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24 “Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty,
and why do those who know him never see his days?
Some move landmarks;
they seize flocks and pasture them.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
They thrust the poor off the road;
the poor of the earth all hide themselves.
Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert
the poor go out to their toil, seeking game;
the wasteland yields food for their children.
They gather their fodder in the field,
and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man.
They lie all night naked, without clothing,
and have no covering in the cold.
They are wet with the rain of the mountains
and cling to the rock for lack of shelter.
(There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast,
and they take a pledge against the poor.)
They go about naked, without clothing;
hungry, they carry the sheaves;
among the olive rows of the wicked they make oil;
they tread the winepresses, but suffer thirst.
From out of the city the dying groan,
and the soul of the wounded cries for help;
yet God charges no one with wrong.
“There are those who rebel against the light,
who are not acquainted with its ways,
and do not stay in its paths.
The murderer rises before it is light,
that he may kill the poor and needy,
and in the night he is like a thief.
The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight,
saying, ‘No eye will see me’;
and he veils his face.
In the dark they dig through houses;
by day they shut themselves up;
they do not know the light.
For deep darkness is morning to all of them;
for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.
“You say, ‘Swift are they on the face of the waters;
their portion is cursed in the land;
no treader turns toward their vineyards.
Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters;
so does Sheol those who have sinned.
The womb forgets them;
the worm finds them sweet;
they are no longer remembered,
so wickedness is broken like a tree.’
“They wrong the barren, childless woman,
and do no good to the widow.
Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power;
they rise up when they despair of life.
He gives them security, and they are supported,
and his eyes are upon their ways.
They are exalted a little while, and then are gone;
they are brought low and gathered up like all others;
they are cut off like the heads of grain.
If it is not so, who will prove me a liar
and show that there is nothing in what I say?”
(ESV)
Job continues on his theme of questioning why the wicked get away with so much. To the theology his friends have adopted, it makes no sense for Job to question this if he is guilty. He is calling out judgment for those who continue to mock and ignore God with their lives. Why has God waited to punish them but allowed this suffering to overcome Job?
I was reminded of a few verses that illustrate this point.
Our human fathers punished us for a short time, as it seemed right to them; but God does it for our own good, so that we may share his holiness. 11 When we are punished, it seems to us at the time something to make us sad, not glad. Later, however, those who have been disciplined by such punishment reap the peaceful reward of a righteous life.
Hebrews 12:10-11 GNB
All discipline seems painful, but what is produced afterward? Peace and righteousness. Do you need more peace in your life? Do you want to be more like Jesus? The pathway to peace and righteousness involves a trek through the valley of God’s discipline. Peace and righteousness are also qualities we cannot produce on our own. These mysterious blessings spring forth in our lives after we persevere through the pain and struggle.
What does this mean practically?
After our time of discipline, we grow to hate sin and love holiness. That sin that has plagued us for so long no longer holds the same power over us because we have been through the storms of life and seen the faithful hand of God. Rebellion turns to obedience. The chastening of God turns the soul toward spiritual matters – Bible reading, prayer, fasting, and humble service. Ultimately, this process leads to true joy.
This Melchizedek was king of Salem and a priest of the Most High God. As Abraham was coming back from the battle in which he defeated the four kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him one tenth of all he had taken. (The first meaning of Melchizedek’s name is “King of Righteousness”; and because he was king of Salem, his name also means “King of Peace.”)
Hebrews 7:1-2 GNB
Jesus is the King of righteousness and peace! If we want to be like Him, we must submit to His hand of discipline. It will not be pleasant and comfortable, but it will echo into spiritual places.