Job 27:15 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Job 27:15

Comments

‘Those that remain’, the children of the wicked, face further woes. They will be buried in death, which in context must mean premature death. ‘His widows’ is singular in Hebrew and so refers to the wives of the wicked man himself and not of his children; this may suggest that he was a polygamist. Although it is natural for a wife to weep for her husband, even if only for personal reasons – because he is her source of security and provision – yet so unpleasant was this man that, when he is gone, his own wives experience little sorrow and do not mourn for him.Illusory thoughts of wealth and earthly security drive the covetous to store up more and more in this world, far more sometimes than they can actually consume. The mere possession of these riches gives them pleasure and makes them feel safe, for they have never learnt to depend on God. But what they store up and never find time to enjoy – other than through the miserly pleasure of staring at what they have hoarded – God removes and gives to others whom he favours more. It is his prerogative to dispense his rewards as he sees fit, and in taking from those who have and do not deserve to have, and giving to those who do not have whom he loves, he signals the difference between the two in his estimation. The wicked are therefore made to do this hard work for others and to store up goods for those they despise. How could they be more justly punished for their idolatrous lusts? The just innocently enjoy what God gives them and thank him from their hearts, and the wicked are cannot contest what God gives the righteous, for no crime was committed in this transfer and who can doubt that God who owns all things did it by his sovereign will?The houses of the wealthy are of course constructed out of the strongest and the most enduring materials. They are designed by the best architects and built by the most skilled craftsmen so that they are the envy of all who see them. They are designed to last far longer than their mortal inhabitants and long after they are gone, they still stand, so what does Job mean: ‘He builds his house like a moth’ for a moth surely builds a very insubstantial house? This is the point of the illustration. The watchman also builds a booth or shelter which is not intended to last any longer than necessary; he is there to watch the vineyard, perhaps to guard it from intruders, but as soon as the harvest is over the booth will be abandoned and allowed to deteriorate without further attention. Why put more effort and cost into a building than is necessary? Any extra will be a waste. But as noted, the houses of the wicked are not at all like this, so what does Job mean? He means partly that viewed from eternity they are like this, for nothing in this world can last and yet this is the place where they fix all their hope. He means also that God’s providence acts against them so that however solid and substantial their houses appear to be, the unstoppable force of God’s erosion works against them so that in all manner of unexpected ways, they find their treasures taken away, even before the end of life.

Application

‘Since men are dull on being pricked, and do not bow easily when God threatens them, it causes him to say, when he has punished them personally, that the same rigour must even be extended to their posterity. Yes, and even after their death he will not cease to show how he hated and abhorred them by punishing their offspring. Since this is so, ought not the wicked to be terribly afraid, though they are harder than stone? … We see that the godly will sometimes be clothed with the spoils of the wicked, but what a thing it would be to make that a certain rule, and to bind God to always do it! Therefore we always need to bear in mind that God’s judgments are not constantly visible to be seen by men’s eyes. When we see a wicked man made rich, we stumble at it and say, What does this mean? And when we see the wicked and the despisers of God honoured, it seems to us that God does not govern the world, and that things are guided by fortune. How much faith is defaced when we measure God’s judgments by the things that we can now see with our eyes! Therefore we must learn to suspend our judgments. If God plucks the goods of the wicked out of their hands, let us understand that he fulfils the threat spoken of here. And if he does not, then let us note that he reserves the execution of justice until the last day, and that he does not bring things to perfection now, because he is nourishing our hope, and will not have us to be wedded to this world nor seek our happiness here below’ (Calvin – in modern English).

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Job 27:15 Commentary and Bible Study