The third friend gives his second discourse in chapter 20 of Job. He’s not entirely wrong, as we’ve said. Bad stuff is in store for the wicked. If nothing else, their end is facing God’s eternal wrath. Their day is coming. By the way, I just quoted from Psalm 37. I also quoted it in the Job 18 lesson without fully quoting and referencing it. That is a good psalm if you are struggling with seeing the wicked prosper while you struggle.

I pulled out a couple of quotes from this chapter. The first one reminded me of King Solomon. Job says, “Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.”

Solomon said, “Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure” (Ecc. 2:10 BSB) and then ends up proclaiming, “Everything is meaningless” (Ecc. 1:2 NIV). The wicked might pursue and gain all sorts of goods of the world, seeking after the lusts of the eyes and the lusts of the flesh and receiving the pride of life, but all of that is passing away. It’s the one who does the will of God who remains. That’s from 1 John 2:16-17.

It’s meaningless. It doesn’t go with you. Don’t desire after the world that is passing away. Desire to be found in Christ and remain in the Promised Land forever.

The friend giving the discourse on the wicked does say this about the wicked, which I thought was great. He says, “In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress.” What does that say? His sufficiency means him trying to take care of himself. He’s being reliant on himself. He’s got so much stuff that he thinks he has it made. He’s got this. He doesn’t. Even at the height of all his wealth and status and whatever he has accomplished, he ends up in distress.

Jim Carey is a famous actor and comedian. He has said he wished that everyone who dreamed of becoming rich and famous could have their dream come true so that they would see it’s not the answer. It doesn’t solve problems. It creates problems. Solomon had more wealth than everyone and yet turns to other gods and loses his soul until he finally comes to the end of everything, the end of himself, and declares that the only thing worth anything is obeying God’s commands.