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Commentary on Job 21 verses 17–26
Job had largely described the prosperity of wicked people; now, in these verses,
I. He opposes this to what his friends had maintained concerning their certain ruin in this life. "Tell me how often do you see the candle of the wicked put out? Do you not as often see it burnt down to the socket, until it goes out of itself? Job 21:17. How often do you see their destruction come upon them, or God distributing sorrows in his anger among them? Do you not as often see their mirth and prosperity continuing to the last?" Perhaps there are as many instances of notorious sinners ending their days in pomp as ending them in misery, which observation is sufficient to invalidate their arguments against Job and to show that no certain judgment can be made of men's character by their outward condition.
II. He reconciles this to the holiness and justice of God. Though wicked people prosper thus all their days, yet we are not therefore to think that God will let their wickedness always go unpunished. No, 1. Even while they prosper thus they are as stubble and chaff before the stormy wind, Job 21:18. They are light and worthless, and of no account either with God or with wise and good men. They are fitted to destruction, and continually lie exposed to it, and in the height of their pomp and power there is but a step between them and ruin. 2. Though they spend all their days in wealth God is laying up their iniquity for their children (Job 21:19), and he will visit it upon their posterity when they are gone. The oppressor lays up his goods for his children, to make them gentlemen, but God lays up his iniquity for them, to make them beggars. He keeps an exact account of the fathers' sins, seals them up among his treasures (Deu 32:34), and will justly punish the children, while the riches, to which the curse cleaves, are found as assets in their hands. 3. Though they prosper in this world, yet they shall be reckoned with in another world. God rewards him according to his deeds at last (Job 21:19), though the sentence passed against his evil works be not executed speedily. Perhaps he may not now be made to fear the wrath to come, but he may flatter himself with hopes that he shall have peace though he go on; but he shall be made to feel it in the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. He shall know it (Job 21:20): His eyes shall see his destruction which he would not be persuaded to believe. They will not see, but they shall see, Isa 26:11. The eyes that have been wilfully shut against the grace of God shall be opened to see his destruction. He shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty; that shall be the portion of his cup. Compare Psa 11:6 with Rev 14:10. The misery of damned sinners is here set forth in a few words, but very terrible ones. They lie under the wrath of an Almighty God, who, in their destruction, both shows his wrath and makes known his power; and, if this will be his condition in the other world, what good will his prosperity in this world do him? What pleasure has he in his house after him? Job 21:21. Our Saviour has let us know how little pleasure the rich man in hell had in his house after him, when the remembrance of the good things he had received in his life-time would not cool his tongue, but added much to his misery, as did also the sorrow he was in lest his five brethren, whom he left in his house after him, should follow him to that place of torment, Luk 16:25-28. So little will the gain of the world profit him that has lost his soul.
III. He resolves this difference which Providence makes between one wicked man and another into the wisdom and sovereignty of God (Job 21:22): Shall any pretend to teach God knowledge? Dare we arraign God's proceedings or blame his conduct? Shall we take upon us to tell God how he should govern the world, what sinner he should spare and whom he should punish? He has both authority and ability to judge those that are high. Angels in heaven, princes and magistrates on earth, are accountable to God, and must receive their doom from him. He manages them, and makes what use he pleases of them. Shall he then be accountable to us, or receive advice from us? He is the Judge of all the earth, and therefore no doubt he will do right (Gen 18:25, Rom 3:6), and those proceedings of his providence which seem to contradict one another he can make, not only mutually to agree, but jointly to serve his own purposes. The little difference there is between one wicked man's dying so in pain and misery, when both will at last meet in hell, he illustrates by the little difference there is between one man's dying suddenly and another's dying slowly, when they will both meet shortly in the grave. So vast is the disproportion between time and eternity that, if hell be the lot of every sinner at last, it makes little difference if one goes singing thither and another sighing. See,
1.How various the circumstances of people's dying are. There is one way into the world, we say, but many out; yet, as some are born by quick and easy labour, others by that which is hard and lingering, so dying is to some much more terrible than to others; and, since the death of the body is the birth of the soul into another world, death-bed agonies may not unfitly be compared to child-bed throes. Observe the difference. (1.) One dies suddenly, in his full strength, not weakened by age or sickness (Job 21:23), being wholly at ease and quiet, under no apprehension at all of the approach of death, nor in any fear of it; but, on the contrary, because his breasts are full of milk and his bones moistened with marrow (Job 21:24), that is, he is healthful and vigorous, and of a good constitution (like a milch cow that is fat and in good liking), he counts upon nothing but to live many years in mirth and pleasure. Thus fair does he bid for life, and yet he is cut off in a moment by the stroke of death. Note, It is a common thing for persons to be taken away by death when they are in their full strength, in the highest degree of health, when they least expect death, and think themselves best armed against it, and are ready not only to set death at a distance, but to set it at defiance. Let us therefore never be secure; for we have known many well and dead in the same week, the same day, the same hour, nay, perhaps, the same minute. Let us therefore be always ready. (2.) Another dies slowly, and with a great deal of previous pain and misery (Job 21:25), in the betterness of his soul, such as poor Job was himself now in, and never eats with pleasure, has no appetite to his food nor any relish of it, through sickness, or age, or sorrow of mind. What great reason have those to be thankful that are in health and always eat with pleasure! And what little reason have those to complain who sometimes do not eat thus, when they hear of many that never do!
2.How undiscernible this difference is in the grave. As rich and poor, so healthful and unhealthful, meet there (Job 21:26): They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them, and feed sweetly on them. Thus, if one wicked man die in a palace and another in a dungeon, they will meet in the congregation of the dead and damned, and the worm that dies not, and the fire that is not quenched, will be the same to them, which makes those differences inconsiderable and not worth perplexing ourselves about.
Since he spoke before him [Zophar] and said “from the time man was set upon the earth,” things go on in this manner. Job addresses his reproaches to him, because he ignores what is clear and evident. He says to him, you asserted that things are not as I said, but quite the opposite. Therefore, no one must know the secret plans of God, who rules the entire creation. Now tell me, why are those who are not impious punished? One is in need, the other in wealth, but their wickedness is the same.
61. When in the things, which are done concerning us, we have doubts, we ought to look at others, which are well known to us, and to pacify that murmuring of the thought, which had arisen to us in consequence of our uncertainty. For see, whereas scourges recover the Elect to life, and not even scourges keep the wicked from bad deeds, Almighty God’s judgments upon us are very secret and are not unjust. But if we stretch the eye of our mind to the things above, we see by those that touching ourselves we have nought to complain of with justice. For Almighty God discerning the merits of Angels, ordained some to abide in eternal light without falling, others, fallen of free will from the standing of their loftiness, He laid low in the vengeance of eternal damnation. By us, then, He doth nothing unjustly, Who judged justly even a nature more refined than ours. So let him say; Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing that He judgeth those that are high. For He that doeth wonderful things above our level, it is surely plain that touching ourselves He ordereth all things with knowledge. This then being set first, he adds, where it is the mind of man is wearied in making research.
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SUMMARY
Job 21:22 presents a profound rhetorical question from Job, challenging the simplistic, retribution-based theology of his friends and asserting the absolute, incomprehensible nature of God's wisdom and sovereign authority. Within a chapter where Job confronts the perplexing reality of the wicked often prospering and dying peacefully, this verse pivots to declare that no human, nor any exalted being, can presume to instruct or question the Almighty, for God's judgment extends even to the highest realms, operating on a plane far beyond human comprehension or interference. It is a powerful affirmation of divine omniscience and ultimate control over all creation.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 21:22 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound theological message. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question, "Shall [any] teach God knowledge?" This question is not posed to elicit information but to make an emphatic statement, highlighting the absurdity and arrogance of such a notion. It forces the listener (and the reader) to acknowledge God's absolute omniscience and the inherent limitations of human wisdom. Following this, there is a clear Juxtaposition between the finite, limited human capacity for understanding and the infinite, boundless wisdom of God. The verse also utilizes an Argument from the Greater to the Lesser: if God judges "those that are high" (the most exalted beings in creation), then His wisdom and authority are undeniably supreme and not in need of instruction from lesser beings, i.e., humanity. This implicitly uses Hyperbole to emphasize the vast chasm between human and divine understanding, making any attempt to "teach God" seem utterly preposterous and futile.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 21:22 stands as a profound declaration of divine transcendence, asserting God's absolute sovereignty, unsearchable wisdom, and ultimate authority over all creation. It challenges any human attempt to fully comprehend or dictate the ways of the Almighty, especially concerning the complex issues of justice and suffering. The verse reminds us that God's knowledge is inherent and complete, not acquired or dependent on human counsel. His judgments, even when they seem contradictory to our limited understanding, are perfect and extend to the highest echelons of power, both earthly and spiritual. This truth calls believers to a posture of profound humility, trust, and worship, recognizing that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts. It serves as a crucial corrective to any theology that attempts to confine God within human logic or predictable systems, urging instead a reverent submission to His inscrutable yet perfect will.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 21:22 calls us to a radical reorientation of our perspective on God, especially when faced with life's perplexing realities. In a world where suffering often seems arbitrary and the wicked appear to prosper, it is tempting to question God's justice or even presume to offer Him advice on how to manage His creation. This verse, however, serves as a powerful antidote to such spiritual arrogance. It encourages us to cultivate a profound humility, acknowledging that God's wisdom far surpasses our own, and His judgments operate on a scale and with a purpose we cannot fully grasp. Instead of demanding answers or attempting to fit God into our neat theological boxes, we are invited to trust in His ultimate goodness and perfect justice, even when circumstances defy our expectations. This posture of reverence and submission frees us from the burden of needing to understand everything and allows us to rest in the sovereign care of a God who judges even "those that are high," ensuring that all things will ultimately work according to His wise and righteous plan.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "those that are high" refer to in Job 21:22?
Answer: The phrase "those that are high" (Hebrew: ramim, derived from the root H7311 rûwm) is comprehensive, referring to any exalted or powerful entity. This can include: 1) Earthly rulers and powerful individuals: God's judgment extends even to kings and potentates who might otherwise seem beyond accountability. 2) Nations or empires: God exercises sovereignty over the rise and fall of kingdoms, holding even the mightiest empires accountable. 3) Spiritual beings or angelic hosts: Some interpretations suggest it could even encompass angelic powers or cosmic forces, emphasizing God's dominion over all realms, visible and invisible. The core message is that no being, no matter how elevated or mighty, is beyond God's ultimate authority and judgment. This reinforces the idea that if God judges such powerful entities, He certainly does not need instruction from humanity (see Psalm 82:1).
How does Job 21:22 relate to the broader biblical theme of God's hiddenness or incomprehensibility?
Answer: Job 21:22 is a powerful affirmation of God's transcendence and His "hiddenness" in certain aspects of His wisdom and judgment. It directly challenges the notion that humans can fully grasp or dictate God's ways. Throughout Scripture, there's a tension between God's revelation of Himself and His ultimate incomprehensibility. While God reveals enough for us to know Him and His will (e.g., Deuteronomy 29:29), there remain "secret things" that belong only to Him, which are beyond human discovery or comprehension. This verse underscores that God's knowledge is perfect and His judgments are beyond our full understanding, particularly when they don't align with our expectations of immediate retribution or justice. It encourages a faith that trusts God's character even when His methods are mysterious, echoing sentiments found in Isaiah 55:8-9.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 21:22, with its declaration of God's unassailable wisdom and supreme authority, finds its ultimate fulfillment and clearest revelation in Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament often speaks of God's incomprehensible wisdom (e.g., Isaiah 40:13), the New Testament reveals that Christ is the wisdom of God personified (see 1 Corinthians 1:24). In Him, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden (compare Colossians 2:3). Furthermore, the verse states that God "judgeth those that are high," a truth profoundly manifested in Christ, to whom all judgment has been committed by the Father (as declared in John 5:22). Jesus, through His life, death, and resurrection, perfectly embodied the Father's sovereign will and wisdom, even when that path seemed illogical or weak to human eyes (1 Corinthians 1:25). His willingness to submit to the Father's seemingly inscrutable plan, even to the point of death on a cross, serves as the ultimate example of humility before divine wisdom, inviting us to trust God's perfect plan even when it defies our limited understanding, knowing that in Christ, God's ultimate justice and wisdom are fully revealed and accomplished.