You see Job’s conflicted spirit in chapter twenty-four. In the previous chapter Job lamented his inability to connect with God. He knows God is there. He knows God knows he is looking for him. But feels the Almighty is avoiding him. early in chapter twenty-four, he laments all the things that are going wrong in the world, but by the end of the chapter, he confidently asserts God is going to take care of everything. At the end of the day, isn’t that how we all feel at times? We know God is there. We just don’t know why He seems so unresponsive.
Here in twenty-four, Job wonders why there should be this much difficulty. Why doesn’t God set appointed times for men to give account of themselves?
And they need to give account of themselves.
As I read this chapter, I wonder if Job is over-stating the description of his community, or if he is spot on. If he is simply describing what he sees rather than how he feels, you can’t read this chapter without feeling it is absolutely the worst of times. It makes me wonder how influential Job has been in his community for righteousness.
But we must think, because of how God feels about Job, that the man has done all he can. Christian people must realize that the character of their world might not be changed by them. It’s not an excuse for not trying, but it is a perspective for when you try and fail. As the book of Job reveals so clearly, there is more going on in the world than just the actions of people, good and bad.