their boast in verse 5:26, “Are they any better than we are? Do they have
any more land than we have?” Do you see what is happening here? They
are doing what every one of us has a tendency to do. They are comparing
themselves to others. When placed beside other regions they felt pretty
good. They saw that their prosperity was equal and in some ways greater
than their neighbours' and so they felt that things were alright.
How often do we look at what other people are doing and measure our
spirituality by what we see in others? It's easy to feel secure if we can
measure up to someone else’s level of spirituality. This is not the standard
by which we must measure ourselves, however. The only true standard by
which we can measure ourselves is the Word of God. This may mean that
we will have to step away from the crowd. It may mean that we will have to
walk alone. Those who measure themselves by what they see in others will
always fall short of the standard that God has laid out in His Word because
none of us have ever attained His standard.
How does God respond to this attitude? “You put off the evil day and bring
near a reign of terror,” (verse 6:3). In what way were they putting off the
evil day? Was it not by refusing to hear about it? Like Felix who listened to
Paul speak about the judgement to come they too said, “When I find it
convenient I will send for you,” (Acts 24:25). They had too many things
they wanted to get out of life to listen to someone speak to them about a day
of judgement. Later, after they had enjoyed a full, pleasurable life, they
would listen, but for now they put it off. In so doing they quickened the
beginning of the reign of terror. In other words, their unbelief and rebellion
would cause God to hasten His judgement on them.
Notice in verses 4 to 6 how these individuals had been lulled to sleep by
their materialism. They slept in beds inlaid with ivory. They had nothing
better to do than lounge on their fancy couches. They dined on the finest
food and listened to the finest music. They drank wine by the bowl and
bathed in expensive lotions. These individuals lived in the lap of luxury.
Their money was all they needed. Their lives were filled with
entertainment, food, and relaxation. They had reached the top. They were
the envy of those around them. They were the ones everyone admired. The
problem, however, was that they did not grieve over the “ruin of Joseph.”
To what does this phrase refer? Could this have been a reference to the