Job 24:16-17 (NASBStr)
“In the dark they dig into houses,
They shut themselves up by day;
They do not know the light.
“For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness,
For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.
Job, in chapter twenty-four, is continuing the argument (discussion?) with his three friends about the cause of his pain and suffering. Each of his friends have made the argument that Job must be suffering because he is wicked, or done something wicked. They didn't have room in their current paradigm to believe that good people would have to suffer. Job, on the other hand, points out, by his observation, that living among the four of them are people who are very wicked and do very ungodly things, who are not currently suffering, or, who ever, by observation, are judged by God. Although Job knows that in the end they will be judged, he wants his "crew" to know that their argument that only the ungodly suffer, doesn't square with reality. In the above passage of his argument Job is telling that these wicked, but living in prosperity, seem to love the darkness to do their evil deeds AND the light. There are those in this world who love darkness because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). But, their is another form of evil who doesn't need darkness to pull of their extortion, or oppression, or corruption. Their is a form of evil that survives in the daylight, as well as the night. Whereas most people are leery of the darkness and the dangers often seen in the dark, most are relieved when the sun comes up. This would be especially true in Job's day. The light would scare away most of the jackals. Yet, Job's point is that not do the wicked prosper in the dark as they cheat, steal, and oppress, they also seem to do so in broad daylight. Remember, Job is trying to convince his pals that the reason he is suffering can't automatically be connected with evil deeds he did or may have done. His argument is that there are plenty of people in this world who have no shame, even in the broad daylight, to be corrupt. Whereas the light ought to expose them and delay their unrighteous acts, even the light doesn't slow them down. Shame should come when people see something evil being done. But, Jo is saying that there is a sin so bold, so brazen, that even the sun doesn't stop it. The truth found in these few verses is that there is an evil that is so bad the normal thoughts of life doesn't even slow its pace. We know that Job is not suffering because of something he did; but because God wanted to show him off to Satan. Job knows that he did nothing wrong to deserve this suffering (in human terms, at least). And Job knows that there are those who continue to practice evil in the night AND in the day who don't appear to be slowed, weighed or corrected. WE know, of course, they will. But, the point is made by Job: suffering is not a clear indicator of who is righteous and who is not. Nor is prosperity. Either can happen to both and using prosperity and the ease of life as a litmus test for righteousness is to totally miss the mark. There have been some very righteous people who suffered all their lives and some very, very wicked who prospered greatly. Don't use what you see as the litmus test for either.
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