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Job 24

24:1 Job Complains of Violence on the Earth

"Since times are not hidden from the Almighty,Why do those who know Him see not His days?
2 "Some remove landmarks;They seize flocks violently and feed on them; 3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;They take the widow's ox as a pledge. 4 They push the needy off the road;All the poor of the land are forced to hide. 5 Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert,They go out to their work, searching for food.The wilderness yields food for them and for their children. 6 They gather their fodder in the field And glean in the vineyard of the wicked. 7 They spend the night naked, without clothing,And have no covering in the cold. 8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains,And huddle around the rock for want of shelter.
9 "Some snatch the fatherless from the breast,And take a pledge from the poor. 10 They cause the poor to go naked, without clothing;And they take away the sheaves from the hungry. 11 They press out oil within their walls,And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst. 12 The dying groan in the city,And the souls of the wounded cry out;Yet God does not charge them with wrong.
13 "There are those who rebel against the light;They do not know its ways Nor abide in its paths. 14 The murderer rises with the light;He kills the poor and needy;And in the night he is like a thief. 15 The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,Saying, 'No eye will see me';And he disguises his face. 16 In the dark they break into houses Which they marked for themselves in the daytime;They do not know the light. 17 For the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death;If someone recognizes them,They are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
18 "They should be swift on the face of the waters,Their portion should be cursed in the earth,So that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards. 19 As drought and heat consume the snow waters,So the grave consumes those who have sinned. 20 The womb should forget him,The worm should feed sweetly on him;He should be remembered no more,And wickedness should be broken like a tree. 21 For he preys on the barren who do not bear,And does no good for the widow.
22 "But God draws the mighty away with His power;He rises up, but no man is sure of life. 23 He gives them security, and they rely on it;Yet His eyes are on their ways. 24 They are exalted for a little while,Then they are gone.They are brought low;They are taken out of the way like all others;They dry out like the heads of grain.
25 "Now if it is not so, who will prove me a liar,And make my speech worth nothing?"

Job 25

25:1 Bildad: How Can Man Be Righteous?

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 "Dominion and fear belong to Him;He makes peace in His high places. 3 Is there any number to His armies?Upon whom does His light not rise? 4 How then can man be righteous before God?Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? 5 If even the moon does not shine,And the stars are not pure in His sight, 6 How much less man, who is a maggot,And a son of man, who is a worm?"

24:1 Job Complains of Violence on the Earth

"Since times are not hidden from the Almighty,Why do those who know Him see not His days?
2 "Some remove landmarks;They seize flocks violently and feed on them; 3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;They take the widow's ox as a pledge. 4 They push the needy off the road;All the poor of the land are forced to hide. 5 Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert,They go out to their work, searching for food.The wilderness yields food for them and for their children. 6 They gather their fodder in the field And glean in the vineyard of the wicked. 7 They spend the night naked, without clothing,And have no covering in the cold. 8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains,And huddle around the rock for want of shelter.
9 "Some snatch the fatherless from the breast,And take a pledge from the poor. 10 They cause the poor to go naked, without clothing;And they take away the sheaves from the hungry. 11 They press out oil within their walls,And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst. 12 The dying groan in the city,And the souls of the wounded cry out;Yet God does not charge them with wrong.
13 "There are those who rebel against the light;They do not know its ways Nor abide in its paths. 14 The murderer rises with the light;He kills the poor and needy;And in the night he is like a thief. 15 The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,Saying, 'No eye will see me';And he disguises his face. 16 In the dark they break into houses Which they marked for themselves in the daytime;They do not know the light. 17 For the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death;If someone recognizes them,They are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
18 "They should be swift on the face of the waters,Their portion should be cursed in the earth,So that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards. 19 As drought and heat consume the snow waters,So the grave consumes those who have sinned. 20 The womb should forget him,The worm should feed sweetly on him;He should be remembered no more,And wickedness should be broken like a tree. 21 For he preys on the barren who do not bear,And does no good for the widow.
22 "But God draws the mighty away with His power;He rises up, but no man is sure of life. 23 He gives them security, and they rely on it;Yet His eyes are on their ways. 24 They are exalted for a little while,Then they are gone.They are brought low;They are taken out of the way like all others;They dry out like the heads of grain.
25 "Now if it is not so, who will prove me a liar,And make my speech worth nothing?"

Job 25

25:1 Bildad: How Can Man Be Righteous?

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 "Dominion and fear belong to Him;He makes peace in His high places. 3 Is there any number to His armies?Upon whom does His light not rise? 4 How then can man be righteous before God?Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? 5 If even the moon does not shine,And the stars are not pure in His sight, 6 How much less man, who is a maggot,And a son of man, who is a worm?"

Second Reading: Psalms Chapter 57

Psalms 57

57:1 Prayer for Safety from Enemies
(cf. Ps 108:1-5)
To the Chief Musician. Set to "Do Not Destroy." A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!For my soul trusts in You;And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,Until these calamities have passed by.
2 I will cry out to God Most High,To God who performs all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven and save me;He reproaches the one who would swallow me up.SelahGod shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
4 My soul is among lions;I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire,Whose teeth are spears and arrows,And their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;Let Your glory be above all the earth.
6 They have prepared a net for my steps;My soul is bowed down;They have dug a pit before me;Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen.Selah
7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake, my glory!Awake, lute and harp!I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;I will sing to You among the nations. 10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,And Your truth unto the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;Let Your glory be above all the earth.

GOOD VS. EVIL

Part 7 of 7

WHY IS THERE SUFFERING, PAIN, AND DEATH

We are told in the first chapters of Genesis that death was the ultimate punishment for sin. In Romans 6 we are told that the wages of sin is death. Sin--that which is in opposition to God-- cannot survive. The original pronouncement against sin is found in Genesis 3:17-19:

"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

Death came because of sin. God could have killed Adam and Eve immediately. Instead he allowed them to live for a time. That time of living though included suffering and pain. As with any pain, there is a purpose. Pain tells us that something is wrong and needs to be fixed. If we did not have pain, when we cut ourselves we may not be aware of the injury. An untreated injury can cause premature death. Untreated sin can lead to eternal death. Suffering and pain is God's warning system.

Why do the righteous suffer? Consider these verses:

• Romans 5: 3-4 "...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
• Philippians 3:10-11 "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."
• Hebrew 5:8 "Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered..."

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