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�1 Job Chapter 7 Klaus G. Schiessel

Copyright © May 2014

JOB 7 Job’s Lament About His Circumstances:

“There is No End to My Suffering” Introduction:

Despair with life & desire to die vv.1-10

Disillusionment with God’s ways vv.11-19 Desire for vindication with God vv.20-21

vv. 1-5� THE PLIGHT OF A MAN WHO SUFFERS

[1 “Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth? Are not his days also like the days of

a hired man? 2 Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade and like a hired man who

eagerly looks for his wages, 3 so I have been allotted months of futility and wearisome nights

have been appointed to me. 4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, and the night be

ended?’, for I have had my fill of tossing till dawn. 5 My flesh is caked with worms and dust,

my skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.”]

Job now is really making a generalization that applies to all men who live their lives focusing

only on themselves and placing their hope in things of this world. Each day they live without

regard of the love, mercy and grace of God or understanding their responsibility to reciprocate

that love to others.

Job basically describes the mental state of a man who has no hope for the future and becomes

discouraged and disillusioned with life! Job is really talking about hope, or rather, the lack of

hope, here.

Job now bemoans the depth of his suffering and despair by asking two rhetorical questions

meant to reveal the futility of life. The two questions that Job asks are:

• Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth?

• Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?



Solomon would refer to this {Eccl. 1:2} as “…..vanity of vanities, all is vanity”; meaning

“meaningless1”, “futile” or “empty”. In the next verse {v.3} Solomon goes on to ask, “What

profit [i.e., ‘benefit’] has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun?”

The irony is that this philosophy of life is exactly the basis of Humanism, the religion of the

atheist who puts his/her faith in Evolution. But although Job had put his faith in God he now

comes to the same conclusion because he cannot understand why all this calamity has

happened to him. It is hard for him to see past his utter suffering and anguish and he has not

yet fully submitted to the sovereignty of God.

Sadly, a person who comes to the conclusion that life is meaningless has lost all hope.

Job metaphorically comments on both his questions with the implication that he is describing

his own condition. In answer to the question, “Is there not a time of hard service for man on

earth”, he responds by saying, “Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade”; and in

answer to the question, “Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?”, he responds by

saying, “Like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages”.

For example, a servant who is working out doors in “hard service”, perhaps in the hot sun

beating down on him, literally “pants” for the relief to be found in the shade. Likewise, a

man who is laboring for his wages does so expecting to be paid for his hard work.

Can you imagine in these situations if there is no shade to rest in, no place to find relief? Or

what if there are no wages to be paid? In both cases, the earnest expectation and anticipation

of the person is dashed. That which was expected and anticipated, that which was hoped for

is not there! There is no comfort, no consolation and there is no satisfaction.

By implication Job is describing his own condition to his friends. Note that Job describes his

life as having been “allotted months of futility”, indicating that his suffering has been going on

for at least that long.

He goes on to say that “wearisome nights have been appointed to me” and ask, “When shall I

arise, and the night be ended?, for I have had my fill of tossing till dawn”; implying that even

at night there is no relief; just more pain, sorrow and anguish2 as the night drags on-and-on.

Job describes the extent of his physical suffering in graphic terms: His skin disease has left his

flesh literally “enveloped” with dust and crawling with maggots, which feed on dead flesh3.

This has left his skin dry and led to new wounds as his skin cracks and new sores break out.

1 This is what the bankrupt Theory of Evolution, also known as Darwinism, promotes and teaches;

which also explains why society’s standards have become so perverted and our culture has become so lawless and wicked. Rom. 1:25 explains this as “…..exchanging the truth of God for the lie and worshipping and serving the creature [i.e., “Mother Nature”] rather than the Creator”. A philosophy of meaninglessness perverts what is good and turns everything upside-down and inside-out. 2 Note that this kind of anguish is actually a part of a curse that the LORD gives to the Israelites for

despising His glorious and awesome name and disobeying the words of His Law after He scatters

them throughout the earth: “And among those nations you shall find no rest, nor shall the sole of your

foot have a resting place; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and

anguish of soul. Your life shall hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night, and have no assurance of life. In the morning you shall say, ‘Oh, that it were evening!’ And at evening you shall

say, ‘Oh, that it were morning!’, because of the fear which terrifies your heart and because of the

sight which your eyes see.” {Deut. 28:65-67}. 3 Note that maggots will only eat dead flesh and have actually been used in wound treatment therapy.



vv. 6-10� THE BREVITY OF LIFE

[6 “My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. 7 Oh, remember

that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good. 8 The eye of him who sees me will

see me no more; while your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be. 9 As the cloud disappears

and vanishes away, so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. 10 He shall never

return to his house, nor shall his place know him anymore.”]

In vv.1-3 Job has described the miserable condition of person who has very little to hope for.

Day-in and day-out they seem to live a tedious life of monotony without any seeming

purpose, seemingly barraged with troubles and difficulties. Such an attitude results in

discouragement, depression and disillusionment.

Anyone who has lost all hope becomes utterly discouraged and cannot think straight—either

about himself/herself or about God.

In v.6 Job metaphorically compares the days of his life to the swiftness of a weaver’s shuttle

and each day ends without hope. A weaver throws his shuttle back-and-forth through the

loom in almost the blink of an eye. Job is commenting on the brevity of life—it is short and

over before one knows it.

While Job is in God’s “crucible” of testing he has been reduced to a man who has no hope.

At this point in his life, Job’s lamentation shows that he has not yet come to terms with

God’s power, authority and sovereignty.

In such a situation it is easy to become self-absorbed and focus on one’s own troubles and

problems, which over time become magnified. Such a man lives with “a chip on his

shoulder”, complains a lot and becomes cynical, irritable and argumentative.

Note that Solomon; who initially pleased God with his faith and was blessed with God’s

approval and wisdom {1 Ki. 3:6-14; 4:29-34} and who, although he didn’t suffer in the same

manner as Job did, came to the same conclusions that Job did because he suffered with

“leanness in his soul” {see Palms 106:15} because Solomon had squandered most of his life

in self-aggrandized pleasure and selfish ambition {1 Ki. 11:1-13; Eccl. 2:1-9}:

APPLICATION:

This is actually the mental state that Satan wants everyone to be in so that he is able to more

easily manipulate them. Note the context of the admonition in the following well-known passage of scripture; 1 Pet. 5:8-11—it’s suffering!

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

But this passage goes on to tell us who particularly he’s seeking to devour:

“But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

It’s those who are suffering! Note also:

“No testing has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tested beyond what you are able, but with the testing will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”—1 Cor. 10:13



Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it arose. The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north; the wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit. All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers come, There they return again. All things are full of labor; man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, "See, this is new"? It has already been in ancient times before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come By those who will come after……And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.— Eccl. 1:2-11; 13-14

Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.—Eccl. 2:20-23

ILLUSTRATION:

At this point we need to distinguish between two kinds of “hope”. One is the world’s kind of

“hope”; the other is Heaven’s kind of “hope”.

The world’s kind of “hope” is based on man’s limited knowledge and understanding; it is uncertain, without substance and it cannot be depended on. This is what the unbeliever’s hope is based on.

However, Heaven’s “hope” is based on God’s power, wisdom and fore-knowledge. Since a Christian is a “child of God” {Rom. 8:16; 9:8; Gal. 3:26} and has been given the wisdom of God

{1 Cor. 1:23-24}, that is what the Christian’s “hope” is based on.

The following example should suffice to illustrate this difference.

I man watching his favorite sports team play may say, “I sure hope that my team wins this game!”

But his hope is not based on certainty and therefore he is “on pins-and-needles” waiting for the outcome. He can’t relax and every time his team makes a terrible mistake he gets upset and

worries that his team will lose the game. Why? Because he doesn’t know for sure how the game will end. But he still “hopes” his team will win in the end.

Now let’s suppose another person who is interested in the game has recorded it and also knows

the final score. Now when that person watches the same game and their team makes a terrible mistake they could say, “I still have hope that my team wins the game!” Although they may still

get upset and agitated, they doesn’t despair or worry about the outcome because they know, based on knowing the final outcome, that their team will ultimately win. Such a person can watch

the game with enjoyment—with an entirely different perspective—one of certainty and victory!

So it is with a Christian’s hope. Since God knows what will happen and He has the power and wisdom to fulfill His will there is a trustworthy certainty in the outcome. For example like God

making us a promise {Rom. 8:28-39} or revealing to us what will happen in the future {1

Thess. 4:13-18}.

God doesn’t lie and therefore His promises and teachings remain steadfast and certain to the end. God’s faithfulness is great. Therefore, a Christian’s “hope” is sure and he/she can relax and enjoy

life, going about and doing the Father’s will and rejoicing in what He has done and what He will

continue to do! That is the substance of a Christian’s “hope”.



Job has already alluded to the trouble we have in life:

“For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble spring from the ground; yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”—Job 5:6-7

And later Job says,

“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; and if I remain silent, how am I eased? But now He has worn me out; you have made desolate all my company. You have shriveled me up, and it is a witness against me; my leanness rises up against me and bears witness to my face.”—Job 16:6-8

As such, Job’s attitude reflects the condition of anyone who does not acknowledge God’s

power, authority and sovereignty. This is actually self-defeating because here we are shown

that such a person ultimately lives without hope and is “blind” to the grace, mercy, loving-

kindness of God.

This is a terrible mental state to be in—but the ultimate state of having no hope is described

by those who do not know their Creator personally—those who do not know God through

Jesus Christ. This is contrasted with those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ to

save them from their sins.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.—1 Thess. 4:13-14

For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.—1 Cor. 15:16-19

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.—Eph. 2:11-12

But these last two passages go on to say:

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.—1 Cor. 15:20

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.—Eph. 2:13

In contrast to this, believers in Christ Jesus have an eternal hope—a “living hope”; which is

their “blessed hope”! In writing one of his last letters before his martyrdom [to his young

protégé, Timothy], the apostle Paul refers to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as “our hope” {1

Tim. 1:1}. Note the importance of hope in a believer’s life:

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.— 2 Thess. 2:16-17

Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.— Heb. 6:17-18

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.—1 Pet. 1:3-5



And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.—1 Pet. 1:17-21

This “blessed hope” has a very beneficial purpose—to keep our motives and behavior pure;

and thus, faithful to a holy God:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.—Titus 2:11-15

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”—1 John 3:1-3

It was previously stated that whoever loses all hope will become utterly discouraged and

cannot think straight—either about himself/herself or about God. But how does one lose all

hope?

A person who thinks their life is “hopeless”, “tedious” and “worthless” has either (a) never

trusted God or (b) stopped trusting Him.

Looking at Job and Solomon as examples of such a life, we can conclude that there are two

primary reasons that can motivate a person to stop trusting in God. These reasons are

ironically opposite sides of the same “coin”—the coin of lack of trust.

Job stopped trusting God in extreme pain which led to self-pity, Solomon stopped trusting

God because of extreme prosperity, which led to self-indulgence. And the Bible is full of

verses attesting to this truth4 {e.g., Prov. 13:7}. Note:

“Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches—Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and

deny You and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or lest I become dispossessed [impoverished] and misuse

[lit. take captive] the name of my God.”—Prov. 30:7-9

The struggles of a one’s life are universal—but an individual’s response to adversity will

reveal the source of one’s hope.

“All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”—Isa. 40:6-8

May a believer’s trust always be in the Word of God and their source of strength be the power

of the Holy Spirit!

4 Psalms 49 is dedicated to declaring this.



[Oh, remember that my life is a breath!] Job reminds us that one’s life or spirit is represented

by one’s breath. In reality, all life is fleeting like the wind which is here one moment and

gone the next. Indeed the words for “spirit”, “wind” and “breath” in both the Old [ruwach,

neshamah] and New Testament [pneuma, pnoe] are interrelated. Note:

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”—Gen. 2:7

“All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life”—Gen. 7:22

“And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.”—2 Thess. 2:8

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”—John 3:8-9

“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God…..”—1 Jn. 4:2-3

[My eye will never again see good] Job laments that that he will never again see “good”; that

is, a time of blessing and joy. This indicates that he probably thought he wouldn’t recover

from his dreadful illness. There are also times in our own lives that we may have felt [or will

feel] this way. But Job is still in God’s care as we also are.

Using somewhat poetic language, Job describes what happens when he dies: (1) Those who

see him will see him no more and (2) after he dies even though their eyes will be on his dead

body, in reality Job’s spirit will no longer be present with them.

[As the cloud disappears and vanishes away] Job uses the metaphor of a cloud; which is

nothing more than a vapor and easily evaporates and thus disappears from view, to describe a

person’s life. In other words, life is transient and easily ended and is oftentimes way too

short. This is just like vapor in a cloud—it can literally disappear before your eyes. Later Job

will say:

“Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil. Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.”—Job 14:1-2

Note that James quotes v.9.

“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”—James 4:14-15

[so he who goes down to the grave does not come up] The Hebrew word translated “grave” in

v.9 is “Sheol” and is used 7 other times in Job {Job 11:8; 14:13; 17:13, 16; 21:13; 24:19;

26:6} and 58 other times throughout the OT to signify the place the dead go.

In the NT we learn that this place is referred to by the Greek word, “Hades” [e.g., Lk. 16:23]

and is divided into two separate regions; “place of torment” [Lk. 16:23] and “Abraham’s

bosom” [Lk. 16:22]; which Jesus also refers to as “Paradise5” [Lk. 23:40-43] in the context

of the saved, but dying, thief’s last request. Refer to the Appendix for a graphical description

of Sheol-Hades.

5 However, it should be noted that “Paradise” can also refer to Heaven depending on the context. See

2 Cor. 12:4 and Rev. 2:7. Paradise is derived from an ancient Persian word which referred to a place of extreme beauty, tranquility and safety designed to provide for the comfort, enjoyment and security of the occupants. An example of this would be a garden full of pathways which is beautifully landscaped, meticulously maintained and enclosed by a wall.



“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…..”; but for those who

have believed in Jesus Christ this judgment has already been paid since “…..Christ was

offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a

second time, apart from sin, for salvation”. {Heb. 9:27-28}.

“Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.”—Jam. 1:9-11

In contrast to things which are temporal and die, never to return again, our salvation is eternal.

“For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. For ‘All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord abides forever.’ And this is the word which was preached to you.”—1 Pet. 1:23-25

[He shall never return to his house] Job refers to a person’s body as “a house” which

continues into the New Testament. Note that God coming down in the flesh is described this

way:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”— John 1:14

Note that Bible6 describes our bodies as frail “houses” or “tents” which are perishing, but with

the promise of the blessed hope—our glorified, resurrected bodies:

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent , is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. —2 Cor. 5:1-5

The “building from God” that Paul is referring to is a new “house” or “tent” that will be a

resurrected, “glorified” body that God will put on us like a garment. We are going to be

“clothed” with an eternal body which will never get sick, grow old or die again—we will be

clothed with “immortality”! Note:

“Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory—O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting’?”—1 Cor. 15:50-55

However, it must be pointed out that both unbelievers and believers will be resurrected. Their

respective resurrections are separated by a period of 1000 years at the end of world history.

Note:

6 The apostle Peter also understood this analogy for he writes, “Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am

in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me” {2 Pet. 1:13-14}.



“At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” —Dan. 12:1-3

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are

in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good7, to the

resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” —John 5:24-30

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection . Over such the second death8 has

no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”—Rev. 20:4-6

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book

of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works9, by the things which were written in

the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.—Rev. 20:11-15

Once a person’s soul and spirit has left their earthly “house” [i.e., body] they are dead

physically {Jam. 2:26; “…..the body without the spirit is dead”}. Once a person has died

there is no returning of the soul and spirit to that earthly body; unless God resurrects that

person10

. Nor shall that “place” [i.e., body] know the spirit and soul of the person anymore.

Job is in effect saying, “You only go around life once. There is no second life to live on this

earth”.

7 To do “good” in this context means to believe, to trust in, to put faith in; the fact that Jesus Christ is

LORD and Savior; that the blood shed by His sacrificial death on the cross is necessary and sufficient for “payment” of one’s sins. For example see John 6:28-29 and Rom. 6:23. The only “work” that God recognizes for salvation and eternal life is to believe in Jesus Christ! 8 The “Second Death” is described in Rev. 20:11-15; it is basically being cast into the Lake of Fire; i.e.,

Hell. 9 Unfortunately for nonbelievers, the LORD does not use works to judge a person’s worthiness for

Heaven nor does He “grade on a curve” to let some into Heaven. A person is saved by faith in Jesus Christ’s finished work of salvation on the cross. Note what we are told in Eph. 2:8-9; “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” and in Gal. 3:11; “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith’.” 10

As He has done in both the Old and New Testament: 1 Ki. 17:20-24; 2 Ki. 4:32-37; 13:21; Mark 5:41-43; John 11:43-44; Acts 9:40-41; 20:9-12.



But later we’ll see that Job either had or was given an understanding of the afterlife and it

wasn’t one of finality! Note especially Job 14:7-14 and Job 19:19-27. Thus, people living in

times as early as Abraham had a concept of life after death—a resurrected life.

This truth is powerfully, and poetically, echoed by Isaiah the prophet:

Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead. —Isa. 26:19.

[nor shall his place know him anymore] After death a person’s ability to directly influence

people and events in this world ceases. That person’s family and friends won’t see them any

more; they won’t be able to communicate with that person nor give them something as simple

as a hug. Not only that, but oftentimes the deceased person is forgotten altogether!

vv. 11-16� JOB’S PLAINTIVE PLEA TO BE LEFT ALONE TO DIE

[11 “Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will

complain in the bitterness of my soul. 12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent, that You set a guard

over me? 13 When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint’, 14 Then

You scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions, 15 So that my soul chooses strangling

And death rather than my body. 16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone,

for my days are but a breath.”] Disillusionment with God’s ways vv.11-19

Job again expresses his disappointment in God in no uncertain terms—he will not restrain his

speech! He will speak and complain because his spirit is in “anguish” and his soul is “bitter”.

APPLICATION: Therefore a person should not trifle with the offer of salvation because what one chooses to do

with the offer of forgiveness of sins and eternal life that the Gospel proclaims will determine a person’s ultimate fate for eternity! Note:

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”—John 6:28-29

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures”—1 Cor. 15:1-4

“But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved’.” —Rom. 10:8-13



The reference in v.12 to a “sea serpent” is the Hebrew word [tanniyn (tan-neen')]; and most

often refers to a large lizard-like marine or land creature11

. Within context, the word is

usually, and properly, translated “serpent”, “sea-serpent” or “dragon”. This creature is

associated with a creature referred to as the “LEVIATHAN” in Isa. 27:1 and described as a

“fleeing serpent” and “a twisted serpent”:

In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan the fleeing

serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; and He will slay the reptile [i.e., ‘dragon’] that is in the sea.—Isa. 27:1

Note that Job has already alluded to LEVIATHAN in Job 3:8 in reference to those who would

be foolish enough to arouse such a creature. Those who do so would curse the day, regret the

day, they did so. In Job 41 the LORD mentions LEVIATHAN as formidable creature whose

fierceness, size and strength cannot be overcome. The sight of such a creature was

overwhelming and nothing else on earth compared with it. Furthermore, we are told that no

one is so fierce as to even think of rousting such a frightful creature.

Thus, Job is alluding to some kind of extinct species of a very large serpent-like [dragon-like]

marine reptile [a “sea monster”] such as the sea-dwelling Plesiosaur12

. Refer to the fossil

reconstruction below:

Job’s point is that compared to a sea serpent he is nothing, inconsequential and unimportant;

not worthy of God “setting a guard” over him. This theme of Job’s continues in v.17. Even

though on the surface this sounds like humility, it is coming from an attitude that desperately

feels cheated and unfairly treated by God and is in reality displaying self-pity.

[When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint’] Job continues his

controversy with God. He voices a grievance that even if he were to try and lay down on his

bed to rest some rest and comfort, he accuses God of scaring him with nightmares and

terrifying night visions.

Deep in his soul Job has chosen rather to be strangled/choked13

to death than continue to

suffer so horribly in his body. Job loathes his life and desires to be left alone to die.

Again Job alludes to the brevity of life {cp. v.7} by saying that his “…..days are but a

breath”, a vapor, and then they are gone. In v.6 he said that his days are like “the swiftness of

a weaver’s shuttle”. 11

The KJV incorrectly translates this word as “whale” {e.g., Gen. 1:21; here, and Ez. 32:2}. This word is also incorrectly translated by the NKJV as “jackals” in Job 39:29, probably because of the wailing sound it made. 12

Fossils of Plesiosaurs have been found since the early 1800’s on every continent including Antarctica and their reconstructed skeletons resemble the description of a creature given in Job 41! So far they have been found up to 55 feet long and 10 feet wide. The fossils reveal a unique and bizarre structure of these creatures—a combination serpent and sea turtle! In 1832 British geologist Prof. William Buckland likened the Plesiosaur fossils to "a sea serpent run through a turtle”. 13

Only time this Hebrew word occurs in the O.T.



.

vv. 17-21� WHAT IS MAN THAT GOD SHOULD CARE FOR HIM ?

[17 “What is man, that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart on him, 18 That

You should visit him every morning, and test him every moment? 19 How long? Will You not

look away from me, and let me alone till I swallow my saliva? 20 Have I sinned? What have I

done to You, O Watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, so that I am a burden

to myself? 21 Why then do You not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity?

For now I will lie down in the dust, and You will seek me diligently, but I will no longer be.”]

Desire for vindication with God vv.20-21

The questions asked in vv.17-18 are echoed in Psalms 8:4-6; written about 1000 years later:

“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.”

and also in Heb. 2:6:

APPLICATION:

This should give us pause to consider how we are spending our own lives. We could question our own motives and interests: do they line up more with Satan’s or with God’s? Do I spend my life more in a selfish ambition to please only myself or do I recognize the importance of serving others and bringing a little comfort and hope to those without either?

And what about our family and friends? We can always get another car, house, TV or microwave. But each person is unique and we can’t really get another of the same mother or father, the same son or daughter, the same grandson or grand daughter, the same friend. They can’t be replaced.

We should be living our lives in constant awareness that a life might be over in the next day, hour, minute or second and that investing a little more time with someone in the “here-and-now” is more important than spending it at work or pursuing our personal comfort or satisfaction.

At the end of life I don’t think too many people will complain by saying they “regret not having spent more time in the office”.

One of the classic examples of this is the heart-breaking dialog between Oskar Schindler with his Jewish accountant, Itzhak Stern, at the end of the movie, Schindler’s List:

Schindler: “I could have got more out. I could have got more…..If I’d just…..I could have got more.”

Stern: “Oskar, there are 1100 people who are alive because of you. Look at them.”

Schindler: “If I’d made more money”…..“I threw away so much money. You have no idea. If I’d just”…..

Stern: “There will be generations because of what you did”.

Schindler: “I didn’t do enough!”

Stern: “You did so much”.

Schindler: “This car. Goeth would have bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people right there. Ten people. Ten more people. This pin. Two people. This is gold. Two more people. He would have given me two for it, at least one. One more person. A person, Stern. For this. I could have gotten One more person and I didn’t! And I…..I didn’t!”

But most important of all is that we need to take advantage of the opportunities we have to share the Gospel with those who are perishing in their sins. We should not let a time schedule, personal ambition or personal comfort and pleasure get in the way of sharing the forgiveness of sins and salvation available in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. After all, the eternal lives of souls are at stake! See Rom. 10:8-12; 2 Cor. 6:1-2.



“What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”

Job is speaking to God here and he is asking God several thought provoking questions:

• “What is man that You should exalt him?”

• “What is man that You should set Your heart on him?”

• “What is man that You should visit him every morning and test him every moment?”

• “How long?”

• “Will You not look away from me?”

• “Will You not let me alone until I swallow my salvia?”

• “Have I sinned?”

• “What have I done to You [O Watcher of men]?”

• “Why have You set me as Your target”

• “Why then do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity?”

[let me alone till I swallow my saliva] Or “suffer me to swallow my spit”. This was a proverb,

and used among the Arabians even to the present day. The meaning is; “Give me time to rest

from my fatigue”, “Give me a little respite”; “Allow me a little time”. There are two examples

which illustrate the meaning of this verse14

. One is of a person, who, when eagerly pressed to

give an account of his travels, answers with impatience, “Let me swallow down my saliva, for

my journey has fatigued me.” The other instance is the reply made by a hospitable friend to

the person who used the proverb; “You may, if you please, swallow down even the Tigris and

the Euphrates”; that is, “You may take whatever time you please."

This proverbial expression is cross-cultural and corresponds to something we would say

today such as, “wait until I catch my breath” or “I’ll be ready in the twinkling of an eye”.

[Why have You set me as Your target] Job expresses a similar thought later:

God has delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over to the hands of the wicked. I was at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target, His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground. He breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior.—Job 16:11-14

Job has lost his spiritual anchor and is adrift in a sea of self-pity and foolish conclusions. He

is tired and weary and cannot think straight and he is in a sad and pathetic state. He has taken

his focus off of the LORD’s awesome power and strength and forgotten about His mercy,

grace and loving-kindness.

At this point Job actually believes he is the target of God’s wrath instead of Satan’s wrath.

Not that the word for “target” used here is the only place in the O.T. that this Hebrew word is

used and could be literally translated, “bull’s eye”! Job thinks God has drawn a bull’s eye on

him.

14

As described by Schultens in Harris' Narratives entitled The Assembly.



By definition15

Job is speaking evil of God’s purposes and intentions, he is actually

blaspheming the LORD!

The lesson is, as believers we need to be on guard not to confuse what Satan is allowed to do

to us and what God does. It will only lead to frustration and spiritually irrational thinking.

However, in the end, it is good to remember that the LORD corrects Job and he is restored to

his senses. Just prior to the LORD finally answering Job’s complaints and accusations, this

verbal exchange takes place:

Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said: “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.” Then Job answered the LORD and said: “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”—Job 40:1-5

Finally, at this point, in the very end, Job begins to realize what he’s done—by his grievances

and accusations: he’s cast evil aspersions on the character of the LORD.

15

“Blasphemy” is a transliteration of a compound Greek word [blapto + pheme] which literally means “injurious speech”.

APPLICATION:

Note that this sin is forgivable! Note that in the end, when the Lord finally speaks to Job, he becomes personally aware of his sin; he abhors himself and repents in dust and ashes (which is ironic since he had been living in the dust and ashes).

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."—Job 42:5-6

God forgives Job and restores to him everything that had been taken away from him; his status, his health, his family and his livestock. Here is how Job’s story ends:

And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before……Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters…..After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days.—Job 42:10, 12-14, 16-17

Every sin is forgivable except one. The only sin that is not forgivable is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—it is the sin of unbelief in what the Holy Spirit testifies to:

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”—Matt. 12:31-32

What does this mean? It means that after a person has heard the Gospel message, i.e., that a person needs to repent, agree with God that they have sinned, turn from their sin to God and receive forgiveness of sins only by accepting the salvation offered through the sacrificial shedding blood of Jesus Christ, that the Holy Spirit convicts their heart that this is true, but the person rejects the message and that conviction they will not be forgiven. A person who does not believe and rejects the Gospel message will be condemned to eternal death in the Lake of Fire.



Bibliography

(1) New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. © 1988.

(2) Nelson’s Bible Dictionary; Thomas Nelson Publishers, © 1986.

(3) Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament, Cook Communications Ministries;

Copyright © 1983, 2000.

(4) Barnes Notes, Albert Barnes ©1997, 2003, 2005 by Biblesoft Inc.

(5) Thru the Bible Commentary: Poetry (Job), Vol. 16; J. Vernon McGee, Thomas

Nelson; Nashville. ©1991.

(6) Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament, Hendrickson Publishers, Copyright ©

1886.

(7) Wycliffe Bible Commentary, edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer, Everett F. Harrison, Moody

Publishers, Copyright ©1962.

(8) New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew

Dictionary, International Bible Translators, Inc; Copyright © 1994, 2003.



Appendix: Sheol-Hades Overview

From Adam to Jesus’ Resurrection From Jesus’ Resurrection to Present

Relationship of Hades (Sheol), Abyss, and Tartaros Before & After Jesus Christ’s Resurrection. (Note: This is a Graphical Representation Only)

Documents

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