"Times Are Not Hidden From The Almighty" (Job 24:1-12), Part 1/5

God sees the calendar, so why does justice feel late? We pick up our walk through the Book of Job by stepping into Job 24, where Job voices a question that still burns in every era: if nothing is hidden from the Almighty, why do the “days” of judgment seem so hard to see?

We talk through the spiritual weight of Job’s earlier line, “God makes my heart soft,” and why suffering hardens some people while it humbles others. From there, we dig into the delay of God’s judgment and why that delay is not proof of indifference but evidence of patience, mercy, and long-suffering providence. The warning is real: when judgment finally breaks, the same world that mocked the wait will say it happened too fast.

Job 24 also names oppression without flinching: stolen land, exploited families, widows and the fatherless pushed aside. We connect those examples to how worldly systems work in every age, and why Christians cannot afford political idolatry or false comfort in powerful institutions. The conversation expands into discernment, Matthew 24 and AD 70, and the bigger hope of Christ’s return when all things are made new.

If you want Bible-centered clarity on divine justice, suffering, and how believers stay faithful in a crooked world, listen now. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review, what part of Job’s question hits you the hardest?

Transcript

Recap Of Job’s Softened Heart

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Christians, good evening. Tonight, on this Wednesda night, we're going to continue our exposition on the book of Job. We're entering into our next chapter, leaving chapter 23, and going into chapter 24. And trust me, it is going to end soon. We will get through Job, but there's no point in getting through it if we're just getting through it for the sake of getting through it. The whole point is to go through it all and to glean and to extract as much truth from it as possible. And even that is not even possible to exhaust. The word of God is rich, it is deep, it is meaningful, and there's so much to be understood. So bear with me a little longer while we go through this whole book. And I'm sure that your hearts and souls will continue to be blessed as so many have indicated they have been blessed. And even myself, I feel that I'm in the same camp as you in this regard. And so preparing it has been just a blessing to my own soul. And then also to know that so many of you are blessed by it adds more comfort and joy to my own soul that you're being blessed by it. So now the last three verses that I want to read came from chapter 23. The last three verses of the chapter. And it says this therefore, Job says, I am troubled at his presence, meaning he's troubled at God's presence. And he says that when I am, when I consider, I am afraid of him. For God makes my heart soft, and he Almighty troubles me. And we talked about how making his heart soft in distinction from making his heart hardened. In other words, what Job is saying is that my trials that I've gone through, like many others, who get hardened by it and become resistant to God because of the intensity and the severity of their trials, Job says, This didn't happen to me. God has softened my heart so that I do not become weakened by being overwhelmed through these afflictions. Many people allow their souls and their hearts to become hardened when they go through trials. And they turn their back on God and they start asking questions about God's fairness. Is this what a good God would do? Is this what a God of justice would do? Would he take my child? Would he take my job? Would he take my home? Would he take my health? All these things happen to Job. And Joe admits that God makes my heart soft instead of allowing his heart to become hardened. And this should be a lesson to us all as we initially get into our next chapter. But as a matter of precursor, let me say this. Job acknowledges something here in Job 23, verse 16, when he says, God makes my heart soft. And that is the lesson to be learned. Men are born with hearts hardened against God, hardened against holiness, and prepared to be hardened against the Lord Jesus Christ. And so Job is acknowledging that in order for him to have a heart that is softened, he acknowledges that this is a work of God as well. God is the one who softens hearts. He is the one who softens hearts. He is the one that for those people whose hearts remain hardened, they remain that way because God chooses not to soften. And God is under no obligation whatsoever to soften anyone's heart. You have a responsibility to be obedient to God's law. You have a responsibility to respond in kind to God's grace and to his mercy and to his compassion. But God is under no obligation to soften you toward those ends. And many people have a contrary perspective. And this contrary perspective is a delusion, which God Himself also sends, so that you believe the law. Sorry, not the law, the lie. So Job says in verse 16 of 23, of chapter 23, God makes my heart soft and he Almighty troubles me. He makes my heart soft, but he troubles me. He arouses him. He gets him stirred up. He wonders what he needs to do. He wants to know if there's going to be restoration and when that will happen. But he goes on in verse 17 and he says, Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither has he covered the darkness from my face. So Job says that the Almighty troubles me. And he says, Why? Because I was not cut off before the darkness. Neither has he covered darkness from my face. So Job is saying that he still sees the light more or less. He still knows that there must be something left for him. Because God has not immediately brought darkness upon him. So that his face cannot see things clearly. This is what Job is saying. And this is the segue into chapter 24 of the book of Job. Brother Jeffrey, if you don't mind, could you put uh Job chapter 4 on the screen for people who are coming in? So chapter 24 of verse 4. In Job 24, 24, okay, verse 1, Job says, Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty? Do they that know him not see his days? Let me paraphrase a little bit. Job says, Why seeing the times are seeing that times are not hidden from God, why do those who don't know him not see his days? And no doubt this question that Job has is raised concerning the apparent delay of judgment. And what he is saying is that why is it that those who know God, why do they not understand the reason for the delay in his judgment? And this is what he is saying. And he's pointing out that God knows all times, he knows all seasons, and nothing is concealed from God. Yet his appointed days of judgment are not clearly seen by men. And this is what Job is wondering: how is that possible? How is it that those who claim to believe in the Lord not factor into their understanding, discernment about the appointment of days? Why is it that so many Christians, and I mean people who claim to be Christian, do not understand and are unwilling to accept that the delay in judgment, there's a reason for it, and we and understanding that there is a time that God has appointed to exact judgment. And the great thing about God's judgment being delayed is that it provides an ample opportunity for people to seize upon his patience and come to faith, hopefully, in order that they might be saved. In order that they might be saved. Even those who acknowledge God, they are often perplexed that justice is not swiftly executed. See, we are all excited, and we like the idea of entertaining that judgment of God should be swift. And those who often are so anxious for God's swift judgment never see themselves in his sights. And what we need to do is exercise a little bit more humility. Because if God were to be swift in his judgment, it is sometimes difficult for us to know or to be aware that we might not be swept away. That is possible that we might be swept away with his expeditious justice and judgment. You need to understand any delay in God's judgment is a deeper expression of his compassion, and it is a deeper expression of his mercy that he waits. The longer he waits, the longer he holds off his wrath and his judgment. We should be looking at that as an opportunity for more people, for more people to come to Christ. And so this is how a Christian should look at God's judgment. And this also reveals a very common difficulty. The seeming of silence, the seeming silence of God's providence always seems to foment wickedness. Sometimes we believers, we struggle to understand why God's delaying his justice because we are witnessing wicked, wickedness reaching all new heights. And it makes us more anxious for God to expedite his justice and his vindication. But we need to understand that God is a God that is orderly, and his providence is orderly, and there's an appointed time for everything. For everything, including and especially his wrath and his judgment, which is what we need to be more urgent in conveying to other people that this is going to happen. We need to get people to understand that his judgment is coming. And when it does come, everyone will think that it happened too fast. Why didn't he give me more time? Why wasn't I allowed more time? Why didn't more people speak to me? Why didn't more people turn or resist my recoils and continue to pursue me and tell me how serious this is? When God finally does execute justice, men will think that it happened in the blink of an eye. Right now, they take solace in his delay. But when his judgment comes, they will think that it happened too fast. And this is the way sinful men function. This is the way sinful men think and believe. But know this the issue is not God's ignorance, but it's about his timing, which is often hidden from human understanding. And it upends and circumvents human wisdom. But to the heart, the heart that has been saved by grace, they understand that every delay, however we see it, is indicative of the fact that God is a compassionate, merciful, patient, long-suffering, forbearing God. That's the God I worship. And if you know him, he's the same God that you worship. Same God that you worship. Job 24, beginning at verse 2. I'm going to read verses 2 through 4. Job continues his discourse. And he says, Some remove landmarks. He's talking about the wicked, the wicked oppressor, the wicked who is rich, and who oppress people who take advantage and exploit poor, the poor people, and the weak people, and the infirm people, and the fatherless people, those who need to be supported by those who are stronger. Job is now speaking about these feet, these folks. And this is what he says. Some remove landmarks. They violently take away flocks and feed thereof. They drive away the ass of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox for a pledge. They turn the needy out of the way. Job here gives us an outline of examples of injustice that are set forth in the world. And when he says removing landmarks, this signifies that the wealthy and the powerful, they steal and they oppress in people's properties. They steal people's actual property. They take your real estate. They take and oppress what you own. They take what belongs to others by force or by deceit. But however you look at it, they are hell-bent on taking everything from you. Everything from you. And I'm telling you, Christians, right now, especially all of you who support this president and this administration, not to make this a political thing, but what Job is here describing is what we are seeing. And this is not something that one president does. This is something that a succession of presidents do. Over time, eventually, they will take everything from you. Everything. They are greedy, blood-sucking, soul-sucking people. And they will take everything because they don't see the judgment of God that is pending. They don't see the soul of God that hangs over their heads. And be careful who you support in these matters. But like I said, we do not belong to this world. Romans 6, Paul teaches us that we belong to another realm. So all these people who are in power in this world, and especially in America, whether they be Democrats, independents, or Republicans or whatever, they are all part of the same system that is designed to take down the weak, the infirm, the poor, the oppressed, and they continue to take everything they can from you. And they will do everything they can to make you feel good about how they exploit and take and rob and steal from you. That's how this system works. Joe points out here that the helpless, the fatherless, the widows are especially targeted. Their small means is often seized without mercy. I'm sure that every one of you has come in contact or has dealt with an institution that has no mercy on you. Insurance companies, banks, and lenders, the federal government, the IRS, all these institutions, creditors, these people are ruthless, ruthless, and they intend to take everything from you. Everything that they can get their hands on, they're going to take and steal by force or by deceit. One way or the other, they're going to take everything from you. If you believe that there's any administration in this country, or any country for that matter, I mean any administration of governors, of government. Ultimately, they are all going to take everything from you. That is their goal. To rob, steal, and take everything from you by whatever means necessary. And the more power they have, the more they will take. And it's gradual and it's over time, but it is inevitable. The poor are pushed aside. The poor are forced into hiding. And they cannot withstand this kind of power. Some of you think that, oh, because we're fighting in a war with Iran, that somehow we are supposed to be the cheerleaders of all these things. I feel that the situation is such that Christians are going to get a rude awakening about choices that they have made, about people that they have defended. We should only be advocates of our Lord and Him alone. We should only be advocates of each other as Christians. And if we all as believers cannot agree on who the enemies are, that's a fundamental problem in the Christian faith. Not agreeing on who's bad, who's righteous, and who's unrighteous. These acts here that listed in verses 2 through 4 of chapter 24, they show a disregard for both human equity and divine law, where strength is used to oppress rather than to protect. We are always told that all the abuses that are imposed upon us as citizens, we are told that all these abuses are somehow to protect us. Everything that they do that is evil and corrupt to us, they tell us it is in the best interest of our security. So we're supposed to be thanking them for their oppressive and exploitative ways. I hear you. Alright, I just want to make sure because he because he was I can hear you. And Pat doesn't all right, just want to make sure then. Okay, so it's it's something on his side, I guess. All right. Well, let me start let me since I already took the break for a second, let me ask if there's any any feedback from anybody else. Sister Meg, what do you think so far?

SPEAKER_01 21:49

Well, just what you're what you're talking about now, because I just got in. I mean, I absolutely agree. I think that so many times that we get caught up, you know, we can't. Get caught up into things that we don't mean to get caught up in, meaning we should be only serving the Lord. We only should be siding with the Lord. And here, and here's if if we're looking at the book of Job and comparing that in light of what's happening now, Job was defending himself at one point and not defending the Lord Jesus Christ. Right. And so that'll get you talked to in chapter 38. Do you know what I mean? So I mean, I agree, brother. I we're not we're not a part of the world. We're sojourners. We're on our way home.

SPEAKER_02 22:37

But you know what cracks me up is how so many Christians think that there's so many of us who believe that there's something the world has to offer us. And and and we have become um in such a in such a divisive way that now we are divided because we're picking sides in the world. And to me, it's bewildering. It's bewildering. But this is where we are right now. But see, I think that there's a wedge definitely being driven in these circumstances that is going to separate the the fake from the true, a believer.

SPEAKER_01 23:20

It's already happening. It's already happening. And it's because the Lord Jesus Christ brought a sword. That's right. Right? He came here to divide. And and and what and when we talk about unity in the body of Christ, it's unity in the body of believers. Right. But there's a lot of people, and these are the ones Jesus spoke about when he said, They love me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

SPEAKER_02 23:47

Right. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 23:49

And and that divide, oh, it's it's coming, it's here, and it's came. Even on TikTok, it just straight. And and the Lord Jesus Christ said in what was it, Luke chapter 14, verse 26. If you don't hate your mother, brother, sister, cousin, aunt, whomever, more than me, you are not fit for my kingdom.

SPEAKER_02 24:12

Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

Brother Pat, you back? I am. I just had severe lag, brother. Oh boy. You're bringing up issues. Okay. All right. Can you imagine, Jonathan, living in World War II Germany, and you got Christians arguing over two, two one Christian is saying, no, you know, I'm for the brown coats. I'm for I'm for Hitler's youth because they're the people of the they're they're the party, they're the they're for the people. And then you have another group saying, oh, no, no, no, no. I'm for the educated. I'm for the SS. You see, these are the educated, they know what's going on. You know what I mean? Right, right. Both options are bad options, and those better not be your options.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

Absolutely not. I mean, this this is this is what's amazing, you know, people that have been here with me for a while understand, know that I've said this before, you know, that Christians, you know, it's like you said, Pat, people are like choosing sides, and then when it comes to you know, all these elections and all this kind of stuff that's that's going on. And I'm bringing this up because what Job is talking about in the verses that I just cited, for five through uh or four through um uh two through four, and now five through eight. I mean, Job, it it's almost like he's living today here on earth, talking about what's going on. I mean, it's it's if you when you re go through these verses, it's insane what he's saying. How far ahead that he was in the way he understood things, and here today, Christians can't even recognize who the bad guys are. They don't, we don't, we don't recognize it. But what we need to understand is that anyone outside of Christ, they are all the bad guys. They're all the bad guys, and there's nothing they can do about that unless God changes their hearts. Putting trust in these governments and these government officials, I don't care if it's Obama or if it's Trump. They are all wicked, they all belong to the same system, the beast system that Revelation talks about. They're all bad. Trump is wicked, Obama, wicked. All these politicians, they all they do is exploit us, and they can't help it. They are part of the world system, and all these Christians, they think they understand, and they talk about how much they understand revelation and all these kinds of things. I don't know how you understand revelation when it when when the world system is predominantly what it speaks about and how its overthrow is going to come. So Christians need to pay attention and pull their head out of the news and pay attention to what we've already been told by the word of God. Sister May.

SPEAKER_01 27:13

You know, I think I think that it lines that it lines up um with this verse um in Matthew 24, 24. It says, for there shall rise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. So it's saying that that this deception is going to be so great that if it were possible for the elect to be deceived, which we know it's not, but if it were possible, they would be deceived.

SPEAKER_02 27:50

Yeah, but that part's already happened. But that part in 24, it's already happened. And so, and that happened when Rome came in there and destroyed everything. And they were warned that that was coming. And they were told that it would happen during that generation that was then alive in Matthew 24. So you're right. But but but what's gonna happen is a bigger version of that as we approach the Lord's return. And so that is gonna be a much more serious thing because when the Lord returns, he's gonna end all things as it is. And no one will be escaping that who is not saved by grace. No one. Just like the Jews of his day, Christ's day, were warned. He told them that these things that you talk that you just cited right now, Meg, these things, he he said, those things that I've described right now in 24, those things will happen on that generation. Jesus was 30 years old when he's talking about this. And he's and he said that this will happen in that generation. Generation is typically approximately 40 to 42 years. And and to the letter, 40 years later, that whole system was torn to shreds. It started at the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior till their final decimation in AD 70. That's all done. Now we look forward to our Lord's return, where he puts, he destroys everything and makes all things new. Brother Ra.

SPEAKER_03 29:42

Good evening, everybody. Um, yeah, I just had a uh kind of left field uh insight, as usual, guys. But um, you know, it's just like the the the wicked, they don't sin in private in a sense, you know what I mean? They kind of like build worlds of their own, like social manipulation, legal corruption. And I'm going to go fucking to the film world, you know. Um, there's a movie called Killers of the Flower Moon. Sorry about the word, but you know, it was talking about how, like, you know, I think the Indians or whatever of I want to say Oklahoma. The point is they sh they they tell the truth in these movies, right? And I find it really interesting because they'll talk about everything. And, you know, sometimes it can be informative because I know I may not have known a lot about the Masons or even about the oil in Oklahoma or the old deposits and stuff like that, you know. And when we tie it into real life, you know, you see the oil and the gas, you know, all that type of stuff. So I just tie this all into like, how wicked could they be to even just make a movie where they're really exposing their hand in a sense? And I'm like, well, it makes me think sometimes, you know, because when they talk about some of the Indian people who worshiping certain gods and stuff like that, you know, did God like convict them? But then it's like this other group of God people, if you will. I'm sorry, you know, the you know, the they give them a title because I'm talking fast. They're seeming to be like the ones that they think are like saving the world in a sense, because that's kind of what the movie was about. You know, these these, if I will, the the Christian nationalists, for example, right? You know, and the big stage and Anthony Mitchell, you know, all that, and all Drewski and all of this stuff that's going on, you know, it's just like how can you even just say the things and take the positions that you do unless you're somewhat protected by some wicked system? Like I just said, they they put you in this world, and then kind of you said Obama and all the presidents. It's like once you sign up for it, you're kind of a part of it, whether you meant to do it or not. You know what I mean? So I'm just kind of going all over the place in a sense, but you know, it's just this is interesting. I'm just listening. I just want to comment on what I heard you guys say on that.

SPEAKER_02 31:51

So no problem, brother. Sister Lisa, go ahead.

Living Set Apart From The World

SPEAKER_04 31:55

Well, I just want to kind of piggyback off what Brother Rodney's saying. Um the thing is, if you look back at some of the movies all the way from the 70s and before that, it is so clear their agenda now that the Lord has opened my eyes. I mean, when I see when I see some of the things in the movies, I just I can't understand how I didn't see it before, but none of us did. It it's it's taken God literally to open your eyes. And it's when he does in that sense, when he shows you the world how it is, it's a blessing, but yet it feels like a curse because I had no idea the sheer wickedness that has gone on for so, so, so long in our school systems. Um, Walt Disney. Um, you know, we were taught this is a magical place where oh, you know, fairy tales come to life and it's so beautiful and it's and it is so vile when I go back and look at look at Pinocchio, look at Peter Pan, you know, the child taken to never never life. It is vile once you your eyes are open, and that's the difficult thing, Brother Rod. And I think people back then, maybe some knew, I think the ones who who put these things into motion know it's almost like they wanted to put it in our face and just go, you guys are so dumb, you can't even see it. And here you are spending your millions of dollars trying to come over here to Disneyland and get and yet they've got tunnels. There's proof there's tunnels that go out from the outside of Disneyland into the bathrooms. How many children went missing from there? I mean, honestly, um, I know I don't want to get into that too much, but it's our world is so. I mean, I thank the Lord for showing it to me, but it is. It's like when you're around other people who still can't see you, you sound like a nut. I mean, I sound like a nut to the people in my family.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 34:20

And um, most of them. Not all, but most.

SPEAKER_02 34:24

Well, you if if if the world, if the world doesn't think you're a little nutty, then you need to re-examine yourself. Because if you are a Christian, you are nutty by this world's standard, and you should be. If you are a Christian and people are absolutely comfortable with you, something is wrong. Something is wrong. They should be. You know, people should be looking at you going like, oh, here she comes. That's what they should do. But see, we're too busy, Christians are too busy getting involved in the worldly system, trying to bolster the beast, thinking that somehow they're gonna show you favor if you support them. They're not. None of these politicians care about any one of you. None of them care about you. And so this is what this is what Christians Christians need to understand. And this is why we need to be united on this particular aspect of it. The world is not giving you anything, they're not gonna make anything easy for you. And all these people that are rich and powerful, they are determined to take.