Job 20:28
The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God's wrath.
The possessions of his house
This phrase refers to the material wealth and assets accumulated by an individual. In the Hebrew context, "possessions" often denote not just physical wealth but also the legacy and status of a person. The "house" symbolizes the entirety of one's life achievements and family lineage. Historically, in the Ancient Near East, a person's house was a representation of their identity and stability. Theologically, this phrase underscores the transient nature of earthly wealth, reminding believers that material possessions are temporary and can be taken away, especially in the face of divine judgment.

will be removed
The Hebrew root for "removed" conveys the idea of being taken away or stripped. This suggests a forceful action, indicating that the loss is not voluntary but imposed. In the biblical narrative, this removal is often seen as a consequence of divine justice. The conservative Christian perspective views this as a warning against placing trust in worldly possessions, emphasizing that true security is found only in God. The removal serves as a divine correction, redirecting focus from temporal to eternal values.

flowing away
The imagery of "flowing away" evokes a sense of inevitability and natural progression, much like a river that cannot be stopped. In the Hebrew context, this can be seen as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of life and wealth. Archaeologically, ancient cultures often depicted wealth as water, which can nourish but also easily dissipate. This phrase serves as a poignant reminder of the impermanence of earthly treasures, encouraging believers to invest in spiritual riches that endure beyond this life.

on the day of God’s wrath
This phrase refers to a specific time of divine judgment. In the Hebrew Bible, the "day of the Lord" is a recurring theme, symbolizing a time when God intervenes in human history to execute justice. Theologically, "God’s wrath" is understood as a righteous response to sin and injustice. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this serves as a sobering reminder of the reality of divine judgment. It calls believers to live righteously and to be prepared for the day when God will hold everyone accountable for their actions. The phrase underscores the importance of aligning one's life with God's will, as His judgment is both inevitable and just.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Zophar the Naamathite
One of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. In this chapter, Zophar is speaking, offering his perspective on the fate of the wicked.

2. Job
The central figure of the book, a man of great faith and patience who undergoes severe trials and suffering.

3. God’s Wrath
A significant theme in the Bible, representing God's righteous anger and judgment against sin and wickedness.

4. The Wicked
In this context, Zophar is describing the fate of those who live in opposition to God's ways.

5. Possessions
Material wealth and assets that are often seen as blessings but can also be a source of pride and false security.
Teaching Points
The Temporary Nature of Earthly Possessions
Earthly wealth and possessions are fleeting and can be taken away at any moment, especially in the face of divine judgment.

The Reality of Divine Judgment
God's wrath is a real and sobering truth that should lead us to live righteously and not place our trust in material wealth.

The Importance of Spiritual Wealth
True security and lasting value are found in spiritual riches and a relationship with God, not in material possessions.

The Consequences of Wickedness
Living in opposition to God's ways leads to inevitable loss and destruction, as illustrated by the fate of the wicked.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
In times of loss or trial, trust in God's sovereignty and justice, knowing that He is in control and His purposes are ultimately for our good.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the description of the fate of the wicked in Job 20:28 challenge our perspective on material wealth and security?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our trust is in God rather than in our possessions, especially in light of Matthew 6:19-21?

3. How does understanding the reality of God's wrath influence our daily decisions and priorities?

4. What steps can we take to cultivate spiritual wealth and store treasures in heaven, as encouraged in 1 Timothy 6:7-10?

5. How can we find comfort and assurance in God's sovereignty when we experience loss or see injustice in the world?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 11:4
This verse highlights that wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, emphasizing the futility of relying on material possessions for security.

Matthew 6:19-21
Jesus teaches about storing treasures in heaven rather than on earth, where they can be destroyed or stolen, aligning with the idea that earthly possessions are temporary.

1 Timothy 6:7-10
Paul warns about the dangers of the love of money and the importance of contentment, which connects to the transient nature of possessions mentioned in Job 20:28.
Godless Prosperity Short-LivedE. Johnson Job 20:1-29
People
Job, Zophar
Places
Uz
Topics
Anger, Carried, Carry, Depart, Dragged, Flow, Flowing, Forth, God's, Goods, Hands, Increase, Possessions, Poured, Produce, Remove, Rush, Rushing, Waters, Wrath
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Job 20:28

     4045   chaos

Job 20:28-29

     4260   rivers and streams
     9220   day of the LORD

Library
June 9 Evening
The triumphing of the wicked is short.--JOB 20:5. Thou shalt bruise his heel.--This is your hour, and the power of darkness.--As the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.--Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

The Christian Urged To, and Assisted In, an Express Act of Self-Dedication to the Service of God.
1. The advantages of such a surrender are briefly suggested.-- 2, 3, 4. Advice for the manner of doing it; that it be deliberate, cheerful, entire, perpetual.--5. And that it be expressed with some affecting solemnity.--6. A written instrument to be signed and declared before God, at some season of extraordinary devotion, reposed. The chapter concludes with a specimen of such an instrument, together with an abstract of it, to be used with proper and requisite alterations. 1. AS I would hope, that,
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Whether the Ashes from which the Human Body Will be Restored have any Natural Inclination Towards the Soul which Will be United to Them?
Objection 1: It would seem that the ashes from which the human body will be restored will have a natural inclination towards the soul which will be united to them. For if they had no inclination towards the soul, they would stand in the same relation to that soul as other ashes. Therefore it would make no difference whether the body that is to be united to that soul were restored from those ashes or from others: and this is false. Objection 2: Further, the body is more dependent on the soul than
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

God.
GLORY OF GOD. God is the chief good--good so as nothing is but himself. He is in himself most happy; yea, all good and all true happiness are only to be found in God, as that which is essential to his nature; nor is there any good or any happiness in or with any creature or thing but what is communicated to it by God. God is the only desirable good; nothing without him is worthy of our hearts. Right thoughts of God are able to ravish the heart; how much more happy is the man that has interest in
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan

The Hardening Operation of Love.
"Being grieved for the hardness of their heart."--Mark iii. 5. Love may also be reversed. Failing to cherish, to uplift, and to enrich, it consumes and destroys. This is a mystery which man can not fathom. It belongs to the unsearchable depths of the divine Being, of which we do not wish to know more than has been revealed. But this does not alter the fact. No creature can exclude itself from the divine control. No man can say that he has nothing to do with God; that he or any other creature exists
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Tit. 2:06 Thoughts for Young Men
WHEN St. Paul wrote his Epistle to Titus about his duty as a minister, he mentioned young men as a class requiring peculiar attention. After speaking of aged men and aged women, and young women, he adds this pithy advice, "Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded" (Tit. 2:6). I am going to follow the Apostle's advice. I propose to offer a few words of friendly exhortation to young men. I am growing old myself, but there are few things I remember so well as the days of my youth. I have a most
John Charles Ryle—The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times

The Barren Fig-Tree;
OR, THE DOOM AND DOWNFALL OF THE FRUITLESS PROFESSOR: SHOWING, THAT THE DAY OF GRACE MAY BE PAST WITH HIM LONG BEFORE HIS LIFE IS ENDED; THE SIGNS ALSO BY WHICH SUCH MISERABLE MORTALS MAY BE KNOWN. BY JOHN BUNYAN 'Who being dead, yet speaketh.'--Hebrews 11:4 London: Printed for J. Robinson, at the Golden Lion, in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1688. This Title has a broad Black Border. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This solemn, searching, awful treatise, was published by Bunyan in 1682; but does not appear
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

A Few Sighs from Hell;
or, The Groans of the Damned Soul: or, An Exposition of those Words in the Sixteenth of Luke, Concerning the Rich Man and the Beggar WHEREIN IS DISCOVERED THE LAMENTABLE STATE OF THE DAMNED; THEIR CRIES, THEIR DESIRES IN THEIR DISTRESSES, WITH THE DETERMINATION OF GOD UPON THEM. A GOOD WARNING WORD TO SINNERS, BOTH OLD AND YOUNG, TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BETIMES, AND TO SEEK, BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, TO AVOID, LEST THEY COME INTO THE SAME PLACE OF TORMENT. Also, a Brief Discourse touching the
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

An Exhortation to Love God
1. An exhortation. Let me earnestly persuade all who bear the name of Christians to become lovers of God. "O love the Lord, all ye his saints" (Psalm xxxi. 23). There are but few that love God: many give Him hypocritical kisses, but few love Him. It is not so easy to love God as most imagine. The affection of love is natural, but the grace is not. Men are by nature haters of God (Rom. i. 30). The wicked would flee from God; they would neither be under His rules, nor within His reach. They fear God,
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Man's Misery by the Fall
Q-19: WHAT IS THE MISERY OF THAT ESTATE WHEREINTO MAN FELL? A: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. 'And were by nature children of wrath.' Eph 2:2. Adam left an unhappy portion to his posterity, Sin and Misery. Having considered the first of these, original sin, we shall now advert to the misery of that state. In the first, we have seen mankind offending;
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Job
The book of Job is one of the great masterpieces of the world's literature, if not indeed the greatest. The author was a man of superb literary genius, and of rich, daring, and original mind. The problem with which he deals is one of inexhaustible interest, and his treatment of it is everywhere characterized by a psychological insight, an intellectual courage, and a fertility and brilliance of resource which are nothing less than astonishing. Opinion has been divided as to how the book should be
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Job 20:28 NIV
Job 20:28 NLT
Job 20:28 ESV
Job 20:28 NASB
Job 20:28 KJV

Job 20:28 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Job 20:27
Top of Page
Top of Page