50. Plight of the Wicked

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Hymns: RHC 324 Trusting Jesus; 229 Thy Kingdom Come, O Lord; 399 I Am Thine, O Lord

Job 20:1-29

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, 2 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for thisI make haste. 3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer. 4 Knowest thou notthis of old, since man was placed upon earth, 5 That the triumphing of the wicked isshort, and the joy of the hypocrite butfor a moment? 6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; 7 Yethe shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where ishe? 8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. 9 The eye also whichsaw him shall see himno more; neither shall his place any more behold him.10 His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods. 11 His bones are full of the sinof his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust. 12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, thoughhe hide it under his tongue; 13Thoughhe spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth: 14 Yethis meat in his bowels is turned, it isthe gall of asps within him. 15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly. 16 He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper’s tongue shall slay him. 17 He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter. 18 That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow itdown: according to hissubstance shallthe restitution be,and he shall not rejoice therein.19 Because he hath oppressed andhath forsaken the poor; becausehe hath violently taken away a house which he builded not; 20 Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired. 21 There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods. 22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.23 Whenhe is about to fill his belly, Godshall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain itupon him while he is eating. 24 He shall flee from the iron weapon, andthe bow of steel shall strike him through. 25 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors areupon him. 26 All darkness shall behid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle. 27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him. 28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goodsshall flow away in the day of his wrath. 29 This isthe portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

Plight of the Wicked

OUTLINE

  • Zophar’s 2ndSpeech – Based on Human Experience (20:1-29)
    • My heart tells me (20:1-3)
    • My experience tells me the end of the wicked man (20:4-5)
      • He will be swiftly judged (20:5a)
      • His joy will swiftly end (20:5b)
      • He shall perish swiftly (20:6-9)
      • His children will experience abject poverty (20:10a)
      • He shall restore goods he has illegally taken (20:10b)
      • He shall repent the sins of youth in old age (20:11)
      • He shall not enjoy his spoils (20:12-15)
      • He shall spew poison? (20:16)
      • He shall not prosper materially speaking (20:17-23)
      • He shall suffer cruel death (20:24-29)

INTRODUCTION

Zophar’s line of argument is that the wicked shall not prosper but will be cut off early based on his observations from human experience. He tells us the transitory state of the wicked (v1-11) and the judgment of God upon the wicked (v12-29).[1]

The only book God ever wrote starts with Job! And Job says at the close of chapter 19 if God would record his sufferings in a rock and sealed the words permanently on stone. God did, in the Scripture we hold in our hands today, heaven and earth shall pass away, Jesus says, but My words shall not pass away. 

Seeking justice and fairness was utmost priority in Job’s heart when he defended his integrity before his friends. God saw Job’s heart and affirmed that Job is righteous (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3). 

Dear friends, God’s assessment of us is ultimately what really counts so do not despair when you are unable to explain yourself all the time, hard as you might try. The Lord knows!

Question is asked when we are the source of other’s distress – Romans 14:10-12 “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” 

God is the only heart specialist of the world, the only one who can read hearts and determine our heart condition. It does not preclude our judging sin, for example, in situations of church discipline and the teaching and preaching God’s Word.

At times, God may allow allegations to be hurled at us so vehemently that we do not know where to start defending. Job experienced this as we read the last 17 chapters. Zophar’s speech is the 6thof the torrent of accusations hurled at him. We have just passed the midpoint of the mental torture that he had to endure before the trial is lifted.

The character of longsuffering is so lacking in the lives of God’s children today. What is longsuffering?

“Longsuffering is the Greek word “μακροθυμία”transliterated as “makrothuméō”. It is defined a state of emotional quietness in the face of unfavorable circumstances. In this context, it describes the believer as exhibiting patience, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs inflicted by others (Thayer Lexicon). It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is not a natural action of man but a supernatural action of the Holy Spirit working in the believer. It is an attribute of God (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15; Jeremiah 15:15; Romans 2:4; 9:22; 1Peter 3:20; 2Peter 3:9, 15. It is a communicable attribute that believers possess as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), says Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 1:11; 3:12; 1Timothy 1:16; 2 Timothy 3:10; 4:2).

It is the quality of a person who is able to avenge himself yet refrains from doing so (Romans_2:4; 9:22; Galatians_5:22;Ephesians_4:2; Colossians_1:11; 3:12; 1 Timothy_1:16;2 Timothy_4:2; Hebrews_6:12; James_5:10; 2Peter_3:15). It is patience in respect to persons while hupomonḗis endurance in putting up with things or circumstances. Notice also instances where both words are used together (2 Corinthians_6:4, 2 Corinthians_6:6; 2 Timothy_3:10) (Complete Dictionary of New Testament).

In the New Testament, it has the following shades of meaning patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance. It is patience under trial endurance, steadfastness (Hebrews 6.12). It is constraint exercised toward others forbearance, patience (2Corinthians 6.6). It is as God’s constraint of his wrath long-suffering, forbearance (Romans 2.4) (Friberg Lexicon).

In Hebrews_6:15, makrothuméōis translated “patient” in KJV used of Abraham’s patient faith in God under the pressure of trying circumstances (James_5:7-8). Makrothumíais associated with mercy (éleos) and is used of God. 

We would like to recollect what we have learned to reinforce an important aspect of harmonious relationship among God’s people.

Galatians 5:13-15 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”

  • My Heart Tells Me (v1-3)

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, 2 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste. 3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

He makes judgment based upon the understanding of his heart. He did not question the fact that he could be wrong. 

Zophar begins very passionately, and seems to be in a great heat at what Job had said. Being resolved to condemn Job for a bad man, he was much displeased that he talked so like a good man, and, as it should seem, broke in upon him, and began abruptly… Zophar seemed more in haste to speak than became a wise man. [Matthew Henry]

  • My experience tells me the end of the wicked man (v4-9)
    • He will be swiftly judged (20:5a)
    • His joy will swiftly end (20:5b)
    • He shall perish swiftly (20:6-9)

James 1:19Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

The attitude for spiritual transformation is to control the temper. Be willing to listen and learn rather than to speak and give your opinion unless you know it is a sanctified mind that will bear spiritual fruit. The sanctified mind possesses God’s mind and brings forth God’s character.

Realize the flesh in us is filthy and carnal. It brings pain and misery to our lives when it is not stopped and put to death. It can ruin relationships and affect lives negatively.

We need to put on patience that brings good self-control – Proverbs 14:29 He that isslow to wrath isof great understanding: but he that ishasty of spirit exalteth folly.Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

The man who is soon angry is one who does possess his reins leaving trails of anger, violence and destruction behind him. Cain killed his brother Abel because of jealousy. Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice. 

To be “slow to wrath” literally means “long of noses or breath”. We might say, when facing a trying time, “Take a deep breath”, or “count to ten” before speaking. This is to act with understanding. Patient may be a bitter plant, but it sweets a bitter pill. On the other hand, to be hasty of spirit means literally “short of spirit”, hence “quick of spirit”, one who is “short fused” and what is the outcome, but to exalt one’s folly. This describes one who makes one’s display openly, by exalting or drawing attention to his lack of self-control, a fool for all to see. There is a saying, “Unbridled folly is passion made known.” An angry man is said to suffer from temporary insanity!  What great fire such a rage kindles. As John Trapp said, “It is hard not to sin when you are angry.”[2]

A meek spirit is one who humbly accepts God’s Word. It stresses an inner attitude, not of spineless weakness or haughtiness but humble and teachable in order to rightly know the godly way before acting.[3]This is the heart that is planted on good soil that will before forth fruit in its season, thirty fold, fifty fold and a hundred fold.

We observe that the Word of God is not native to the human heart. The word can also denote a subsequent implantation. As a living seed, its nature is to root itself deeply into the soil of the believing heart as a vital heart of the new nature.

The dynamic nature of this word is that it “is able to save your souls.”

[1] Hannah’s Bible Outlines.

[2] Denis Gibson, God for the Life that Wins, D. & E. I. Gibson, 28 August Reading.

[3] D. Edmond Hiebert, James, BMH Books, 2002, 116-117.