In chapter 20, Zophar insisted that the happiness of wicked people
could not last. He thought that everybody would agree with him. But
Job could not agree.
Job knew that many wicked people are successful. Moreover, they seem
to be successful for their whole lives. Such people may have loving
famili... [ Continue Reading ]
JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD
Job
_KEITH SIMONS_
Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible.
This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.
CHAPTER 21
JOB REPLIES TO ZOPHAR’S LAST SPEECH
V1 Job replied. He said:
V2 If you listen carefully to my words, then you will comfort... [ Continue Reading ]
Job was unhappy when he thought about the success of wicked people. He
could not explain why he was suffering. And he could not explain why
wicked people may be successful.... [ Continue Reading ]
This idea made Job afraid. Job did not suppose that it is better to be
evil than to be good (verse 16). Job was a holy man. He always tried
to do the right things. He wanted to please God.
But Job had to explain this idea in order to answer Zophar.
WICKED PEOPLE SUCCEED
V7 Wicked people live succ... [ Continue Reading ]
Job described the good lives of some evil people.
Previously, Job had lived a good life like this. He had many animals.
And he had many children. And Job’s own children enjoyed their
parties. Job was a good man. But thieves had taken his animals. And
his children were dead.
Job knew that many evil... [ Continue Reading ]
Evil people do not want to serve anyone. Especially, they do not want
to serve God. They only care about their own pleasure. They do not
pray because they say, ‘We will not benefit if we pray. Prayer is a
waste of time.’
Job did not behave like them. He was glad to serve God (Job 1:5; Job
2:3). He... [ Continue Reading ]
God mattered more to Job than anything else. But Job would still
complain about his situation. He agreed that God should punish evil
people. But Job did not realise when God will punish them. Job already
knew that good people would live again, after the death of their
bodies (Job 19:25-27). But he d... [ Continue Reading ]
This is like Job’s earlier words in Job 3:13-19. Job described well
the death of the body. But he did not describe what happened to the
men’s spirits. See Luke 16:19-26.
THE REPORTS OF TRAVELLERS
V27 I already know your reply. I know the ideas that you plot against
me. V28 You will say, ‘There are... [ Continue Reading ]
Perhaps Job’s friends did not know any evil people who were
successful. Today we often read about such people in the newspapers.
Then, people would hear the news from travellers.... [ Continue Reading ]
In verse 26, Job thought that an evil man’s death was very much like
the death of a good man. The bodies of both men would lie next to each
other in the grave. But as Job thought more, he was not sure about
this. Even the death of an evil man seemed better. He would have good
funeral, and many peopl... [ Continue Reading ]
Zophar supposed that a wicked person would soon suffer terrible
troubles. But Job proved that many wicked people have successful
lives. Neither Job nor Zophar thought about such people’s spirits,
which continue to live after death. Both men said many true things.
But neither could explain the whole... [ Continue Reading ]