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Job 24:21
21 He evil entreateth [ra`ah] the barren [`aqar] that beareth [yalad] not: and doeth not good [yatab] to the widow ['almanah]. KJV-Interlinear
21 'He wrongs the barren woman, And does no good for the widow. NASB
The person who ignores their spiritual life, and more or less becomes a non-contributor to society, is an affront, is an insult, performs a wrong to all who try to do right in life.
The widow and the barren woman, are two examples or types of people who generally have not much say in society. They are the poor, they lack the capabilities of self-sustainment, they are those who are looked down upon by society.
If you cannot have children then there is something wrong with you, type of attitude. You are cursed, not blessed, and so forth. The widow is female obviously, and throughout history the female side of life is the lesser, the weaker, the one who lacks authority. And to be a widow makes your situation even worse, especially if you are poor.
So this is the picture which Job is painting for us.
Despite their low place within society, they are not at fault for their predicament. The woman who is barren, probably wants to have children. That would have been the desire of women back in ancient times. They would have wanted to contribute to their husbands' happiness, to the household, to their descendents, to society and so forth. The barren woman would have wanted to have and see her childen grow up and be productive and so forth. But, she was not given that opportunity in life.
As for the widow, she had a husband, and children, and wants to see her family prosper and do well in this world. Every parent wants that for and from their children. The widow held her baby in her womb for nine months, gave birth in pain, raised them, cleaned them, fed them and spent the best years of her life to help get her children off onto the right foot in their lives.
For every person who has ever been born, life is not fully evaluated until the moment of their death.
Whether you live a hundred seconds or a hundred years, makes no difference. You will not receive your life's grade until all of your time is in and you stand before the Lord.
Those who have pursued their spiritual life, legitimately, will be honored. Those who have ignored their spiritual life, as so many do, will stand before the Lord in dishonor.
And for all of the work, for all of the deepest desire, that the women of history have put into their children, or desired children, having lived a worthless life is the greatest insult that a child can give to their mothers and potential mothers of history.
One of the greatest rewards you can give to your parents, is to complete your life successfully before God.
