Daily Readings (April 3-9)
Mon. Job 14:1-6 The Appointed Days
Tue. Job 14:7-17 Hope of a Tree
Wed. Job 14:18-22 Pain and Mourning
Thu. Job 32:1-10 The Almighty gives Understanding
Fri. Job 34:11-15 God Sets His Heart
Sat. Job 36:24–33 Proclaim God’s Majesty
Sun. Job 37:14–24 His Awesome Majesty
If I Die, Shall I Live?
April 9, 2006
Lesson:
Key Verse: Job 14:14
Introduction
Job was God’s prophet in an evil land. His integrity and honesty before God
and man were at stake in the dialogue which began in chapter one of the Book of
Job. It was not an integrity that Job developed of his own strength and desire,
but of the providential work of God as He raised his prophets to proclaim that
He alone is God, and that His righteousness will be the enduring work of His
chosen ones to His glory. It was God who began the dialogue between Himself and
Satan, asking him from where he came, and he answered, "From going to and
fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it" (1:7). Then the Lord
directed Satan, and our eyes too, to Job, "Hast thou considered my servant
Job, that there is non like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one
that feareth God, and eschewed evil?" (8). Satan challenged his Lord and
Creator, as do the wicked today, by saying that those who claim a righteousness
in the name of the Lord, do so only because they are fools, following blindly
because they expect some kind of blessing. Satan put is this way, "Hast
thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on
every side? Thou has blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is
increased in the land" (10). The wicked cannot, because of their own
self-blindness, see that the people of God, are not made to puppet
righteousness, but are made free to be righteous.
Job, the Righteous Servant of God
Job, writes Matthew Henry, was an "a worthy man, a man of note and
eminence, a magistrate, a man in authority. The country he lived in was the land
of Uz, in the eastern part of Arabia, which lay toward Chaldea, near Euphrates,
probably not far from Ur of the Chaldees, whence Abraham was called. When God
called one good man out of that country, yet he left not himself without
witness, but raised up another in it to be a preacher of righteousness.
God has his remnant in all places, sealed ones out of every nation, as well as
out of every tribe of Israel, (Rev. 7:9). It was the privilege of the land of Uz
to have so good a man as Job in it; now it was Arabia the Happy indeed:
and it was the praise of Job that he was eminently good in so bad a place; the
worse others were round about him the better he was."
Job is listed among the prophets of the Old Testament who suffered and
learned patience: "Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the
name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job,
and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender
mercy" (James 5:10-11). Samuel Rutherford wrote: "God had one Son
without sin, but none without suffering. All his members are conformed to His
suffering image, though some resemble Him more than others."
The Lord presents us with His servant Job who, by the hand of the Lord,
suffered many trials, by which he grew in grace and faith, whose integrity
before his Lord was not lost, even when he felt that death would be a choice
relief. Job knew his righteousness was in the hand of the Lord, and he did not
forget that his sinfulness was ever in the sight of the Lord. Near the end of
his suffering Job honestly repented of his sins, saying, "I have heard of
thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor
myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6). The Lord’s
forgiveness is noted in His judgment upon certain friends of Job: "My wrath
is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of
me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now
seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for
yourselves a burn offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will
I accept; lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of
me the thing which is right, like my servant Job" (7-8). We praise and give
thanks to our Lord for His faithful ministers of His gospel whose prayers are
acceptable in His sight.
Discussion: Describe the character of Job as the servant of the Lord.
Man, Full of Trouble 14:1-6
Job was raided by the Sabeans who killed his servants, and by the Chaldeans
who, with three bands, took away his camels. And his Lord had rained fire from
heaven and burned up his sheep and servants. What would our response be to such
troubles? Job gives us an answer which keeps his eyes of faith upon the Lord,
who alone can deliver him: Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked
shall I return thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be
the Lord." Scripture then confirms the integrity of this righteous servant,
"In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (1:21-22). If
God is not sovereign in all things that even sufferings is a measure of His
providential care, then we have no hope to be delivered from the sufferings, nor
do we have the confirmation that He will keep us eternally as his chosen people.
Job had just finished talking with his ‘friends,’ calling them
"forgers of lies," and "physicians of no value" (13:4). He
puts the value of his faith in the hand of the Lord, "Wherefore do I take
my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand? Though he slay me, yet will
I trust in him; but I will maintain mine own ways before him" (13:14-15).
We work out our own salvation in the knowledge that our Lord and Savior is first
working all things together for His glory and our good.
Job pleads with his Lord, acknowledging his position before his Creator:
"Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." We
come forth like a flower which soon passes away. Our hope is in the Lord who
created us. The Lord opens our eyes that we might see that His judgment is
right. We ask, as did Job, Who then "can bring a clean thing out of an
unclean thing?" The only answer is, "Not one!" As we the
Psalmist, we understand, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did
my mother conceive me" (Ps. 51:5). Therefore, we look to Christ
acknowledging our sin, and hearing the cry that tells us that He took upon
Himself our sin and guilt, and paid the ransom price: "My God, My God, why
hast Thou forsaken me!" The Suffering Servant shed His blood that we might
have life.
A Matter of Life and Death 14:7-17
Job considers death. He says that there is hope for the tree, it will come
down, there are roots planted deep and when there is that scent of water, it
will bud and bring forth branches like a plant. In comparison, man dies and is
laid away and breathes his last. Job asks, Where is he? Man is like a dried-up
river to return no more. You cannot arouse him from his sleep. Man is too noble
a creature to be aroused by nature. Therefore, asks Job, "Oh that thou
wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy
wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint mea set time, and remember me!"
Job is weary of suffering. Truly suffering seems at times to have no end. Job
has lost much. His body and his soul ache for release. Weariness tests us,
drawing us near to our Lord, making us stronger servants of the King who has
redeemed us and gave us entrance into His kingdom here on earth. When we seek
relief from suffering, we ought to also look for strength from our Lord. The
soul bears much in Christ. By it our Lord is glorified. Through suffering we are
taught to continually hold on to Christ, in the knowledge that He holds us in
His loving hand.
Job’s faith is directed to His Savior, asking, "If a man die, shall he
live again?" His confidence that the answer is a positive one, Job
testifies, "All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change
come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee; thee; thou wilt have a desire to
the work of thine hands." Only those whose faith in the death and
resurrection of Christ can make this claim that he has been set aside to be an
eternal servant by the work of the Savior’s hand.
The grace of God is before us in life and death. Christ paid the death
penalty for our sins upon the cross of Calvary. In His resurrection our
resurrection is assured. Paul’s words of encouragement are always with us,
""So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and his
mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Cor. 15:54-55). Therefore we rejoice
with the Psalmist, "Blessed is he whose transgress is forgiven, whose sin
is covered" (Ps. 32:1).
Discussion: What does it mean to know Christ as our Savior, and to suffer
with Him as servants?
