15th November 2025

15th November 2025


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Job 21) 


Message (Scott Woodburn) 


The theological position of Job's friends was abundantly clear - the righteous would not experience trouble whilst the wicked would know only suffering. But what about Job? Was his stance the exact opposite? Did he believe that only the righteous suffered and the wicked enjoyed constant prosperity? By no means. Neither position would accurately tell the story of the human experience.


Admittedly, Job wrestled with the concept of the prosperous wicked asking "Why do the wicked live,  reach old age, and grow mighty in power?" (v7). That's an age old question that many of us have asked. Why doesn't God strike down the wicked as soon as they do works of evil? You might be surprised by my response but I'm thankful for the Lord's patience.


When we say that we want the wicked punished immediately, what do we mean? We might argue that murderers deserve God's immediate judgement. Perhaps we can agree that tyrants do not deserve to live. Equally, who would argue with rapists being quickly struck down by God's vengeance? But what about Maureen whose lies started a war in a local church bringing the Gospel into disgrace? Or Tom who after too many drinks on a Friday night beat his wife black and blue? Or Violet who was texting while driving and accidentally plowed into and killed a pedestrian? If the Lord's wrath was poured out immediately the world would stand empty.


Job's counsellors had failed to convince their friend and he considered their wisdom to be "empty nothings" and "falsehood" (v34). If they'd taken a bit of time to talk with those who lived in the real world (v29) then perhaps they would have reached a different conclusion. Job knew what his friends refused to believe - sometimes the wicked seem to do quite well in this life. Evil doers are often not repaid for what they have done (v31), their lives are prosperous (v10-13) and they are so arrogant that they say to God  "Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?" (v14-15).


But Job's wrestling led him to the the incomprehensibility of God. We can know God but we can never master Him. Who can teach God anything (v22)? Not you and certainly not me. It is the Lord whose hand of providence sees one man die in full health and happiness (v23) and it is the Lord who decrees that another would die in bitterness and poverty (v25).


Sometimes the wicked succeed and sometimes they don't. Sometimes the righteous struggle each day and sometimes they don't. If we want justice immediately then none of us have clean hands. Indeed we would do well to remember that every new day brings an offer of grace "The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3v9).


I think we need to be thankful for the daily mercy of God trusting that His providence, whilst mysterious, is always for our good. The wheels of justice turn slowly - thanks be to God.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q20 Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.
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