Job 21

In Job 21, Job responds to Zophar's previous speech, expressing frustration with the simplistic view of the wicked's fate. He challenges the assumption that the wicked are always punished in this life, pointing out that many live in prosperity. Job questions the fairness of this, and his speech reflects deep contemplation on divine justice.

Job 21:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your consolation.
3 Bear with me that I may speak,
And after I have spoken, keep mocking.
4 “As for me, is my complaint against man?
And if it were, why should I not be impatient?
5 Look at me and be astonished;
Put your hand over your mouth.

Job begins by asking his friends to listen carefully to his words, emphasizing the weight of what he has to say. He acknowledges their tendency to mock him but pleads for them to be patient. His frustration is not with humans, but with the deeper, divine mystery of suffering. He urges them to take a moment and reflect on his condition, seeing his plight as shocking and bewildering.

Job 21:6 (NKJV)
6 Even when I remember I am terrified,
And trembling takes hold of my flesh.

Job confesses that even the thought of his situation fills him with fear and trembling. His suffering is so profound that it leaves him in a constant state of terror, overwhelmed by the enormity of his pain and confusion about God's justice.

Job 21:7-13 (NKJV)
7 Why do the wicked live and become old,
Yes, become mighty in power?
8 Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe from fear,
Neither is the rod of God upon them.
10 Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves without miscarriage.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.
12 They sing to the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice to the sound of the flute.
13 They spend their days in wealth,
And in a moment go down to the grave.

Job highlights a paradox that troubles him deeply: the wicked often seem to live long, prosperous lives. They enjoy security, their families thrive, and their livestock flourish without interruption. Even their children live joyful lives, unaffected by fear or hardship. The wicked are wealthy and carefree, passing from life to death swiftly without suffering.

Job 21:14-16 (NKJV)
14 Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’
16 Indeed their prosperity is not in their hand;
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

Despite their prosperity, the wicked reject God, arrogantly claiming that they have no need for Him. They dismiss the value of prayer and serving the Almighty, feeling self-sufficient. Job points out that their wealth does not come from their own hands but is beyond their control. He makes it clear that he rejects the way of the wicked, distancing himself from their mindset.

Job 21:17-18 (NKJV)
17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out?
How often does their destruction come upon them,
The sorrows God distributes in His anger?
18 They are like straw before the wind,
And like chaff that a storm carries away.

Job questions the idea that the wicked are frequently punished in life. He challenges the view that God's judgment falls upon them regularly, noting that such events seem rare. When they are punished, they are swept away like chaff or straw in the wind, but this doesn’t happen as often as his friends suggest.

Job 21:19-21 (NKJV)
19 They say, ‘God lays up one’s iniquity for his children’;
Let Him recompense him, that he may know it.
20 Let his eyes see his destruction,
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what does he care about his household after him,
When the number of his months is cut in half?

Job dismisses the argument that God punishes the children of the wicked for their parents' sins. He argues that the wicked should face their own judgment directly so they can understand the consequences of their actions. Job suggests that once a person is dead, they no longer care about what happens to their household, making it meaningless to punish their descendants.

Job 21:22-26 (NKJV)
22 “Can anyone teach God knowledge,
Since He judges those on high?
23 One dies in his full strength,
Being wholly at ease and secure;
24 His pails are full of milk,
And the marrow of his bones is moist.
25 Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul,
Never having eaten with pleasure.
26 They lie down alike in the dust,
And worms cover them.

Job acknowledges that no one can teach God, as He is the ultimate judge. He contrasts two types of deaths: one of a person who dies content and prosperous, and another who dies in misery. Despite their different lives, both share the same fate in death. This reflects the unpredictability of life and the shared mortality of all, regardless of their circumstances.

Job 21:27-31 (NKJV)
27 “Look, I know your thoughts,
And the schemes with which you would wrong me.
28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince?
And where is the tent,
The dwelling place of the wicked?’
29 Have you not asked those who travel the road?
And do you not know their signs?
30 For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom;
They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.
31 Who condemns his way to his face?
And who repays him for what he has done?

Job anticipates his friends' arguments, recognizing that they may point to the destruction of the wicked as evidence of divine justice. However, he counters that travelers—those with broader experiences—know that the wicked often escape punishment in life. While they are reserved for a future judgment, no one dares to confront them in their prosperity or hold them accountable.

Job 21:32-34 (NKJV)
32 Yet he shall be brought to the grave,
And a vigil kept over the tomb.
33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him;
Everyone shall follow him,
As countless have gone before him.
34 How then can you comfort me with empty words,
Since falsehood remains in your answers?”

Job concludes by reflecting on the fate of the wicked after death. Though they may be honored with a vigil at their grave, they are still subject to death like everyone else. The inevitability of death equalizes all, regardless of their status in life. Job reproaches his friends for offering empty words and false comfort, as their simplistic view of divine justice fails to explain his suffering.