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Day 9 – Job 21-23

Job asks them to listen to him for a minute and then they can mock him again. He comes back on Zophar’s statement in the previous chapter that “the wicked suffer” with “the wicked prosper.” (21:7-16).  He sounds complaining and wistful and even sarcastic.

His ending, “How then will you comfort me with empty nothings? There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.” would seem to stop his friends, but Eliphaz is back for round 3 with more condemnation.

However in 22:21-23, it almost sounds like Eliphaz is giving the Gospel. “Agree with God and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty you will be buillt up;”  but then he goes on to advice that Job “remove injustice from his tent.”

Job responds, speaking of God, “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion of food.” (23:12)

Job wishes that he could lay his case and argue before God. (Oh, Job, be careful what you wish for!)  But still, he rests in God’s soveignty. (23:13-14) “He will complete what He appoints for me,”

I love the promise of 1 Peter 5:10, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

It’s a promise that will be seen in Job’s own life at the end, but not yet.  Persevere through 19 more chapters. They get glorious in the knowledge of the Almighty, and a good ending for Job.