Job’s friends continue to call him wicked and accuse him of wrong doing, for why else would he be suffering the way he is??
It must be God’s punishment, they retort.
In Job 20, Zophar explains that justice will reign upon the wicked; in the end they will get what they deserve. He explains it quite beautifully actually; a great encouragement and reminder to us, although a blunt warning and threat to Job that the bad guy gets what he deserves.
“Surely you know how it has been from of old, ever since man was placed on the earth, that the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment. Though his pride reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, he will perish forever, like his own dung…” Job 20:4-7 (niv)
I love how God totally has our back; on goes the battle gear and He’s ready to fight!
God puts the bad guy in his place from the inside out…
“Though evil is sweet in his mouth, though he hides it under his tongue, though he is loath to let it go and holds it in his mouth … He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly.” Job 20:12-13, 15
He pulls on His tactical gloves and draws back the bow…
“…God will send his burning anger against him and rain it upon him into his body. He will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike him through.” Job 20:23-24
Isn’t it comforting to know that the bad guy doesn’t win? They won’t get away with it. Whatever they have done or are doing, they will pay.
“It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.” Deuteronomy 32:35
The Bible even tells us that bad guy will get what he deserves!
“God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done.'” Romans 2:6 (niv)
But then why does it always seem like 
?
My daughter Sami tried out for the volleyball team a few weeks ago and there were something like 58 girls trying out. As it was in the “old” days (I use that term very loosely because I in no way consider myself old), the most coveted team to get on is the “A” team. If you made it on the “A” team, you would be set…but with only 18 spots available she didn’t even have a 50% chance… the under-par would go to the “B” team and in this case, “B” team 1 or 2!!
Great.
Sam hasn’t played a lot of volleyball. She loves it and from what I’ve seen she’s, of course, AWESOME…
But the local private sport teams are terribly expensive so our kids often times aren’t able to participate, but I figure Sam has as good of chance as any to get on the “A” team right?
When I went to pick her up from tryouts, I waited anxiously. She plodded over to the van; head down, shoulders slumped and I knew the outcome. She opened the door, plopped into the seat and huffed a discouraging sigh as she said “I didn’t make it. All of the popular girls made it.”
“What makes them popular?” I asked and she quickly responded, “They’re the mean girls. The pretty, rich, mean girls who get everything.”
You can practically hear Job’s incredulous gasp from chapter 21 as he echoes Sami…
“Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them. They sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.” Job 21:7, 9, 11
It seems in this world that it’s the people who don’t care about others that get the furthest. The ones who display greediness, selfishness, arrogance and conceit. The ones who have lots of money and love to control and manipulate with a “me first” attitude.
But take heart, we don’t know God’s plans. Why one girl gets on the “A” team and her equally talented twin sister doesn’t, is His doing. Like Job says in verse 21:22, who are we to question? Whether the bad guy gets it today, a month from now or not in this lifetime, he will eventually have to give an answer…
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10
and one day God will ride in on a fiery steed to swoop us up, save the day and make everything right…
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:11, 15-16
Sami made the “B” team. “B” team 1 or 2? It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that God surrounded her with all of her friends, all of the people who love her.
After all, who wants to be a stranger on the “A” team?!!
God knows what He’s doing.
Proverbs 3:5
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