, they would not live to enjoy them. They would die and leave them for the just. The innocent would divide the silver. We are seeing the collapse of some banks in the U.S. now. We are also seeing the power of money shifting away from the U.S. dollar. Russia is building an alliance with China and other nations to overthrow the power of the U.S. dollar. Canada and the U.S. have enjoyed great prosperity now for many years. That is quickly coming to an end. Neither country has any answer to the problem they have created. Both are spending as if there is an endless amount of money. The debt is rising and inflation is hurting both nations.
The Bible does not speak of North America. The last days develop around Europe and the Middle East. We are seeing that shaping up now. We do not know the time of the Lord’s return. We know that we are warned often of the need to be ready. Most are still living as if this will all straighten itself out yet and life will continue to go on as before. The devil would like for us to believe that. Lost people often follow the lie rather than repent and trust in God.
Man’s riches cannot buy him happiness. They cannot secure him a restful end. Many people die in a seemingly peaceful way. Not many die screaming in terror for what they are heading for. That does not disprove God’s Word. God’s Word is the truth. We do not determine truth based on the human experience. God has declared His Word to be true, and no one will ever prove it wrong. To think you can take your chances and see how it ends up is very foolish. Playing Russian Roulette with your life is not a wise plan.
Verses 20-21 talk of the inability of the lost to protect themselves. For those who have seen pictures of what has taken place in some of the southern states over the past couple of days, this is a very vivid description of the end of the wicked. I am not saying all those people are wicked. I do not live there and do not know them. However, the picture of the destruction there and the swiftness with which it took place is a picture of the end of the wicked. It does not matter how secure you think your life is. You can have the best life insurance policy and a well built house and a healthy retirement plan, but without God you have nothing. God has the final say and He has told us repeatedly of the need to take Him seriously. The blessing is for those who know Him.
Job was struggling for a short time, but he had a hope that was real. His three friends were living in relative ease. They could afford to leave their homes for an extended time and come and torment Job. Yet they did not have the truth and they were in big trouble with God. No one will escape the judgment of God. He knows each person. He knows those who have trusted in His salvation. He knows those who have rejected His salvation. He makes no mistakes. He invites all to stop and listen to Him. He told the nation of Israel to come and let us reason together. He wants people to know the truth. Are you listening?
Pastor Bartel