The Day of Destruction
- Justin Ray
- Jul 16, 2020
- 5 min read
Job 21
For all of Job's moaning in the first few chapters of his speaking, he has really turned it around in today's text and chapter 19. He is preaching on judgment and he reveals some great truths! In chapter 19 he told us about the resurrection of the saints. Today, he will talk about the judgment of the wicked. Not only does he talk about their judgment but he addresses two other issues: 1.) Why does it seem like the wicked prosper? and 2.) Why does it seem like God punishes the righteous? This could be a whole series of sermons, but I will try to keep it to my typical length.
Wherefore do the wicked live,
Become old, yea, are mighty in power?
8 Their seed is established in their sight with them,
And their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe from fear,
Neither is the rod of God upon them.
10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not;
Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.
12 They take the timbrel and harp,
And rejoice at the sound of the organ.
13 They spend their days in wealth,
And in a moment go down to the grave.
14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us;
For we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
16 Lo, their good is not in their hand:
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out!
And how oft cometh their destruction upon them!
God distributeth sorrows in his anger.
18 They are as stubble before the wind,
And as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
19 God layeth up his iniquity for his children:
He rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
20 His eyes shall see his destruction,
And he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him,
When the number of his months is cut off in the midst?
29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way?
And do ye not know their tokens,
30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction?
They shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.
31 Who shall declare his way to his face?
And who shall repay him what he hath done?
Job 21:7-21, 29-31
Issue number one, why does it seem like the wicked go unpunished? In verses 7-15 he talks about how the wicked go on with their lives and seem to prosper. Doesn't it feel that way today? Wicked celebrities, sports stars, and politicians make fortunes while those of us who try to obey God struggle. They get all the cool things and we just try to get by. They commit crimes and nothing happens to them. If we forget to come to a complete stop at a stop sign you can almost bet there will be a cop there. Can't you relate to what Job was saying?
In verses 14 and 15, he tells us that the wicked reject God and push him away. They want no part of him. They vote him out of their schools, governments, and places of business. They also go after his children. They want no part of God. Can't you relate to what Job is saying?
Job goes on in verses 16-18 and tells us that these people are nothing. They are like chaff that is blown away. In other words, God does not waste his time with them. They are not his priority right now. He has his focus on the righteous. He has his focus on his children.
Have you ever noticed how brave some children are when they know their parents are watching. When they might have been scared to begin with, they will jump off the diving board knowing full well they cannot swim, because Daddy is there. They will jump off a ledge even though they may be afraid of heights, because Daddy is there. That is the point. God has not focused all of his attention on the wicked because he is focused on his children right now. We have his full undivided attention so that we can be brave, because Daddy is there. Isn't it comforting knowing that God is always there?
In verses 19-21 and tells that God is punishing the righteous. That hardly seems fair, and that may be what Job was thinking. The wicked go unpunished and the righteous get punished. "Officer I know I didn't come to a complete stop but didn't you see that guy pass you doing at least 60 in a 35?" It hardly seems fair right? Why would God punish the righteous and not the wicked?
Job doesn't get into it but the answer has to do with us being his children. Thankfully, the writer of Hebrews gives us a little more insight into this topic.
And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Hebrews 12:5-8
What the writer said is that we get punished for doing wrong now because we are sons. The wicked do not get punished because they are not Gods. He punishes us for our own good. It isn't fun, but it is good for us
Finally, Job ends with verses 29-31. He speaks of the future. He tells us about the "time of destruction". While he does not use this termenology, what he is referring to is the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20:11.
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Revelation 20:11
The great white throne judgment is the judgment of the wicked. It is the day of destruction. It is the time of their punishment. There will be no escape. All those that were/are not children of God will be there.
So, basically what it boils down to is there: we can be punished now and only have peace an joy in Heaven for all eternity, or we can avoid punishment here and have suffering and sorrow for all eternity. The first is to make us more like Jesus by removing the sinfulness from our character. The second is because we refused the payment for our sins and now we must pay the price ourselves.
Job is getting deep! He is trying to speak truth to his friends but they refuse to listen to him. Job knows what he is talking about because he has a personal relationship with God. He is not perfect but he trusts the one who is.
Father, help me to be as bold as Job to speak the truth of God's word to the people I encounter. Help me to stand strong in your word. Also, when I become discouraged, help me to look to your word as encouragement that this is not as good as it gets, it is as bad as it gets and only gets better for Christians!
Comments