How does Job 20:28 encourage us to prioritize eternal over temporal values? Snapshot of Job 20 : 28 “ The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God’s wrath.” Key truths drawn from the verse • “Possessions” are real, tangible goods—everything the wicked man has worked to accumulate. • “Will be removed” underscores certainty; loss is not hypothetical but inevitable. • “Flowing away” pictures wealth slipping through the fingers like water, impossible to retrieve. • “The day of God’s wrath” roots that loss in divine judgment, not random misfortune. Temporal riches: fragile and fleeting • Wealth can disappear suddenly (Proverbs 23 : 5). • Even great estates can be swept away by a single act of God (Luke 12 : 16-21). • Material security offers no shelter when the Lord confronts sin (Zephaniah 1 : 18). Eternal investment: permanent and rewarding • Jesus urges, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6 : 19-20). • What survives “the day of God’s wrath” is faith expressed through obedience (1 Corinthians 3 : 13-14). • “The world is passing away… but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2 : 17). Living it out: setting your heart on what lasts • Evaluate motives: Am I acquiring goods to glorify God or myself? • Practice generosity; giving converts perishable wealth into eternal reward (1 Timothy 6 : 17-19). • Fix your thoughts “on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3 : 2). • Anchor hope in Christ, not possessions, so that when material loss comes, peace remains (Hebrews 10 : 34). Cementing the lesson: supporting Scriptures • Proverbs 11 : 4 — “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” • Psalm 49 : 16-17 — Wealth cannot follow its owner into the grave. • 2 Peter 3 : 10 — Earth and its works will be burned up; only what is done for Christ remains. Job 20 : 28 reminds us that every earthly asset is temporary and subject to God’s final audit. Investing life, energy, and resources in what heaven values turns fleeting riches into fruit that endures forever. |
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