Job 23-24 Facilitator’s Guide

In Job 23-24, Job continues to yearn for God and questions the presence of wickedness. Job shifts from friend-focused despair to a desperate search for God, wishing to present his case, asserting his innocence, and acknowledging God’s sovereignty, while also questioning why the wicked prosper while he suffers, revealing a complex mix of frustration and faith.

Job 23:1-17

NISB Notes: Job has lost some of his defiance and seems to have more of a reflective tone (v. 3). The trial imagery is strong here. Job believes he could reason with God if given a chance. There is a contradiction, however, Job also believes that God is/has been inaccessible. This passage shows Job as being fearful but determined. Do we see echoes of hope from the previous chapter?

Theme:  Trial imagery. What trial imagery can be seen in vv. 1-17?

Theme:  God is fair. What evidence do we see in these verses that Job believes God is fair? What evidence do we see in life?

Theme: God is present. Job believes that God is distant. What evidence does scripture provide to support God’s presence?

Food for Thought:

1. Job feels God’s absence (23:8–9) yet clings to faith. How do we maintain trust when divine justice isn’t visibly active in suffering or oppression?
2. The Tension of Trust: Job asserts, “when He has tested me, I’ll come forth as gold” (23:10) while surrounded by ruin. Where else do we see this situation in scripture? In life?
3. Tension as Virtue: Job’s simultaneous doubt and faith (23:10–12; 24:1) defy binary thinking. What can we do to live with the tension?

Job 24:1-17

NISB Notes:  These verses explore time in relation to judgment. Chapter 24 describes unchecked wickedness.

Theme:  God’s timing. Kronos vs. Kairos time: Chronos and Kairos are two Greek concepts of time: Chronos is quantitative, linear time (seconds, minutes, days) measured by clocks, while Kairos is qualitative, opportune time—a moment of significance, meaning, or divine purpose that transcends mere measurement, like a life-changing experience or a spiritual “right time”. Chronos is about duration, but Kairos is about the impact and fulfillment within a moment, often described as “deep time” or “God’s time”. See note below on God’s timing.

Theme:  When will justice prevail?  Reminds me of Habakkuk.  A society filled with violence and injustice. The prophet is confused by Yahweh’s silence. Prophet feels the pain of the violence and injustice. He wonders when justice will prevail. Habakkuk 2:3-4  – ³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. ⁴ Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Theme: The wicked are present among us.

Job 24:18-25

NISB Notes: The power of the wicked is short-lived. These verses seem to contradict verses 1-17. Some scholars believe that these verses should have been part of the friends’ discourse.

Theme: God is inscrutable.

Scriptural Support for Themes