WEEKLY SUNDAY
SCHOOL LESSON
An international
Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday October 19, 2014
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DEFIANT
FAITHFULNESS
(GOD
brings justice how and when HE chooses)
(Job
24)
When GOD began testing Job with
various forms of suffering, it prompted him to think a lot about the seemingly
unfair sufferings of others who were less fortunate than himself. Perhaps he
had not considered these things for quite some time because he had been blessed
with such an opulent lifestyle for so long.
Maybe one of the
reasons GOD allowed these things to happen to Job, that are highlighted here in
his book, is to allow him to get back in touch with his compassion for those
who were less fortunate, and were not closely related to him. After all, JESUS
does remind us (Matthew 25:31-46) that when HE returns to judge us, HE will do
so, by basing those judgments in accordance to “how we reacted to human need”.
Here in Job 24, even
though Job does recoil a bit from actually confronting GOD, he does seem to
question what he believes is GOD’s indifference in judgment of good and evil.
In this passage the pressure weighing down on Job, is causing a frustration in
him, that has led him to thoughts that GOD is unfair, or at least,
lackadaisical in HIS attitude toward sin in this world. It is an accusation
that I myself have heard from people many times over the years, “why does GOD allow bad things to happen to
(so-called) “good people”, which is an arrogant thought in itself, because
the Scripture teaches us that none is good, except GOD HIMSELF. Everyone is
deserving of punishment, based on our rebellious lifestyle against GOD, at one
time or the other, and are deserving of whatever form of discipline GOD chooses
to correct us with, whenever HE chooses to correct us.
Here in this passage,
Job seems to arrogantly think that he can dictate to GOD who, when, and how HE
should judge mankind. And even though he raises some very good questions, he
raises those questions without an ounce of the wisdom that it takes to make
such divine decisions about GOD’s universe and mankind’s effect on it, and, on
each other.
Man cannot think from
the standpoint of GOD, no matter how good his intentions may be, because he can
never have the infinite wisdom that only GOD can safely possess, or the purity
that GOD embodies. Man (the created) can’t “(krino) judge” other men, simply
because we are all, ourselves, “men under judgment” and scrutiny from the
CREATOR, GOD.
Only GOD can make the
decision as to when, how, and even why, HE judges, or blesses anyone. It is not
for man to tell GOD what is “fair” or “unfair”, seeing how HE is the CREATOR of
the aspects of both terms, and gives both terms their definitions. What is
fair, is what GOD says is fair, not man, and what is unfair, is what GOD
defines as unfair. It is beyond man’s ability to re-define any term that GOD
has already defined (i.e. marriage), and even if we do, it doesn’t count for
anything in GOD’s mind, because HE remains sovereign in all things, no matter
what we think.
In verse 1 of this
chapter Job asks, “Why doesn’t the
almighty open the court and bring judgment? Why must the GODly wait for HIM in
vain? Job then goes on a poetic tirade listing several injustices, and bad
choices that people make in this world that affect, themselves, and the lives
of others, even in this day and age (Vs.2-17):
2 Evil people steal land by
moving the boundary markers.
They steal livestock and put them in their own pastures.
3 They take the orphan’s donkey
and demand the widow’s ox as security for a loan.
4 The poor are pushed off the path;
the needy must hide together for safety.
5 Like wild donkeys in the wilderness,
the poor must spend all their time looking for food,
searching even in the desert for food for their children.
6 They harvest a field they do not own,
and they glean in the vineyards of the wicked.
7 All night they lie naked in the cold,
without clothing or covering.
8 They are soaked by mountain showers,
and they huddle against the rocks for want of a home.
They steal livestock and put them in their own pastures.
3 They take the orphan’s donkey
and demand the widow’s ox as security for a loan.
4 The poor are pushed off the path;
the needy must hide together for safety.
5 Like wild donkeys in the wilderness,
the poor must spend all their time looking for food,
searching even in the desert for food for their children.
6 They harvest a field they do not own,
and they glean in the vineyards of the wicked.
7 All night they lie naked in the cold,
without clothing or covering.
8 They are soaked by mountain showers,
and they huddle against the rocks for want of a home.
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.
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.
13 “Wicked people rebel
against the LIGHT.
They refuse to acknowledge its ways
or stay in its paths.
14 The murderer rises in the early dawn
to kill the poor and needy;
at night he is a thief.
15 The adulterer waits for the twilight,
saying, ‘No one will see me then.’
He hides his face so no one will know him.
16 Thieves break into houses at night
and sleep in the daytime.
They are not acquainted with the LIGHT.
17 The black night is their morning.
They ally themselves with the terrors of the darkness. (NLT)
They refuse to acknowledge its ways
or stay in its paths.
14 The murderer rises in the early dawn
to kill the poor and needy;
at night he is a thief.
15 The adulterer waits for the twilight,
saying, ‘No one will see me then.’
He hides his face so no one will know him.
16 Thieves break into houses at night
and sleep in the daytime.
They are not acquainted with the LIGHT.
17 The black night is their morning.
They ally themselves with the terrors of the darkness. (NLT)
In HIS infinite wisdom,
GOD ultimately decided to create mankind, and HE endowed him with “wills that
are free”. HE doesn’t force us to choose neither good, nor evil, in fact, all
HE does is present us with both scenarios to choose from. In other words, we
have the GOD-given right to choose between “good” and “evil”, which are two
more terms that are defined only by GOD. HE tells us in HIS Word, those things
that are good, and HE tells us about those things that are evil, but then, HE
leaves it to us to choose which route we wish to take. If we choose what HE
says is right, we can enjoy special favor and blessing from HIM, and if we
choose what HE says is wrong, or evil, then, we invite curses upon ourselves
and others, which is the opposite of blessings (Deuteronomy 28).
In the end (Vs.18-25)
Job shows us that he is certain that the wicked will be punished, in fact, this
section of this passage even seems to contradict the first 17 verses entirely.
Still, in the end we see Job confirming to his friend, Eliphaz, his confidence
that GOD will eventually hand the obedient, and the wicked their just rewards,
or punishment.
Job shows here that he
understands that both the righteous, and the wicked, suffer and prosper, in the
same world, at the same time, and that, GOD brings justice how and when HE
chooses, to both sides, regardless to what we think HE ought to do, and when we
think HE ought to do it.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER-
Official Website
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