Job

Job Chapter 14

Job Continues: Death Comes Soon to All

Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

Again in reading Job some of his words and the words of his friends may be true but they are not necessarily the word of the Lord. They are just like us, our opinions of what the word may say or mean. In their case it would be their opinion of what they believed in that day were true.

It does seem like as soon as we are born trouble comes. Since sin entered the world after the fall of Adam, and especially after the flood of Noah; that life is short and full of trouble. We live in a fallen world. After one comes to Jesus and is filled with the Holy Spirit, there is joy, peace, love and more that comes within us to abide with us, bringing assurance of an eternal future that will last forever. When trouble comes we tend to temporarily forget the future. Job doesn't know at this time what we readers of the bible know; and that is Job's future is good and his health is restored.

Job 14:3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?

Job's words is mostly directred toward God at this point.

Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

This is the day before the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Once someone comes to Jesus for forgiveness of sins, we can now see that God can make a clean person come out from the unclean. We can see also that before Christ women were seen as weak and inferior to men. We see though that women can be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit just as much as men. Jesus elevated women to a higher level. Not higher than men but they can be used of God just like men. Women can be filled with the Holy Spirit and were filled with the Holy Spirit along with the men on the day of Pentecost. That is still happening today. Jesus makes all the difference.

Job 14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

Job seems to be saying, "Let people alone to enjoy their lives until the time of their departure from this life that is determined by God." Even though that is partly true, sometimes the way we live may cut short our time here on earth and we can't blame God if we die ahead of our appointed time. Wrong decisions, evil people that decide to kill, the food we eat, too much or too little and many other things. (My opinion here).

Job 14:7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

Praise God that now through Christ we can know where our loved ones are. They are not in the ground but either with God or awaiting judgment in hell or hades. Trees can spring up again also if the roots are moist and the soil around them is good. We plant dead seeds and they can spring up again symbolic of the future resurrection but plants will die again but we will not ever die. This is what Jesus did for all who would receive Him.

Job 14:11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Some of Job's words tends to assume once we die, we will not rise again. This was years before the coming of Jesus and His ushering in the hope of a resurrection but Job could be just saying these things because of his present state of misery. Yet we see Job continues his words with more of a possitive statement.

Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

In these two verses it seems as if Job does know of the final resurrection so he prefers to die at this time until that day of his appointed time of resurrection. Since Job was a man of faith, we don't know how much scripture he was familiar with but since he did know God, he probably would have known about the resurrection and the change that will come. At the resurrection of Jesus He took all righteous souls out of the place called Abraham's bosom and took them to Heaven to await the resurrection of the body. Job might not have known that would happen. We just don't know how much he knew at this time. Yet even if he was aware of the future coming of the Lord to save all who believe, right now at this time in his life, he could only see misery.

Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.

Those that investigate crimes seal up evidence in a bag. It is true that our sins are remembered to count against us at the judgment but to those that come to Jesus by faith, their sins are remembered no more. Jesus took them all on Himself at His death on the cross. Whether Job knew this was coming or not, we don't know but since He was a believer and follower of God and He offered offerings to God constantly, that pointed toward faith in the coming sacrifice of Jesus even though they didn't know the name Jesus or Yeshua at the time they lived. This may be why Cain's sacrifice told about in the book of Genesis was rejected and Abel's sacrifice was accepted.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Abel offered a sin offering by faith and Cain offered an offering of the fruit of the ground but ignored his sins and the need to be cleansed of sin. Some today do not repent of sin and come to Christ for salvation because they see no need but others come wanting to know God and be cleansed from sin. That is the difference between a person saved from sin and a person being lost. WE NEED to be RECONCILED back to GOD. Jesus made the way for us. We do not have to die lost.

In the book of Micah it shows us that our sins are not held against those that receive God's mercy of forgiveness. Although this is directed toward Israel, those that are not of Israel can inherit the same forgiveness and cleansing of sin through faith in Jesus our Christ.

1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Gentiles also can be saved by faith in Jesus Christ.

Job 14:18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

The body rots in the grave but the soul and spirit lives eternal. We know longer see our sons and daughters future whether good or bad. He seems to be comparing his life to mountains falling in an earthquake and the sea waters beating upon the rocks causing them to wash away. This is how one suffering in the flesh might feel at times. Some by faith know that joy comes in the morning but right at this time Job is in agony. DC

Job Chapter 15