Job shows injustice on Earth

Job talks about the injustice on Earth in this pasaage. From verse 2-12 Job describes how the oppresor violently treat the feeble. He describes how the they take food from the hungry, and clothing from the poor. Finally in verse 12, Job mentions how it appears that God does not execute justice on them just yet. Job goes on to describe the murderer, thief, adulterer and how they think they get away with it. Interestingly Job describes such people as "those who rebel against the light;  They do not know its ways Nor abide in its paths". Clearly, we who live in the post Christ era, know that this is a clear reference to Jesus - being the light. In other words, those wicked people are those that either do not know the way of Christ or obey Christ.

So what is Job doing? Simply pointing out that there are wicked people and deeds on Earth that are blatantly against God's principle - yet no all of them are punished in this lifetime. Sounds unfair - but also shows how realistically Scripture describes the real world.


1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Job 24

Job Complains of Violence on the Earth

 1 “Since times are not hidden from the Almighty, Why do those who know Him see not His days?
 2 “Some remove landmarks; They seize flocks violently and feed on them;
 3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; They take the widow’s ox as a pledge.
 4 They push the needy off the road; All the poor of the land are forced to hide.
 5 Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, They go out to their work, searching for food. The wilderness yields food for them and for their children.

 6 They gather their fodder in the field And glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
 7 They spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering in the cold.
 8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, And huddle around the rock for want of shelter.
 9 “Some snatch the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge from the poor.
 10 They cause the poor to go naked, without clothing; And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

 11 They press out oil within their walls, And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst.
 12 The dying groan in the city, And the souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God does not charge them with wrong.
 13 “There are those who rebel against the light; They do not know its ways Nor abide in its paths.
 14 The murderer rises with the light;  He kills the poor and needy; And in the night he is like a thief.
 15 The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, ‘No eye will see me’;  And he disguises his face.

 16 In the dark they break into houses Which they marked for themselves in the daytime; They do not know the light.
 17 For the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death; If someone recognizes them, They are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
 18 “They should be swift on the face of the waters,  Their portion should be cursed in the earth, So that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards.
 19 As drought and heat consume the snow waters, So the grave[a]consumes those who have sinned.
 20 The womb should forget him, The worm should feed sweetly on him; He should be remembered no more, And wickedness should be broken like a tree.

 21 For he preys on the barren who do not bear, And does no good for the widow.
 22 “But God draws the mighty away with His power; He rises up, but no man is sure of life.
 23 He gives them security, and they rely on it; Yet His eyes are on their ways.
 24 They are exalted for a little while, Then they are gone. They are brought low; They are taken out of the way like all others; They dry out like the heads of grain.
 25 “Now if it is not so, who will prove me a liar, And make my speech worth nothing?”

Job Proclaims God’s Righteous Judgments

Here we see Job appealing to be heard by God, a bold appeal but perhaps not so bold for those who walk closely with God.He must have thought - if only I could stand before Him and talk.... Job realizes that God is just and that God would know about his obedience and loyalty.And yet perhaps we also see a little self-doubt in Job, as he wonders why God lets the darkness engulf him. Together, this clearly shows that his initial confidence was not from arrogance but rather and objective assessment that since he has done no wrong, a just God would clear him. 

Perhaps we too are sometimes faced with such two-mindedness. If so, who can we really turn to, to get the assurance? Surely it must be Jesus, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

Job 23

 ¹ Then Job answered and said: ² “Even today my complaint is bitter;
      My^[a] hand is listless because of my groaning.
 ³ Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
      That I might come to His seat!
 ⁴ I would present my case before Him,
      And fill my mouth with arguments.
 ⁵ I would know the words which He would answer me,
      And understand what He would say to me.
 ⁶ Would He contend with me in His great power?
      No! But He would take note of me.
 ⁷ There the upright could reason with Him,
      And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.
 ⁸ “Look, I go forward, but He is not there,
      And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
 ⁹ When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him;
      When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.
 ¹⁰ But He knows the way that I take;
      When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
 ¹¹ My foot has held fast to His steps;
      I have kept His way and not turned aside.
 ¹² I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
      I have treasured the words of His mouth
      More than my necessary food.
 ¹³ “But He is unique, and who can make Him change?
      And whatever His soul desires, that He does.
 ¹⁴ For He performs what is appointed for me,
      And many such things are with Him.
 ¹⁵ Therefore I am terrified at His presence;
      When I consider this, I am afraid of Him.
 ¹⁶ For God made my heart weak,
      And the Almighty terrifies me;
 ¹⁷ Because I was not cut off from the presence of darkness,
      And He did not hide deep darkness from my face.

Eliphaz accuses Job of Wickedness

Eliphaz gives more description of the alleged wickedness of Job in the passage below, though there is no other reason to believe this is true from what we know of Job. His scathing accusations of Job include showing no kindness to the thirsty, hungry, widows and fatherless. Interestingly these are the group of disadvantaged people that God keeps mentioning for us to take care of.


Eliphaz explains that the wickedness of Job brought about the disasters, v10-11. He describes Job and the wicked as having turned away from God. In fact, Eliphaz pleads with Job to repent. From v21-30, Eliphaz gives an excellent encouragement for people to turn back to God. He mentions about putting away our earthly treasures, praying to God and He will hear us, God will exalt the humble, and above all God is a Gracious God that he will even deliver those who are not innocent. Though this advice is mis-directed to Job, which wasn't his wickedness that brought the disasters, we can still take heed of God's grace and goodness.

Job 22

 ¹ Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

 ² “Can a man be profitable to God,
      Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?
 ³ Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
      Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless?
 ⁴ “Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,
      And enters into judgment with you?
 ⁵ Is not your wickedness great,
      And your iniquity without end?
 ⁶ For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason,
      And stripped the naked of their clothing.
 ⁷ You have not given the weary water to drink,
      And you have withheld bread from the hungry.
 ⁸ But the mighty man possessed the land,
      And the honorable man dwelt in it.
 ⁹ You have sent widows away empty,
      And the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
 ¹⁰ Therefore snares are all around you,
      And sudden fear troubles you,
 ¹¹ Or darkness so that you cannot see;
      And an abundance of water covers you.
 ¹² “Is not God in the height of heaven?
      And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!
 ¹³ And you say, ‘What does God know?
      Can He judge through the deep darkness?
 ¹⁴ Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see,
      And He walks above the circle of heaven.’
 ¹⁵ Will you keep to the old way
      Which wicked men have trod,
 ¹⁶ Who were cut down before their time,
      Whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
 ¹⁷ They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
      What can the Almighty do to them?’^[a]
 18 Yet He filled their houses with good things;
      But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
 ¹⁹ “The righteous see it and are glad,
      And the innocent laugh at them:
 ²⁰ ‘Surely our adversaries^[b] are cut down,
      And the fire consumes their remnant.’
 ²¹ “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace;
      Thereby good will come to you.
 ²² Receive, please, instruction from His mouth,
      And lay up His words in your heart.
 ²³ If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;
      You will remove iniquity far from your tents.
 ²⁴ Then you will lay your gold in the dust,
      And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
 ²⁵ Yes, the Almighty will be your gold^[c]
      And your precious silver;
 ²⁶ For then you will have your delight in the Almighty,
      And lift up your face to God.
 ²⁷ You will make your prayer to Him,
      He will hear you,
      And you will pay your vows.
 ²⁸ You will also declare a thing,
      And it will be established for you;
      So light will shine on your ways.
 ²⁹ When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’
      Then He will save the humble person.
 ³⁰ He will even deliver one who is not innocent;
      Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

Job's counter examples against wickedness as cause of sufferings

Here is Job's response to his friend's suggestions that the wicked will be punished in this life and implying that Job was wicked as shown by the evidence of his punishment. Job starts of by warning his friends, saying Prepare to be Astonished - v3 "Put your hand over your mouth".

So Job begins to explain:

v7 - wicked people live to old age and become powerful.

v8 - they see their grandchildren mature, or even great grandchildren.

v9 - their homes are safe and secure

v10 - their lifestock or business prosper

v11-13 - the wicked enjoy wealth and pleasure

v14 - 15 - the wicked reject God

v19-21 So some believe that the wicked, although are not punished immediately, they will see the punishment on their children.
v25-26 - both the wicked who enjoyed pleasures and perhaps the non-wicked who did not enjoy pleasures, they will come to the same end in their lives.


So Job is saying that there are many examples in life that the wicked appear to enjoy a pleasurable life. Some even die happy. And if their punishment is reserved for their children, then the wicked ones escapes the punishment - clearly there is no justice and truth in that. The last verses, Job emphasize further that even when they die, sometimes the wicked are being honored, they have big funeral processions, they are buried in expensive grounds. These are clear evidence of Job's friends incorrect theories about wickedness as the cause of Job's or anyone else's sufferings.

Job 21

Job’s Discourse on the Wicked

 ¹ Then Job answered and said: ² “Listen carefully to my speech,
      And let this be your consolation.
 ³ Bear with me that I may speak,
      And after I have spoken, keep mocking.
 ⁴ “As for me, is my complaint against man?
      And if it were, why should I not be impatient?
 ⁵ Look at me and be astonished;
      Put your hand over your mouth.
 ⁶ Even when I remember I am terrified,
      And trembling takes hold of my flesh.
 ⁷ Why do the wicked live and become old,
      Yes, become mighty in power?
 ⁸ Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
      And their offspring before their eyes.
 ⁹ Their houses are safe from fear,
      Neither is the rod of God upon them.
 ¹⁰ Their bull breeds without failure;
      Their cow calves without miscarriage.
 ¹¹ They send forth their little ones like a flock,
      And their children dance.
 ¹² They sing to the tambourine and harp,
      And rejoice to the sound of the flute.
 ¹³ They spend their days in wealth,
      And in a moment go down to the grave.^[a]
 14 Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
      For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.
 ¹⁵ Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
      And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’
 ¹⁶ Indeed their prosperity is not in their hand;
      The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
 ¹⁷ “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out?
      How often does their destruction come upon them,
      The sorrows God distributes in His anger?
 ¹⁸ They are like straw before the wind,
      And like chaff that a storm carries away.
 ¹⁹ They say, ‘God lays up one’s^[b] iniquity for his children’;
      Let Him recompense him, that he may know it.
 ²⁰ Let his eyes see his destruction,
      And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
 ²¹ For what does he care about his household after him,
      When the number of his months is cut in half?
 ²² “Can anyone teach God knowledge,
      Since He judges those on high?
 ²³ One dies in his full strength,
      Being wholly at ease and secure;
 ²⁴ His pails^[c] are full of milk,
      And the marrow of his bones is moist.
 ²⁵ Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul,
      Never having eaten with pleasure.
 ²⁶ They lie down alike in the dust,
      And worms cover them.
 ²⁷ “Look, I know your thoughts,
      And the schemes with which you would wrong me.
 ²⁸ For you say,
‘ Where is the house of the prince?
      And where is the tent,^[d]
      The dwelling place of the wicked?’
 ²⁹ Have you not asked those who travel the road?
      And do you not know their signs?
 ³⁰ For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom;
      They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.
 ³¹ Who condemns his way to his face?
      And who repays him for what he has done?
 ³² Yet he shall be brought to the grave,
      And a vigil kept over the tomb.
 ³³ The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him;
      Everyone shall follow him,
      As countless have gone before him.
 ³⁴ How then can you comfort me with empty words,
      Since falsehood remains in your answers?”

In the passage below, Zophar describes the judgement awaiting the wicked man both in heaven and earth. As he describes how the gain of the wicked man is quite fleeting, he goes on to describe the numerous punishments. This may not be too different to hearing various religious ideas, especially those that focusses on judgement and avoidance.

There are two major assumptions in Zophar's argument. He already assumes that Job is guilty of specific sins which brought about the disaster. The second assumption assumes a rigid and unmerciful God. We know both to be false. So although Zophar's arguments may sound like justice is being done on the wicked, it is also being applied in an incorrect context.

Job 20

 ¹ Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
 ² “ Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer,
      Because of the turmoil within me.
 ³ I have heard the rebuke that reproaches me,
      And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.
 ⁴ “Do you not know this of old,
      Since man was placed on earth,
 ⁵ That the triumphing of the wicked is short,
      And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment?
 ⁶ Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens,
      And his head reaches to the clouds,
 ⁷ Yet he will perish forever like his own refuse;
      Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
 ⁸ He will fly away like a dream, and not be found;
      Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
 ⁹ The eye that saw him will see him no more,
      Nor will his place behold him anymore.
 ¹⁰ His children will seek the favor of the poor,
      And his hands will restore his wealth.
 ¹¹ His bones are full of his youthful vigor,
      But it will lie down with him in the dust.
 ¹² “ Though evil is sweet in his mouth,
      And he hides it under his tongue,
 ¹³ Though he spares it and does not forsake it,
      But still keeps it in his mouth,
 ¹⁴ Yet his food in his stomach turns sour;
      It becomes cobra venom within him.
 ¹⁵ He swallows down riches
      And vomits them up again;
      God casts them out of his belly.
 ¹⁶ He will suck the poison of cobras;
      The viper’s tongue will slay him.
 ¹⁷ He will not see the streams,
      The rivers flowing with honey and cream.
 ¹⁸ He will restore that for which he labored,
      And will not swallow it down;
      From the proceeds of business
      He will get no enjoyment.
 ¹⁹ For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor,
      He has violently seized a house which he did not build.
 ²⁰ “ Because he knows no quietness in his heart,^[a]
      He will not save anything he desires.
 ²¹ Nothing is left for him to eat;
      Therefore his well-being will not last.
 ²² In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress;
      Every hand of misery will come against him.
 ²³ When he is about to fill his stomach,
      God will cast on him the fury of His wrath,
      And will rain it on him while he is eating.
 ²⁴ He will flee from the iron weapon;
      A bronze bow will pierce him through.
 ²⁵ It is drawn, and comes out of the body;
      Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall.
      Terrors come upon him;
 ²⁶ Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.
      An unfanned fire will consume him;
      It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent.
 ²⁷ The heavens will reveal his iniquity,
      And the earth will rise up against him.
 ²⁸ The increase of his house will depart,
      And his goods will flow away in the day of His wrath.
 ²⁹ This is the portion from God for a wicked man,
      The heritage appointed to him by God.”