Contrast Job 15:32 & Psalm 1:3.
Compare Job 15:32 with Psalm 1:3. What contrasts are evident?

Scripture Texts

Job 15:32: “Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branch will not flourish.”

Psalm 1:3: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.”


Immediate Contexts

Job 15 records Eliphaz warning the wicked that judgment comes swiftly and certain barrenness follows.

Psalm 1 opens the Psalter by celebrating the righteous person who delights in God’s law and enjoys steady, God-given prosperity.


Key Contrasts

• Outcome

Job 15:32: “branch will not flourish,” signifying failure, futility, and judgment.

Psalm 1:3: “yields its fruit… prospers,” picturing vitality, productivity, and blessing.

• Timing

Job 15:32: Judgment arrives “before his time,” cutting life short.

Psalm 1:3: Fruit arrives “in season,” on schedule and unhindered.

• Rootedness

Job 15:32: The wicked stand apart from God; no source of enduring nourishment is mentioned.

Psalm 1:3: The righteous are “planted by streams of water,” continually supplied by the Word and Spirit (cf. Jeremiah 17:7-8; John 7:37-39).

• Condition of Leaves/Branch

Job 15:32: The branch withers, emblem of spiritual decay (cf. Isaiah 14:19-20).

Psalm 1:3: “Leaf does not wither,” a picture of perpetual health (cf. Revelation 22:2).

• Divine Response

Job 15:32: God’s justice repays the wicked “in full.”

Psalm 1:3: God’s favor promotes the righteous so “all he does” prospers (cf. Joshua 1:8).


Theological Insights

• Scripture presents two divergent paths: the self-willed life that ends in sudden ruin versus the God-centered life that blossoms.

• Flourishing or withering is never random; it flows from one’s relation to God’s revealed Word (Proverbs 3:5-6; John 15:5-6).

• The contrast reinforces the literal certainty of both blessing and judgment—real outcomes rooted in the unchanging character of God.


Application for Today

• Examine where you are “planted.” Regular, delighted absorption in Scripture anchors the soul beside living water.

• Expect tangible fruit when rooted in Christ; expect inevitable barrenness when pursuing sin (Galatians 6:7-8).

• Trust the timing of God. The righteous may wait for “season,” but the harvest is sure; the wicked may seem secure, yet judgment comes “before his time.”

How can we ensure our lives align with God's will to avoid judgment?
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