Lenten Study Job Ch 27
Job is a lion. He knows who he is, who’s he is, and what he believes. He is comfortable in his own skin, with what he believes, and believes he has done the right things. He is getting his second wind, remembering he is God’s servant, not Man’s servant, and he is not afraid.
"There was a man in the land of Uz" by andrevanb is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.Caption
1 Then Job continued his discourse and said,
2 “As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,
3 For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils,
4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit.
Job 27:1-4 (NASB)
Job is once again doing two things with this opening passage. First, he asserts he has done nothing wrong. Second, he again states he will not depart from God’s ways. Job always has been and always will be loyal to God.
5 “Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
Job 27:5 (NASB)
“I have done nothing wrong, and I will not falsely admit to doing something wrong.” Job is a man of fanatical integrity. We need more Jobs in the world. Men and women who stand on principles even in the face of massive opposition clamoring for them to accept a false premise. There is no honor in agreeing with the mob simply to make them shut up.
6 “I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days.
Job 27:6 (NASB)
And here is why Job refuses to admit to wrong-doing falsely. Job is comfortable in his own skin. Job knows he did nothing wrong and is willing to stand before all opposition and proclaim that fact. He is willing to do this because he knows both what his principles are and who is his final judge over those principles. If we can come to terms with our inner demons, subdue them, and become the master or mistress of our own lives from within, we can become strong enough to withstand anything. This is a major lesson from Job, and one anyone going through adversity needs to take to heart. Be comfortable with yourself, who you are, what you believe, and what you are willing to fight for. Once you know that, standing tall before the mob becomes easy.
7 “May my enemy be as the wicked And my opponent as the unjust.
Job 27:7 (NASB)
Job doesn’t know Satan is the one who has beset him. He doesn’t know Satan brings about all the troubles he’s experienced. However, he does wish all those things the four of them have been discussing about what happens to wicked people, befall whoever is tormenting him.
8 “For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life?
9 “Will God hear his cry When distress comes upon him?
Job 27:8-9 (NASB)
When those who do not profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior die, we already know they are going to Hell. It is a sad state of affairs, but it is one that God has ordained. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light. No one gets to the Father but through the Son, and if they do not go to the Father in Heaven, there is only one other place to go.
20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to Hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
Matthew 11:20-24 (KJV)
I’ve used the King James Version here because it explicitly uses the word Hell, whereas the NASB uses Hades. The Greek word behind it encompasses both Hell and Hades as well as death, the grave, and departed souls. All of that colors the usage of the word in this verse. The point is that for the wicked, they do not end up in Heaven and where they do end up is not a nice place.
10 “Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?
Job 27:10 (NASB)
This passage does not mean that you can’t go to Heaven if you haven’t been relying on God your whole life. We know that isn’t true because the thief on the cross believed right before he died, and Jesus took him to Heaven with Him. This means that at the very end (assuming you see it coming), you cannot simply call on God, and He will come to rescue you. You either believe in Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit, or you do not. If you believe and do not repent, you will have to take that up with Christ on His judgment seat. However, the above passage from Matthew seems to indicate things will not go well without repentance from sin.
11 “I will instruct you in the power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
Job 27:11 (NASB)
Job knows he is still God’s servant. He also knows that those who walked in God’s ways often didn’t have an easy life. Most of the prophets brought messages the people they spoke to didn’t want to hear. As a result, some of those prophets were abused or even killed. That didn’t change the fact that they were bringing God’s message to people, speaking truly, and walking God’s path for their lives. Job believes he is still God’s man walking God’s path for his life, and he intends to stay on it.
12 “Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you act foolishly?
Job 27:12 (NASB)
The men seated with Job have all seen God’s hand at work in the world. They are all aware of what He is capable of and what He can do. Job considers their actions towards him foolish because they all know he is righteous, and they all know God is trustworthy towards those who love Him. However, they still accuse Job of doing something to draw down the ire of God.
13 “This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty.
14 “Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread.
Job 27:13-14 (NASB)
“…not be satisfied with bread.” Simply put, the wicked will never be satisfied. They will always want more. More material goods. More wealth. More and better food. More cars, gadgets, clothes, or jewelry. More, more, more, more, more. This is more than a little convicting for me as I type and re-read that, too, I have to tell you.
15 “His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not be able to weep.
Job 27:15 (NASB)
In the wicked person who is greedily after the things of the world only for himself, he never prepares those around him to be able and capable of taking care of themselves. It is the failing of the prideful not just to want people to need them but to engineer situations in such a way as to keep people dependent on them.
16 “Though he piles up silver like dust And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
17 He may prepare it, but the just will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver.
Job 27:16-17 (NASB)
When the prideful wicked are gone, their family members and people who relied on them become a burden to others because they are incapable of taking care of themselves. We need to have mercy and grace for those people, but we need to also look to ourselves to make sure we aren’t counted among those engineering that situation in the world around us.
18 “He has built his house like the spider’s web, Or as a hut which the watchman has made.
Job 27:18 (NASB)
The spider’s web is flimsy and thin, easily destroyed or torn down. A watchman is supposed to be awake and on patrol, looking out for the community he serves. Places a watchman throws up to get out of the rain or cold are not large, sturdy, or contain much in the way of comforts. The watchman isn’t supposed to spend much time in their hut. They are supposed to be out making their rounds fulfilling their duty to protect the community.
19 “He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it is no longer.
Job 27:19 (NASB)
When the wicked become rich, it is the riches of this world, not the one to come. When they “…lie down…” it is to die, but they cannot take their wealth with them, and so when they open their eyes and arrive at the judgment seat, they are as poor as any other departed soul.
20 “Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night.
21 “The east wind carries him away, and he is gone, For it whirls him away from his place.
Job 27:20-21 (NASB)
The wealthy and wicked people create calamity, problems, and troubles where none exist. They are worried about things that need not be worried about. It is a horrible existence for them because there is always some great problem or other troubling them when in reality, they have nothing to worry about.
1 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.
Proverbs 28:1 (NASB)
22 “For it will hurl at him without sparing; He will surely try to flee from its power.
23 “Men will clap their hands at him And will hiss him from his place.
Job 27:22-23 (NASB)
I don’t like cats. I’m a dog person. My daughter has a cat that is currently living with us. It is a skittish thing, always getting into something it shouldn’t, and you can’t teach it what it is and is not allowed to get into. It just won’t listen. However, I know it is smart and can learn. I know this because that cat has learned when I hiss at it, I am coming for it because it is doing something it should not be doing. Now, when I hiss, it immediately stops what it is doing, looks around frantically, and darts away from wherever it is. This is how I envision the wicked reacting when they are caught worrying about something that doesn’t need to be worried about or doing something they shouldn’t be doing.