Job 21:21 | KingComments | STEP | Job continues to refute what his friends have said about wickedness and the anger of God that He brings upon these wicked people during their lives. Well, let them prove it. Let them tell him how often it happens “that the lamp of the wicked” is “put out”, that is, that darkness comes into their lives through doom that strikes them because of their wickedness ( ). This means that their downfall is certain. It comes upon them without them being able to resist it. This happens to them by God Who in His anger inflicts sorrow on them because of their wickedness. But does God really always act this way with every wicked person? That would mean that they would be blown away like straw by the wind, and taken away like worthless chaff by the storm ( ). But is that a uniform law, to which God acts invariably? Surely the friends will have to admit that this is not always true. This is an important argument of Job. After all, there are plenty of wicked people who have long and happy lives. The world is full of wicked people. The percentage of believers is small. Yet God does not put an end to all the wicked, but still endures them. The friends have also said that the children of the wicked are also punished for their iniquity ( ; ). But God does not always do that. Sometimes children do face the consequences of their parents’ sins ( ). However, a child is not punished because of the sins of his parents ( ; ), but because of his own sins ( ; ). In the same way, the wicked is also requited by God, so that he notices that he has sinned against God. Job clearly speaks out against the wicked. He must not be spared his decay, but see it with his own eyes ( ). God must “let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty”. The wicked has expressed contempt for the Almighty ( ). But he will have to deal with Him and drink of His wrath. Then it is over with his talk. Then he will know Who he has always resisted and Who he has always ignored. Once the wicked man has died, there is nothing left of the joy he enjoyed in his wicked life ( ). Once the number of his months has been cut off, he knows nothing more about it. In death, this no longer occupies him. How it goes with those he left behind is not his concern. He does not know what happens after him in his house and with his children. Cutting off the number of his months may indicate sudden death. He dies before he gets old. That can happen to the wicked as well.

‏ Job 21:21

Judgment Is Not Always Directly Visible

Job continues to refute what his friends have said about wickedness and the anger of God that He brings upon these wicked people during their lives. Well, let them prove it. Let them tell him how often it happens “that the lamp of the wicked” is “put out”, that is, that darkness comes into their lives through doom that strikes them because of their wickedness (Job 21:17). This means that their downfall is certain. It comes upon them without them being able to resist it. This happens to them by God Who in His anger inflicts sorrow on them because of their wickedness.

But does God really always act this way with every wicked person? That would mean that they would be blown away like straw by the wind, and taken away like worthless chaff by the storm (Job 21:18). But is that a uniform law, to which God acts invariably? Surely the friends will have to admit that this is not always true. This is an important argument of Job. After all, there are plenty of wicked people who have long and happy lives. The world is full of wicked people. The percentage of believers is small. Yet God does not put an end to all the wicked, but still endures them.

The friends have also said that the children of the wicked are also punished for their iniquity (Job 21:19; Job 20:10). But God does not always do that. Sometimes children do face the consequences of their parents’ sins (Exo 20:5). However, a child is not punished because of the sins of his parents (1Kgs 14:12-13; 2Chr 25:4), but because of his own sins (Eze 18:20; Gal 6:5). In the same way, the wicked is also requited by God, so that he notices that he has sinned against God.

Job clearly speaks out against the wicked. He must not be spared his decay, but see it with his own eyes (Job 21:20). God must “let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty”. The wicked has expressed contempt for the Almighty (Job 21:15). But he will have to deal with Him and drink of His wrath. Then it is over with his talk. Then he will know Who he has always resisted and Who he has always ignored.

Once the wicked man has died, there is nothing left of the joy he enjoyed in his wicked life (Job 21:21). Once the number of his months has been cut off, he knows nothing more about it. In death, this no longer occupies him. How it goes with those he left behind is not his concern. He does not know what happens after him in his house and with his children. Cutting off the number of his months may indicate sudden death. He dies before he gets old. That can happen to the wicked as well.