How does Job 21:16 challenge the prosperity of the wicked in our society? Setting the Scene in Job 21 • Job responds to friends who insist earthly success always equals God’s favor. • He points out that many openly wicked people seem to thrive. • Verse 16 is Job’s turning point: he admits the reality of their wealth, yet refuses their worldview. The Verse Itself “But their prosperity is not in their own hands; the counsel of the wicked is far from me.” (Job 21:16) What Job Declares • Prosperity exists, but it is “not in their own hands”—God alone controls outcomes (cf. Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 10:22). • “The counsel of the wicked is far from me”—Job will not adopt their philosophy of life, no matter how successful they look. How This Challenges Today’s Celebration of the ‘Successful’ Wicked • Autonomy exposed as illusion – Culture says, “I built this.” Scripture says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). • Temporary glitter vs. lasting glory – Psalm 73:17-19 shows their end: “Surely You set them on slippery ground.” • True valuation of success – Luke 12:16-21: a rich man’s barns burst, but he dies bankrupt toward God. • Divine oversight – James 5:5-6 warns the unrighteous rich of pending judgment. • Moral distance required – 1 Timothy 6:11 tells believers, “Flee from these things, and pursue righteousness.” Take-Home Truths • Wealth gained apart from God’s ways is never ultimately self-secured. • Envy of the wicked is irrational; their prosperity hangs by a thread of divine patience. • The believer’s role is to keep the counsel of the wicked “far from me”—avoiding their strategies, adopting God’s. Living It Out • Celebrate God’s sovereignty when headlines laud corrupt “winners.” • Anchor your contentment in Christ, not comparisons (Hebrews 13:5). • Measure success by faithfulness, knowing that “the world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). |
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