Compare Job 21:14 with Romans 1:21 on rejecting God's knowledge. Opening the Text Job 21:14: “Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.’” Romans 1:21: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him. Instead, their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Parallel Portraits of Rejection • Both verses expose the human impulse to push God out of daily life. • Job 21:14 records the outspoken demand: “Leave us alone.” • Romans 1:21 describes the quieter but equally willful refusal: no glory, no gratitude. • In each setting, people begin with some knowledge of God and consciously turn that light off. Progression of Degeneration 1. Dismissal of God’s ways (Job 21:14). 2. Withholding glory and thanks (Romans 1:21). 3. Futile thinking replaces sound reason (Romans 1:21; Ephesians 4:17–18). 4. Hearts grow dark (Romans 1:21; Proverbs 4:19). 5. Open rebellion follows (Job 21:15–16; Romans 1:24–32). Consequences Highlighted in Both Passages • Intellectual emptiness: “futile” minds (Romans 1:21). • Spiritual blindness: “foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21; 2 Corinthians 4:4). • Moral decay: unchecked sin becomes normalized (Romans 1:24–32). • Ultimate judgment: the prosperity of the wicked in Job 21 is brief; death meets them suddenly (Job 21:17–30; Hebrews 9:27). God’s Continuous Witness • Creation proclaims His glory (Psalm 19:1–4; Romans 1:20). • Conscience testifies to His moral law (Romans 2:14–15). • Scripture reveals His saving purpose (2 Timothy 3:15). Practical Takeaways for Today • Acknowledge God as Creator and Sustainer every day (Colossians 1:16–17). • Cultivate gratitude to guard against futile thinking (1 Thessalonians 5:18). • Pursue God’s ways through Scripture to keep hearts enlightened (Psalm 119:105). • Remain alert to subtle indifference that leads to open rejection (Hebrews 2:1). |
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