Job 21:1-34
21:1-3 Even though his friends continued to ignore him, Job implored his friends to listen. Still, he knew that even if they listened, their hearts were set against supporting him or accepting his truth.
21:4 Job really wanted it to bee understood that his dilemma was spiritual. The events of his life seemed to contradict everything he believed about God and so he was trying to find order and reason for his distress.
21:5 Job knew that if his friends would take a moment to honestly look at his situation, they would easily see the same seeming spiritual-disorder that Job saw. He had lived a righteous life and was faithful to God, so even though it felt like he was being punished, he knew it could not be the case.
We cannot always interpret the reason for certain situations or seasons in our life but our dependence on God will remind us that there is reason and purpose. Our relationship with God reminds us that He performs justice over and within our lives, even when the circumstance seems desperate or unfair.
21:6-16 It astonished Job that the wicked seemed to prosper better than he did. So many over generations have questioned the order of the world and the prosperity of the corrupt. Answers to those questions can only come through a steadfast relationship with God. Job understood that and it was a large part of the reason why he was so steadfast in faith.
21:17-21 In his distress, Job felt that no punishment of the wicked would ever be enough. But at the core of Job's depression were the circumstances of his own life that had nothing to do with the wicked or anyone else. To have order in our minds and peace in our heart, we need to be spiritually aligned with God. Our spiritual journey is an internal one that cannot be built, strengthened or healed by our focus on the external.
21:22-26 Even though the nature of the world did not make sense to him, Job knew that he did not know better than God. We must be careful not to lean too heavily on our own logic, especially that separate from God. We do not have the whole perspective and therefore cannot properly analyze or judge anything or anyone.
Job was honest with God: he did not understand. But Job knew that God understand all things and that was ultimately enough for him. Sometimes we also must admit to God that we do not understand something... but we find peace when we know and believe that at least God does.
21:27-34 Job brought to God his deep, existential questions. His friends were out of their league. They did not possess the spiritual wisdom to answer him with any truth. Job questioned the system of the world, the system of justice within the world and after it. His own situation caused him to wonder if there was any satisfying justice.
Remember, however, that Job questioned God's justice because he thought he found a flaw. But what Job perceived to be a flaw was not actually one. Job had been chosen by God for a purpose. His life was more blessed with nothing than it was when he had everything. So we cannot allow our faith to destruct simply because we think we find flaws. God does not make errors. There are no gaps in His justice system.
