Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Job+020
CHAPTER 20 (ESV)
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “Therefore my thoughts answer me,
because of my haste within me.
3 I hear censure that insults me,
and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.
4 Do you not know this from of old,
since man was placed on earth,
5 that the exulting of the wicked is short,
and the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 Though his height mount up to the heavens,
and his head reach to the clouds,
7 he will perish forever like his own dung;
those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
REFLECTION:
Although Zophar was wrong in his judgment for Job, his statement about the end of the wicked was right. Committing sins seems to be enjoyable and attractive at first. Lying, stealing, or oppressing others often brings temporary benefits to the offender. Some who have ill-gotten wealth can live long, but God’s justice will prevail. However, Zophar overlooked that the trial of sins does not necessarily take place in the life of the sinner. The punishment may not come until the final judgment, when the sinner will be separated from God forever. We should not solely look at the prosperity and power of the wicked. God’s judgment on them is doomed. Remember that evildoers will perish. If you are a person who obeys God’s truth, God will hold your hand and walk with you. He will guide you with His precepts, and He will receive you into glory in the future.
PRAYER:
God, when I see the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering, my heart becomes resentful. My anger causes me to forget that You are a righteous God who will not leave the guilty unpunished. You are also the eternal Lord, who regards a day as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day. You will surely judge evil, though it may not happen within the lifetime of the wicked. The punishment might only come at the final judgment, when the wicked will be eternally separated from You. Please help me not to turn away from You due to weak faith. Help me to be a person who follows the truth and walks with You until You bring me into glory and I see Your justice revealed.
HYMN:
Filled with Your Glory – www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdHDGwecUXs
