The Righteous And The Wicked Job 27:1-23 Introduction

!In chapters 26-31:40 Job provides a long and complicated defense before his so called friends. In chapter 26 Job began his defense by reminding his friends that they weren’t very helpful (26:1-4); and explored the wonder of God’s creation—pointing out that even creation (reality) is but a minor work of God. We might think of it this way; even creation itself is only a very minor hint at the wonder and glory of God’s great power. Now in this chapter Job will maintain his innocence or righteousness (vv.1-6); he will pronounce a curse on his enemies; warning them that they would be punished like the wicked (vv.7-12); and then Job outlines and describes the fate reserved for the wicked (vv.13-23); a type and picture of a coming judgment.

!Certain words have fallen out of favor in the modern vocabulary. !We avoid words like righteousness or wickedness! They sound so judgmental. !How would you describe your life? How do you evaluate personal conduct? !Is your conversation marked by cursing or kindness? Self-control or anger? Do you protect people’s

property or steal it? Do you shirk labor or put in a fair’s day labor for a fair wage? Do you show respect or disrespect? Do you tear down others or build them up? Do you abuse the people closest to you or do you demonstrate love, attention, affection? Do you ignore the needs of others or do whatever it takes to satisfy yourself?

!The Bible uses words like righteousness and wickedness to describe personal behavior! !Job has faced constant pressure from his friends to repent of sin’s he never committed; to abandon

wickedness and embrace righteousness! Job maintains his innocence . He refuses to repent of sins or crimes he never committed.

!F.B. Meyer wrote; “The child of God is often called to suffer because there is nothing that will convince onlookers of the reality and power of true religion as suffering will do, when it is borne with Christian fortitude.”

!! Mack R. Douglas: “Don’t be like the boy during WWII who said, “I wouldn’t mind going to war and being a hero if I knew I wouldn’t get hurt.” !So many Christians want to join Abraham and Isaac, Joseph and Job in the great Hall of Faith. !Job’s friends have not proved their case against Job. But Job still hasn’t answered the question; “Why Me?” Job is on a journey. Job’s faith remains intact. Job will maintain his honesty, integrity and righteousness.

!! Job’s Righteousness: A Picture of Commitment (vv.1-6) !

Job 27:1–23 (NKJV) 1Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said: 2“As God lives, who has taken away my justice, And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,

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Job placed his confidence and faith in the living God. Job made every effort to live a life of faith. Job was suffering. He was living a life of profound grief and sorrow over the death of his children and the loss of his wealth and possessions. It would also appear that Job had a disease, 1

The Righteous And The Wicked Job 27:1-23 an illness so painful that he was close to death. His wife rejected him. He apparently was expelled from the community (why live in a trash heap?). Job could not grasp why in the world God would allow such a series of disasters, calamities, tragedies. It all seemed so unfair and so unkind. After all Job was a true believer, who trusted God with his whole heart, who worshipped God with real affection and dedication! Job wanted to please God and live righteously. Why would God allow Job to bear such pain and suffer so much humiliation? How could God allow Job to live like a homeless, destitute foraging for food in a city dump? It made no sense to Job and seemed completely unmerited!

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Clearly Job’s friends had trouble understanding how a righteous man—a true believer—could suffer so much. To bear that kind of burden was hard to accept. The friends were completely convinced that Job was guilty of some serious, grievous sin; and his only hope was to confess that sin. I think the friends genuinely cared for Job—and that is what caused them to hound him to confess and repent before God. Despite all the pressure Job maintains his innocence.

! Job takes a serious oath; he swears by God (v.2a) and by his own life (v.3) that he is innocent. !

In the ancient world of the Middle East taking such an oath was intended to do two things; to set aside any doubt; and to invite God to kill the oath taker if the statement was not true.

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3As long as my breath is in me, And the breath of God in my nostrils, 4My lips will not speak wickedness, Nor my tongue utter deceit.

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5Far be it from me That I should say you are right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

! This is Job’s way of saying; “If I agree with you; we would both be wrong!” !

Job refuses to lie (v.4); refuses to deny or compromise his righteous life; to do so he would have to lie to God and lie to himself.

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6My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.

! Job affirms his desire to live his life righteously; and to live with a clear conscience. ! ! Job’s Warning: A Curse On False Accusers (vv.7-12) ! ! 7“May my enemy be like the wicked, And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous. ! 2

The Righteous And The Wicked Job 27:1-23 Who are Job’s enemies? Those who have stolen his property and possessions (chapter 1:13-17); and those who mocked him because of his horrible terrible condition (12:4).

! Theft and abuse are bad; but imagine stealing from the poor and abusing the most vulnerable! !

Expositors Bible Commentary: “Job’s oath is followed by this implication against his detractors (v.7). Imprecatory rhetoric is difficult for Western’s to understand. But in the Semitic world it is still an honorable rhetorical device. The implication had a judicial function and was frequently a means of dealing with false accusation and oppression. Legally the false accusations and the very crimes committed or called down on the perpetrator’s head. Since the counselors had falsely accused Job of being wicked, they deserved to be punished like the wicked.”

! 8For what is the hope of the hypocrite, Though he may gain much, If God takes away his life? ! 9Will God hear his cry When trouble comes upon him? ! 10Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call on God? ! 11“I will teach you about the hand of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. ! “I will teach you about the power of God” (NIV) ! 12Surely all of you have seen it; Why then do you behave with complete nonsense? !

1. The wicked have no hope when they die (v.8). The Lord takes their life. All hope vanishes (no hope after death). Death resolves all things. The time for change, optimism, faith, hope passes away forever! 2. The wicked suffer problems; cry out to God in prayer; but God has no obligation whatsoever to hear them (v.9). The wicked live in sweet oblivion to God’s demands or God’s commands. They want no part of God. But when disaster strikes, when the wicked suffer, they will sometimes cry out to God in prayer. But the Lord doesn’t listen. Why? The answer is clear —the wicked never trusted God, or sought to please God or sought to obey God. 3. The wicked find no pleasure, no joy, no comfort or satisfaction in the living God. So they rarely if ever cry out to Him in prayer (v.10). The wicked do not know God. They have no real or intimate or personal connection with God. They live in their own selfish world. They don’t want to honor or worship the Lord. Their joy and satisfaction comes from the pursuit of pleasures in this world—the accumulation of wealth—the experience of pleasure—lust— possessions—not the presence of the Lord—not the worship of God—they have abandoned God for the passing pleasures of this life! 4. The wicked fail to see the God’s power; His presence in Creation; His majesty and glory (vv.11-12). The wicked have to be taught to appreciate the power and majesty of God. When you invite them to consider the Universe which He has made—they suggest He probably didn’t make the universe. When you suggest that God made man; they suggest he probably 3

The Righteous And The Wicked Job 27:1-23 evolved. When you suggest that God sent Jesus to die in on the Cross—they suggest that Jesus was a good man; possibly a great man; but his death was a tragic misunderstanding. And certainly he didn’t die for sin! Job points out the wicked almost always get the works of God wrong!

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Job offers proof— that his friends have misinterpreted the ways of God—and this is evidenced by their complete misunderstanding of both God and Job’s condition. They thought Job was guilty of gross unconfessed sin; and that he must repent if he is going to experience God’s forgiveness and favor.

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The accusations against Job were all together false! Job’s friends missed the point of the way God works among His people. Job wasn’t suffering because of personal sin. He was innocent, upright, righteous—living in a fallen world among wicked people— (how like Jesus).

! Job’s remarks seem pointed at his determined friends! ! Warren Wiersbe: !

“In the East, it was not enough for accused people to affirm their innocence; they also felt compelled to call down the wrath of God on those who said they were guilty. Job’s words remind us of the “imprecatory psalms” (Pss.58; 69; 137) in that they are a prayer for God’s judgments on his enemies. Who were Job’s enemies? Anybody who agreed with Job’s three friends that he was guilty of sin and deserved to be punished by God. While this conversation had been going on, many people had likely gathered around the ash heap and listened to the debate; and most of them probably sided with Bildad, Zophar and Eliphaz. Job could see the spectators nod their heads in agreement with his friends, and he knew he was outnumbered.”

! ! Job’s Vision: The Fate Of The Wicked (vv.13-23) !

13“This is the portion of a wicked man with God, And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:

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Some Bible teachers and scholars suggest that verses 13-23 belong with Zophar; a part of a missing third speech; some suggest that Job is quoting his friends former words; an introduction if you will of his statement “Meaningless words” (for example); the Bible Knowledge Commentary suggests; “Many scholars assign these words to Zophar because this would give him a third speech and because the words seem more consistent with him than with Job. However, Job had already spoken of the fate of the wicked (Chapter 24:18-24). He never denied the ultimate punishment of God’s enemies, but he did deny their immediate judgment, contrary to Zophar’s claim (20:5; 21:7). If Zophar could speak of the fate of the wicked and their heritage (20:29), so could Job.” (Chapter 27 The Bible Knowledge Commentary).

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The Righteous And The Wicked Job 27:1-23

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

The wicked man dooms his children to die (vv.13-15a) The wicked man will have no one to mourn him, not even his widow (v.15b). The wicked man will lose his possessions and wealth (vv.16-17) The wicked man will see the collapse and total destruction of his house (v.18) The wicked man will awaken one day to find everything suddenly gone (v.19). The wicked man will be terrorized (vv.20-23).

14If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword; And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

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Do the wicked influence their children? You know the answer. Do violent and abusive parents instill a sense of violence and abuse in their children? A wicked is more likely to die a violent death (the sword). If a wicked person is lazy—or doesn’t work—they are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed; parents in poverty often leave a legacy of poverty for their children. Immoral behavior is both taught and caught.

! 15Those who survive him shall be buried in death, And their widows shall not weep, !

Why are they buried—they have died—for the same reason their father died; dishonor shame; when a person dies in dishonor and shame—the person is less likely to be mourned.

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Who would grieve over the death of the Aurora Movie Theatre murderer? A sense of relief and peace sweep over the family if it were discovered that he was killed in jail.

! 16Though he heaps up silver like dust, And piles up clothing like clay— ! 17He may pile it up, but the just will wear it, And the innocent will divide the silver. ! The wicked may be able to hoard wealth; but their wealth will be given to others. !

It is true that Job has lost both wealth and health—and his friends believe that loss was due to some personal sin on the part of Job—but Job was innocent.

! 18He builds his house like a moth, Like a booth which a watchman makes. !

A moth builds a house and then abandons the house. The wicked may have a nice house in a nice neighborhood; but it is only temporary. The booth or shack or tent that the watchmen makes was a temporary shelter during the time of harvest. Both are weak and insecure places to dwell. Neither one lasts. They can not be a permeant point of security. Job’s hope is not in homes or palaces. Job has a permanent dwelling in heaven.

! 19The rich man will lie down, But not be gathered up; He opens his eyes, And he is no more. ! 5

The Righteous And The Wicked Job 27:1-23 The wicked wake up one day and discover everything gone. They lie down in the comfort, and the assurance of ownership—and then discover everything is gone.

! 20Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night. !

Terror and disaster seize the wicked like a flood or Tsunami or hurricane or storm. The wicked try to escape the terror; but it pounds down without mercy.

! Like a volcanic eruption or a sudden mudslide—they are buried. !

Job’s point; the wicked may be overwhelmed by terror at some point in life—but always in death.

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21The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; It sweeps him out of his place. 22It hurls against him and does not spare; He flees desperately from its power. 23Men shall clap their hands at him, And shall hiss him out of his place.

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The wicked persist in their sin. They will not let it go. They refuse to repent of their sin. They won’t ask God for forgiveness or receive forgiveness when it is extended. They refuse to turn to the Lord. They refuse deliverance and salvation. The wicked may profess or confess Christ— but they refuse to surrender their hearts; they say they believe, they say they surrender, they say they trust Christ, but their words and actions say something else. They refuse to yield their lives to Christ, they refuse to believe and embrace and obey God’s Word; and the Scriptures leave no doubt to the fate of those who reject Jesus—the receive Judgment.

! Conclusion !

How does the Christian respond to abuse, persecution? We don’t seek vengeance. The Lord Himself promised to deal with the unjust and the wicked.

! What are our instructions? !

“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on the right check, turn the other also to him” (Matt. 5:39). In the ancient world you ended blood feuds what was called the law of retaliation; eye for eye; tooth for tooth; life for life; insult for insult.

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We are to love our enemies; “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt. 5:44).

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Vengeance is up to God; “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath (that is believe in judgment); for it is written; “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19). “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that 6

The Righteous And The Wicked Job 27:1-23 which is good, both among yourselves, and to all me” (1 Thess. 5:15). We bless those who do evil against us; “not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing” (I Peter 3:9).

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Warren Wierbe: “In fact, God was the only one who could prove Job right and enemies wrong. Where else could Job turn for help?” (TBEC VOL; p.55).

! Why Do People Suffer? !

Do people sometimes suffer for sin? The answer is yes. But not always. Sometimes we suffer because of the sins of other people. Joseph was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery because of the wicked jealousy of his brothers. Sometimes we suffer to keep us from sin (2 Cor.12). Jesus suffered; but not for his own sins.

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