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Job 24:6
6 They reap [qatsar] [qatsar] every one his corn [baliyl] in the field [sadeh]: and they gather [laqash] the vintage [kerem] of the wicked [rasha`]. KJV-Interlinear
6 'They harvest their fodder in the field, And they glean the vineyard of the wicked. NASB
In the jungle of life, one predator pursues its prey. Generally, the prey is of a lesser ability. But also in the jungle, prey can pursue prey, and predator can pursue predator. Each taking on alternate roles, as they are either pursuing of being pursued.
Not only do the wicked live out there lives in the desert of life, but they look over the fence, so to speak, and try to take whatever their neighbor has. This makes them common criminals or thieves, and nothing better.
They harvest the crops of their neighbors. They take that which does not belong to them.
They will even try to cheat their neighbors, other wicked people, by gleaning their neighbors' vineyards and fields, pretending that they are in need, when in fact they are not.
Acting as though they have nothing, attempting to conceal whatever it is that they have, they try to get more and more for themselves. Whether by deceit, by outright theft, by slight of hand, or lies, or fraudulent means, the wicked person is one who thinks of themselves first, and never of anyone else.
They will spend untold amounts of energy and effort in their attempt to cheat or beat the system.
How does this apply to you?
The Bible is one long series of parables. Biblical parables use common everyday events that are used to teach spiritual principles.
In fact, everything within the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, the principles of the spiritual life are taught using common everyday activities.
To live outside of the fellowship sphere, to not be functioning within ones spiritual life, then life in the jungle as a wicked person comes to you by default.
God made this world not for the wicked, but for the righteous. Everything in this world belongs to the righteous, but who seems to be taking it all? Those for whom it was not prepared.
As a person who is not functioning in your spiritual life, wickedness is your only alternative. By ignoring your spiritual life on a regular basis, then wickedness becomes your 'chosen' pattern of life.
As a wicked person, then you walk, and talk, and act just like any Arab nomad, or gypsy. Using these stereotypes for instructional purposes, you are a wanderer, a migrant, one who has no roots, no morals, no ethics and so forth.
Good morals and character and foundations of life come only from living inside of the spiritual life.
Everything pursued or obtained from outside of the spiritual life, is wicked, and Job uses these examples to describe the function and character of those types of people (wicked people).
If you ignore your spiritual life, then you are no better than a wild donkey, a wanderer of the desert, a thief, a person with no morals. You take that which does not belong to you, and cheat whenever opportunity presents itself. Whether you are a dictionary defined scoundrel, or a church going prim and proper, makes no difference. Wicked is wicked is wicked. And all life outside of the fellowship sphere, is wickedness.
You might want to review the Human Carnal Nature chart, found on the Bible study web site, to remind yourself of the very broad range of carnality which exists.
