What does "vomit the riches" in Job 20:15 teach about divine justice? Setting the Scene • Job 20 records Zophar’s second speech, aimed at exposing what he sees as the short-lived prosperity of the wicked. • Verse 15: “He swallows wealth but vomits it up; God will force it from his stomach.” • The imagery is graphic, intentional, and literal: ill-gotten gain is ingested, then forcibly expelled by God Himself. The Picture of “Vomiting Riches” • Swallowing wealth – an aggressive, greedy intake; riches seized as quickly as possible. • Vomiting wealth – an involuntary, humiliating reversal; the riches cannot stay where they were hoarded. • God forcing it out – divine action, not mere circumstance, makes the wicked disgorge what they stole. Lessons About Divine Justice • God personally intervenes; justice is not left to chance. • Judgment reaches into the most private recesses (“stomach”) where the sinner thought his gain was secure. • Retribution fits the crime: as riches were greedily swallowed, they are disgorged with equal intensity. • Nothing ill-gotten can be permanently enjoyed; God’s timing may vary, but His justice is certain. • Divine justice is public and shaming; the wicked cannot hide the loss any more than they hid the gain. Confirming Scriptures • Proverbs 10:2 – “Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.” • Ecclesiastes 5:13-14 – wealth hoarded harms its owner and can vanish in a moment. • Psalm 37:16-17 – “A little that the righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.” • James 5:1-3 – riches corrode and testify against those who store them up unjustly. • 1 Timothy 6:9-10 – craving money plunges people into ruin and destruction. • Matthew 6:19-20 – earthly treasures are subject to decay; heavenly treasures are secure. Practical Takeaways • Every possession is held under God’s scrutiny; integrity matters more than acquisition speed. • Temporary prosperity gained by sin invites divine reversal. • Contentment and righteousness safeguard against the shame of forced restitution. • Trusting God’s timing allows believers to resist envy when wicked wealth seems to flourish. |
    |