Hope Complains Aim for Change

19 October 2014
Hope Complains
Bible Background • Job 5, 24; Psalm 55:12–23
Printed Text • Job 24:1, 9–12, 19–25
Devotional Reading • Jeremiah 14:14–22
Aim for Change
By the end of this lesson, we will: EXPLORE Job’s complaint about the appearance that
God does nothing to call wicked people to account; APPRECIATE that, although the timing of
God’s justice is often unknown to us, it is certain; and DETERMINE ways to help God bring
justice to the poor and weak.
In Focus
A young man named Craig had finally been released from jail. Happy to get out, Craig was
also fearful and anxious about returning to society. How would he take care of himself? How
would he be able to get hired with a felony on his record? The odds were stacked against him. On
top of that, he felt anger and frustration at the events which led him to this particular moment in
his life. Craig had not done anything wrong except be in the wrong place at the wrong time. While
he and his friends were hanging out in front of their apartment building, police officers came by
and proceeded to frisk them for drugs. One of the officers planted drugs in Craig’s jacket. He had
no record or any history of being affiliated with drugs or dealers, but he had no voice in the
courtroom. He ended up spending years in prison for a crime he did not commit. As Craig walked
past his old church, he began to cry out to God. He didn’t know that Pastor Johnson, his old pastor,
saw him from his study. The pastor came out and embraced Craig. In the weeks that followed,
Pastor Johnson helped Craig land a job and a place to stay. Craig also began to go back to school
to be a lawyer and be an advocate for those who needed a voice against injustice.
In today’s lesson, we will look at Job’s analysis of the wicked and his demand that God
bring justice for the oppressed.
Keep in Mind
“Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?”
(Job 24:1).
Focal Verses
KJV Job 24:1 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not
see his days?
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
10 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the
hungry;
11 Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth
not folly to them.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.
20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more
remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
21 He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.
23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their
ways.
24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of
the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
25 And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
NLT Job 24:1 “Why doesn’t the Almighty bring the wicked to judgment? Why must the godly
wait for him in vain?
9 The wicked snatch a widow’s child from her breast, taking the baby as security for a loan.
10 The poor must go about naked, without any clothing. They harvest food for others while
they themselves are starving.
11 They press out olive oil without being allowed to taste it, and they tread in the winepress
as they suffer from thirst.
12 The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the wounded cry for help, yet God ignores
their moaning.
19 The grave consumes sinners just as drought and heat consume snow.
20 Their own mothers will forget them. Maggots will find them sweet to eat. No one will
remember them. Wicked people are broken like a tree in the storm.
21 They cheat the woman who has no son to help her. They refuse to help the needy widow.
22 God, in his power, drags away the rich. They may rise high, but they have no assurance
of life.
23 They may be allowed to live in security, but God is always watching them.
24 And though they are great now, in a moment they will be gone like all others, cut off
like heads of grain.
25 Can anyone claim otherwise? Who can prove me wrong?”
The People, Places, and Times
Pledge. A pledge is a security given for future payment. Pledges were often oppressive to
the poor. Many times wicked men would take pledges from the poor of things they could hardly
do without. Legislation can be found in the Bible regarding the proper taking of pledges. A
man’s clothing could not be taken (Amos 2:8; Job 24:10) although his outer garment could be
taken for the day and returned at night (Exodus 22:26; Deuteronomy 24:12–13). A widow’s
clothing could not be taken as a pledge (Deuteronomy 24:17). Additionally, a mill for
breadmaking could not be taken for a pledge (Deuteronomy 24:6). Those who took pledges were
not allowed to enter into the debtor’s house to take the pledge (Deuteronomy 24:10).
Uz. Uz is the poetic name for Edom (the southernmost part of Transjordan) according to
Jewish tradition. According to the description of Job’s friends, it seemed to be inhabited or
bordered by Temanites, Namathites, and Buzites. Due to lack of archaeological evidence, Uz is
sometimes thought of as part of Edom, but the Bible is not explicit about the location of Uz, and
a more general location of east of Palestine would make it accessible to the Sabateans and
Chaldeans (Job 1:15–17).
Background
Date and authorship of the book of Job is uncertain. Some Jewish scholars believe that the
book was written by Moses, some Christian scholars believe that Solomon is the author, while
others believe Job is an autobiography written during the time of the prophets Isaiah or Zechariah,
or that it was written by an anonymous author during the period of the exile or post-exile. Job was
a wealthy and righteous man who, through a series of events, lost his possessions, his children,
and his health. As a result, Job began to question God about suffering. Job’s friends (Eliphaz,
Bildad, and Zophar) mourned with him over his great loss. After the time of mourning had ended,
Job’s friends wrongly assumed that all suffering is the result of sin and began to persuade Job to
repent of his sins. Job, however, was not suffering because of sin. God was orchestrating the
circumstances in Job’s life to prove Satan wrong. While this might seem like a diabolical chess
match between God and Satan, the nature of God was revealed to Job as he wrestled with his faith.
Job began to plead for justice amid his seemingly unjust situation. As he complained to God, he
listed the oppression and injustice that he saw before his very eyes.
At-A-Glance
1. Job’s Questions (Job 24:1)
2. The Plight of the Oppressed (vv. 9–12)
3. Change in Perspective (vv. 19–25)
In Depth
1. Job’s Questions (Job 24:1)
Almighty, Powerful, Mighty One are all names for God that can be used in this verse. It is
fitting that Job uses the term Almighty in reference to God. Injustice has been committed, and Job
looks to the ultimate power and authority in the universe to right the wrongs on earth. Yet, the
wicked seemed to be in control and the godly had no defender from these evil men. In anguish,
Job cries out to the Almighty, but God’s silence only compounds his suffering. Job asks the
question “Why?” He believes God is the Almighty One, and he also believes that God is righteous
and just. If this is the case, then why are the wicked allowed to oppress the poor and innocent? Job
asks the age-old question of humanity: “If God is all-powerful and always good, how can He allow
evil to flourish?” Bewilderment is beginning to set in. Justice has not been served.
2. The Plight of the Oppressed (vv. 9–12)
Job is concerned about injustice in this diatribe to the Almighty. He is crying out in anguish
at the cruelty of this world. Job lists many issues that continue to plague humanity to this day He
looks around and sees slavery unfair wages, and debt entanglement. The widow’s child is taken
from her and the poor go about naked. Although the poor work to produce food and wine, they are
hungry and thirsty He complains that justice does not prevail in the world because the wicked are
prosperous and successful. God is allowing this wickedness to thrive. Job takes it a step further
and says that God is ignoring the cries of the dying and the wounded. No one is brought to justice
for this wrong. There is no relief. Job is in anguish because of this great wrong.
3. Change in Perspective (vv. 19–25)
Finally, Job begins to argue that the wicked will not get away with their sin. He realizes
that the wicked are punished in death. This is a fact of life as much as “drought and heat consume
snow” (v. 19). The wicked will soon be forgotten by family members and friends. Though they
were once rich, secure and great, God will strip them of their riches and they will die like everyone
else. Job likens their demise to a tree being destroyed in a storm. From the outside they look like
they will stand strong, but they are not what they appear to be. In death, they will be broken by the
power and judgment of God. Job is convinced that judgment for the wicked is certain and harsh,
and that there will be no relief for them. The downfall of the wicked will be swift and brutal. God
will answer the cries of the oppressed and deliver them from evil. Job has renewed hope in God
the Deliverer.
Search the Scriptures
1. How does God seem to respond to injustice at times (Job 24:12)?
2. What is the cost of wickedness (vv. 22–24)?
Discuss the Meaning
1. What do you believe about God, the wicked, and injustice?
2. How can we handle situations where justice does not come swiftly?
Lesson in Our Society
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or
national origin in specific settings. Additional civil rights acts have expanded the specific settings
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to general settings across a wide variety of American life and have
expanded the categories of protection to cover age and disability. These laws were passed to protect
vulnerable people from injustice.
The laws in Uz to protect people from oppression were not enforced in this passage of Job.
However, Job’s final conclusion was that God will judge those who oppress other people. The
oppressors will lose their riches, status, and even their own lives.
Make It Happen
Are there widows and poor people in the neighborhood to whom your church can minister?
Are there lawyers in your church who can help the oppressed fight against discrimination based
on the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Is your group praying for God to bring justice on the wicked?
Pray and act in the fight against oppression of the widows and the poor in your community.
Follow the Spirit
What God wants me to do:
Remember Your Thoughts
Special insights I have learned:
More Light on the Text
Job 24:1, 9–12, 19–25
1 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see
his days?
Job is wondering why God doesn’t make some sort of judicial calendar so people could
clearly understand His plan for justice. This is the way we humans think; we want justice to be
done right away. But God’s justice is different from ours (cf. Isaiah 55:8–9). There is a time of
final justice—judgment day—but no one knows when that will be. God does not deal with us as
parents deal with toddlers. We may not be punished for wrong immediately or rewarded for good
right away. That would make us just God’s toddler-puppets, but He desires for us to do what is
good, no matter what the consequences may be. Just as Job was a very godly man, God is able to
trust His strongest followers to keep close to Him even when times are tough.
Job is speaking of justice for those who know God. The Hebrew for “know” is yada‘ (yawDAH), and it means more than just an intellectual understanding that there is a God; it means to
respond to Him, to recognize His rights as God Almighty, and to esteem Him as God. Job thought
that especially those who worship God and obey Him deserve to have Him answer them in regard
to punishment and reward for the things they do. “Why?” (Heb. maddua’, mad-DOO-ah) asks
Job, not seeking the answer, but expressing sorrow that he does not know the answer.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor. 10 They
cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
11 Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst. 12
Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth
not folly to them.
Job begins to look at the suffering of others who seem innocent and powerless also (vv. 2–
8). He wonders why they, too, suffer unjustly. This leads to asking the question of why an
omnipotent God, a God of love and justice, allows suffering in this world, particularly when bad
things happen to good people. The entire book of Job wrestles with this problem which theologians
have termed theodicy. Christians have come up with several answers. One is that God allows pain
because it refines and purifies us, so that the end result outweighs the suffering endured. Second,
if good were the only choice open to us human beings, we would not have a genuine choice. So
our evil choices cause much of the suffering in this world. Although these reasons do not fully
explain all the problems in this world, God calls upon us as His followers to trust in His sovereign
design and His love for us, even when things seem upside down to us.
Job is beginning to grow and look beyond his own problems to see that others are in similar
situations. This is one area where we definitely should be growing spiritually when we ourselves
are suffering—it should make us more sensitive to the plight of others. The first example Job
mentions is the cruel person plucking (Heb. gazal, GAH-zal) or snatching an infant to pay for a
debt. This word properly used means to strip off skin from flesh. This highlights the severity of
the injustice. We can imagine the pain of the widow whose sons were going to be taken from her
to work as slaves to pay off the debt of her dead husband (2 Kings 4:1–7). The example is
exaggerated in verse 9, a hyperbole; it would not make sense to take an infant as a slave. A baby
would have to be fed and cared for until old enough to do any worthwhile work, but Job is making
the point of the cruelty that would cause a person to snatch a child from his or her mother. The
next example is likely an exaggeration also. While those in poverty may not be running around
naked, they are destitute and dressed in rags.
And the next three examples show extreme worker exploitation. Farm workers carry the
sheaves (Heb. ‘omer, OH-mer) or bundles of grain but do not have enough to eat. Others crush
olive oil, but it is implied that they receive no oil for their work. They work in the winepress (Heb.
yekhev, yeh-KHEHV) where grapes were squeezed and bruised to make wine but they don’t even
have water to drink. Job sees that people are wounded and dying; they are crying out for help, but
God doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it. In each of these examples, we see suffering that
is not caused by God, but is caused by the wealthy owners of the agricultural businesses. But Job
says that injustice is not confined to agriculture; there are cries from those in the city as well.
Before we blame God for this type of suffering, we must remember that He is not the cause of it;
human beings should set these injustices to right. Not only does God want us to trust Him to bring
about justice in the end, but He also wants us to help others in their distress as we are able.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have
sinned. 20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be
no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.
Job’s side of the debate so far has been that God ignores the wicked and they are not
punished for their sins, while the innocent face suffering as God turns His face away. But Job
seems to be changing his ideas, since we read in 19:25–27 that he is expecting to meet his
Redeemer face to face in the afterlife. Although he does not have a clear idea of hell for the wicked,
he realizes that the faithful can expect a glorious future after death, and there will be punishment
for evildoers in the end. Job acknowledges that just as snow is melted away by heat and drought
(Heb. tsiyah, TSEE-yah) or dryness, so the wicked will come to the end of their lives and be
remembered no more (vv. 19–20). Even if they have a well-attended funeral, they will soon be
forgotten.
21 He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow. 22
He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life. 23
Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their
ways. 24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are
taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
Again Job returns to the idea that the wicked “evil entreateth” (Heb. ra‘ah, ra-AH) or do
evil to the poor and helpless. This time it is not to the widowed mother but to the woman who
faces great problems alone— maybe she has no children, a disgrace in that era, or maybe she is a
widow without anyone to help her. In most societies, lone women are at a disadvantage. We all
know elderly women and single moms who are in poverty, but in the ancient patriarchal society,
things were even worse for women. People think they can get away with taking advantage of
women who are alone because they have no one to stand up for them. But in spite of the ancient
context, God commended women who spoke up for themselves. Read Numbers 36 to see how God
defended the rights of the daughters of Zelophehad.
Job says he feels like doing the right thing is not worth it, because in spite of the good
things he did, he is suffering. Then God gives him spiritual insight and he understands the final
end of the wicked. Instead of Job standing on slippery ground, the wicked will be feeling the
ground pulled out from under them. And then to continue this picture, God is holding Job by his
hand, as a father takes the hand of his child as they walk along a dangerous road. God is helping
him and guiding him. Even if his physical health and strength may fail, God is his strength forever.
Yes, and the unfaithful will finally be destroyed. Job has not reached the end of his wrestling match
with his friends and with God, but he will get there!
25 And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing
worth?
Job is very sure of himself here—he says that no one can prove wrong what he has just
said. How could his friends insist that the wicked are always immediately punished and the good
never suffer? Job gives examples from real life that prove otherwise. And yet he is not saying
things are just backward of what they say. Yes, evildoers are punished, we just don’t know when—
it could be upon their death. Yes, God will reward those who follow Him, but again, we don’t
know when, and the greatest rewards will surely come after we die.
Say It Correctly
Theodicy. thee-AH-di-see.
Hyperbole. hi-PER-bo-lee.
Daily Bible Readings
MONDAY
Set a Time to Remember Me
(Job 14:7–13)
TUESDAY
You Destroy the Hope of Mortals
(Job 14:14–22)
WEDNESDAY
Why is My Pain Unending?
(Jeremiah 15:10–18)
THURSDAY
Our Hope is in God
(Jeremiah 14:14–22)
FRIDAY
Shelter from the Storm
(Psalm 55:1–8)
SATURDAY
I Call Upon God
(Psalm 55:12–23)
SUNDAY
The Poor and the Mighty
(Job 24:1, 9–12, 19–25)