No Name In The Street
- Justin Ray
- Jul 10, 2020
- 5 min read
Job 18
His roots shall be dried up beneath,
And above shall his branch be cut off.
17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth,
And he shall have no name in the street.
18 He shall be driven from light into darkness,
And chased out of the world.
19 He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people,
Nor any remaining in his dwellings.
20 They that come after him shall be astonied at his day,
As they that went before were affrighted.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him that knoweth not God.
Job 18:16-21
In chapter 18, Bildad is speaking again. While all of Job's friends get on my nerves with their comments, I think Bildad grates on them the most. It could be my imagination, but something about his words just come across as really hateful to me. Once again, we have a some truth applied to the wrong situation.
In our text today, Bildad is saying that the wicked will cease from memory. While he was choosing to apply this to Job, and was wrong, a generic application of this concept is true. Let's consider this for a few moments.
First, let's talk about why this is obviously not true for Job. The obvious answer is because we are reading about book of the Bible that bears his name and is about him. However, there is a greater reason why this is not true as well. Not only has his story lived on because it was recorded in the Bible, but it will live on for all eternity because it was recorded in the Bible. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). Since the story of Job is recorded in God's word, it "shall not pass away".
So, if passing from memory is not true of Job, how could it be true period? To understand the subject of Bildad's comments, we must read verse 5.
Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out,
And the spark of his fire shall not shine.
Job 18:5
The subject is "the wicked". While Bildad's comments do not fit for Job specifically, we can consider these words for the actual wicked.
Bildad uses several analogies to help us understand how the wicked will no longer be remembered. He compares the wicked to plants whose roots and branches die. Then there is the memory of the individual who is not spoken of in the streets by people because they have forgotten him. He will not be visible because he exits the light of this world and goes off into darkness. He will not have descendants that carry on his name. Finally, he says that people who look back on his time of history will be astonished or shocked at how wicked they were.
Eternity will bring just such a plight for the wicked. Though some are famous here on earth, and their memory may last for centuries, there will come a day when all the wicked will be forgotten. When we stand on the streets of gold, we will not speak of the wicked. They will cease to exist in our memories. While this seems sad here and now, think of what a relief it will be to not remember all the hurt we have experienced at the hands of sinners. I'm not saying that we should look forward to sinners being in eternal damnation, but the hurt we have suffered will no longer be with us, and that will be a relief.
There will be no Hitler Avenues or Caesar Streets. There will not be buildings named after Alexander the Great or a bridge named for Jeffrey Dahmer. Their names will not be remembered in Heaven. They, and their actions, will be forgotten for all eternity.
Though not taken directly from the text, we can also look at the memory of the saints for eternity from the example of Job. Just as Job's name will be remembered for all eternity because it was written in a book, our names too will be remembered for all eternity because they were written in the book. Paul wrote, "And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life" (Philippians 4:3).
I want to end with one more text. It is a little lengthy but if we are saved it is filled with a glorious thought. The end of the text talks about those whose names are written in the "book of life."
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation 21:9-27
Father, thank you for this promise. Thank you that the memory of the wicked, with all of the hurt they have caused will be forgotten for all eternity. Thank you that our memory will not be filled with hurt and pain by the memory of them and our awareness of their suffering. Thank you that you will never forget your saints and will remember our names for all eternity. Help us to be comforted by these truths.
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