Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

Chapter seventeen is Job’s misguided prayer for relief. Not that he shouldn’t desire relief, but he was praying for relief with wrong intent. What we ALL need to do is to praise the Lord REGARDLESS of circumstances. Our breath may hurt, but we have it. We may perceive life as sucking, but we have it. There is ALWAYS a way to praise the Lord, even if it is for His character alone. Job criticizes his friends and lamented that he had become a joke to those who used to celebrate his accomplishments. Job felt that other godly people would be shocked at what had happened to him. He also was giving into despair and claimed that there was almost no point to godliness because the wicked prospered more than the godly (not true).

Chapter eighteen is Bildad doubling down on his firm belief that Job had done something wrong because God punishes the wicked and clearly Job was being punished. Bildad was convinced that ultimately the wicked would be cast down (true). That the wicked would reap what they sowed (true). Even the children and grandchildren of the wicked would fail. The wicked are evil and under the judgment of God. This is Bildad’s response to Job saying there was no point in serving the Lord.

Chapter nineteen is Job’s rebuttal to that. He again wondered when his friends would just shut their faces. They had reproached him ten times and were not ashamed that they had wronged him (because they didn’t believe they had). Job then bewailed the ‘fact’ that God hadn’t heard him, God didn’t listen to him, and God didn’t seem to care (not true on any count – and besmirched God’s character). Job firmly blamed God for his situation (a false claim). Job felt abandoned by everyone. Very alone. Job was begging for anyone to show him real pity. Yet at the same time, Job boldly declared his trust in God (verse 25-27), his belief in the resurrection of the dead, and that he would see God with his own eyes and joyfully celebrate. He also warned his friends to start searching their own hearts. If Job was on God’s chopping block of judgment, they surely would be too. [Take a moment and thank God that Jesus paid the price for Sin and no one will ever be on that chopping block again – unless they reject Jesus as Saviour and Lord. It’s the only sin that gets you admittance to hell – John 3:18).]

Chapter twenty is Zophar’s inability to hold back. He just HAS to respond to Job’s attack. He points to everything Job has said as the typical age-old wisdom of humanity – nothing special. He agreed that the prosperity of wicked people was short (true), and he again declared that proof that Job’s issues were brought on by his iniquities. He equated the wicked with human waste. Each no better than the other. That they live, die, and are forgotten, whereas the righteous get remembered. He admitted that sin has pleasure for a time, but that it doesn’t last and always destroys them in the end. They rob themselves of the good God has planned for them and in the end will pay for each and every wicked thing they participate in. They know in their heart of hearts they are in the wrong, and so have no deep or true peace within themselves.

Chapter twenty-one is Job’s response. He refutes EVERYTHING Zophar said about the wicked. Job sees plenty of wicked people who seem like they have no cares. They’re seeing their offspring and descendants while Job lost his kids. In fact, he pointed to the fact that they seemed to be doing great as the reason they didn’t think they needed God in the first place. Job asked how his friends thought they could comfort him when everything they said contained falsehood? (again, pot calling kettle and declaring it black)

Summary

Key Players: God, Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu.

Key Verse(s): Job 17:3-9; 18:5-12; 19:13-20; 20:4-11; 21:27-34