Job 21:14–16

He looks at the other side, at the case of the prosperous wicked, and points out that evil men often go on unchecked. They live to old age and become mighty in power. Their families grow up about them, and all stays quiet without the rod of God falling upon them. Flocks and herds increase. His children are like a group of lambs skipping about the home — a sad contrast to Job, who has now lost his own. Inside the home you hear tambourine, harp and pipe. All their days are in prosperity until the end comes. Yet these very men said to God, "Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of Your ways." Like Pharaoh, they ask, "What is the Almighty that we should serve Him?"

"They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. Therefore, they say to God, Depart from us." Job's words are far more solemn and more true than the violent picture Zophar had painted. "We do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what do we gain if we pray to Him?" It is not meant that they say that to man, but that is what their conduct says to God.

They would gladly have a god of their own imagination, one like themselves, who can make light of sin and tolerate all sorts of evil. The God of the Bible, the God of Christianity, the God of the Cross, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, does not suit such unbelieving reasoners. Their deep cry of heart to Him is, "Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of Your ways."

Why is it that men can talk freely about the world, its business and material progress? They can even talk about moral things, questions of reform, and so on, and they gladly tell you their minds about them. But the moment you speak of God, or Christ, the moment someone sets out the truth and the holiness of God, a soul that is estranged from God shrinks back into silence at once. And the silence shows a state of soul which says to God, "Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of Your ways."

Can we imagine that God is indulgent with such an attitude? Certainly not! He shows marvellous patience, but this does not mean indifference. Those who defy God are in a far more dangerous condition than they realise. Future judgment is infinitely more terrible than Job's few years of suffering. They consider they have no profit in praying to God. Such is the self-centred pride of man! They are after present advantage. What they do not know is that even in this life they may find great profit in depending on God's grace.

No creature is enough for himself. Even the whole creation is not enough for the creature God has set in intelligent relationship with Himself. God alone can satisfy the heart of man. Unspeakable woe must be the portion of those who said to God, "Depart from us." In the day of judgment they must hear Him say to them, "Depart from me, you cursed." The souls that will not have Him in time need not expect Him to have them in eternity.

This title for God first appears in Genesis 17:1. In seven places the word for God, El, is joined with Shaddai, usually translated The Almighty. Some interpret the name as "Almighty in sustaining resources" (like a mother's breasts for her baby). It occurs 48 times in the Old Testament, and the Book of Job alone claims no less than 31 of them. In that Book one thought stands out above everything else: the Lord is Almighty.

"They say to God, 'Depart from us!'" Job's words are far more solemn and more true than the violent Zophar had painted. "We do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we get if we pray to Him?" They do not say that to man. That is what their conduct says to God.

First, Job here correctly diagnosed the attitude of the natural man to God. He did it about two thousand years before God inspired Paul to write his letter to the Romans. In the first chapter of that letter we read that men knew God, but "did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him"; and again, that "they did not see fit to acknowledge God." This is the tremendous fact that we have to face. Sin has cut man off from God so completely that he has not the least desire for Him. "No one seeks for God," as Romans 3 states.

And it is obvious that if men have to do with God, they will have to serve Him. So, in the second place, they look at the whole matter from the standpoint of profit here on earth. This is just what multitudes do today, when they ask, What is the good of being religious; what do we get out of it? They are only echoing the words we have here: "What profit do we get if we pray to Him?" We know that "godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (1 Tim. 4:8). But the world has no eyes to see profit like that.

All their days are in prosperity until the end comes. Yet these very men said to God, "Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of Your ways." Like Pharaoh, they ask what the Almighty is, that they should serve Him, and what profit they get if they pray to Him. Job describes their profane defiance of God, which goes unrebuked for so long. But he is careful to express his hatred of such impiety. All that they have is from God, not by their own hand. As he says, "the counsel of the wicked is far from me" (verse 16). All this is true, and it bears out the teaching of Psalm 73, where someone goes through the same struggle as Job.

Can we imagine that God is indulgent with such an attitude? Certainly not! He shows marvellous patience, but this does not mean indifference. Those who defy God are in far more danger than they realise. Future judgment is infinitely more terrible than Job's few years of suffering. They consider they have no profit in praying to God. Such is the self-centred pride of man! What they want is advantage now. In their ignorance they do not realise that even in this life they may find great profit in depending on God's grace.

They may think their prosperity is in their own hands, that they have only themselves to thank for this. How false indeed! God is the Giver of every earthly thing as well as every spiritual one. But men do not give God the credit due to Him (v.16). No wonder Job says, "The counsel of the wicked is far from me."

Job declares they reject and defy God; they laugh at the thought of praying to Him. Then he gives his own personal testimony: "the counsel of the wicked is far from me." In this he shows his friends that they are wrong to class him with the wicked.

"Lo, their good is not in their hand; the counsel of the wicked is far from me." Job was farther from these people than his three friends. It is very possible that these three friends liked to be on good terms with people who were doing so well, for that is a very common snare. People like to be in what they call "good company," and to be respected by people who are respectable in this life; but where is Christ in all that? Our hearts are called to be with what Christ values, and with those whom Christ loves. I do not say we are not to have compassion for the very worst of people — of course we should; but this love is of a different kind altogether.

Here you can see that he admits the other side. It is just as true that God does not leave Himself without witness. He presses the point that the present world is no expression of God's moral government. But he admits that, while men look prosperous, God's blow falls on them; in a moment their candle goes out. So he does allow for these exceptional dealings.

You see, what Zophar and the others press, was only a half a truth. Now half a truth never sanctifies. What you leave out is perhaps of equal, or, it may be, of still greater importance, and there was just the difference. With all his defect, Job really was cleaving to the truth, and he looked at it with a larger heart and with a more exercised conscience.

Job describes how openly these men defy God, and how long that goes unchecked. Even so, he takes care to say how much he hates such contempt for God: "Lo, their good is not by their own hand" (all that they have is from God); "the counsel of the wicked is far from me" (v. 16). All this is true, and it bears out the teaching of Psalm 73, where someone goes through the same trial he does.