What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray to him?
What is
Exodus 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
Psalm 12:4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
Proverbs 30:9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
and what
Job 34:9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
Job 35:3 For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?
Isaiah 30:11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
if we
Isaiah 45:19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
that we should serve Him
This phrase questions the value of serving God, reflecting a utilitarian view of religion. In the ancient Near Eastern context, service to deities was often transactional, expecting blessings in return for worship. Job's friends argue that suffering is a result of failing to serve God properly, but Job challenges this simplistic view. This echoes the broader biblical narrative that true service to God is based on love and reverence, not merely for personal gain, as seen in Deuteronomy 10:12-13.
and what would we gain if we pray to Him?
This phrase questions the efficacy of prayer, suggesting skepticism about its benefits. In the historical context, prayer was a central aspect of worship and communication with God. The rhetorical question implies doubt about God's responsiveness or willingness to bless those who seek Him. This reflects a broader biblical tension between faith and doubt, as seen in Psalm 73, where the psalmist struggles with the prosperity of the wicked. The ultimate biblical teaching is that prayer is an act of faith and trust in God's wisdom and timing, as exemplified by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39).
– Job cites the wicked who look at God and dismiss Him.
– Scripture reveals the Almighty as Creator and Sustainer (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16–17).
– His power is unmatched (Psalm 115:3) and His knowledge complete (Isaiah 40:28).
– To ignore who He is echoes Pharaoh’s arrogance in Exodus 5:2, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?”
– The question exposes unbelief, not ignorance; they know of Him (Romans 1:20), yet choose rebellion.
– Service is the natural response to recognizing God’s greatness (Deuteronomy 10:12).
– “Serve the LORD with fear” (Psalm 2:11) contrasts sharply with Job 21:15’s defiance.
– Rejecting service leads to slavery to sin (John 8:34); embracing service brings true freedom (Matthew 11:28–30).
– Scripture promises blessing to those who serve (Exodus 23:25), but the wicked see only burden.
– The wicked weigh everything by immediate profit (Matthew 16:26).
– They overlook eternal reward: “Great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:12).
– God offers peace (Isaiah 26:3), joy (John 15:11), and inheritance (1 Peter 1:4).
– Earthly prosperity can blind hearts; Asaph wrestled with this in Psalm 73, realizing worldly gain without God is emptiness.
– Prayer is fellowship with the Almighty (Jeremiah 33:3).
– The wicked dismiss prayer’s power, yet “The prayer of a righteous man has great power” (James 5:16).
– Jesus promises, “Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do” (John 14:13), showing true gain is relationship, not mere goods.
– Unbelieving hearts treat prayer as useless because they refuse submission; “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18).
Job 21:15 voices the proud skepticism of those who refuse to acknowledge God’s majesty, reject serving Him, measure life only by temporal profit, and dismiss prayer as worthless. Scripture answers each objection: the Almighty is revealed clearly, service to Him is life-giving, eternal gain surpasses earthly reward, and prayer connects us to His transforming power.
Verse 15. - What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? "Who is Jehovah," said Pharaoh to Moses, "that I should obey his voice? I know not Jehovah" (Exodus 5:2). So the ungodly in Job's time. They pretend to have no knowledge of God, no sense of his claims upon them, no internal consciousness that they are bound to worship and obey him. They are agnostics of a pronounced type, or at least they profess to be such. What profit, they ask, should we have, if we pray to him? Expediency is everything with them. Will serving God do them any good? Will it advance their worldly interests? Persuade them of that, and they will be willing to pay him, at any rate, a lip-service. But, having prospered so long and so greatly without making any religious profession, they see no reason to believe that they would prosper more if they made one.