Portion For Reading Job 14-171. He expresses hopelessness in this life (14:1-12)
a. Life is brief and troublesome, his days are numbered
b. Cut down a tree, and it will sprout again; but when man
dies, he is no longer here as long as the heavens last
a. Life is brief and troublesome, his days are numbered
b. Cut down a tree, and it will sprout again; but when man
dies, he is no longer here as long as the heavens last
Job 14:1-10
"Man born of woman
is of few days and full of trouble.
He springs up like a flower and withers away;
like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
Do you fix your eye on such a one?
Will you bring him [a] before you for judgment?
Who can bring what is pure from the impure?
No one!
Man's days are determined;
you have decreed the number of his months
and have set limits he cannot exceed.
So look away from him and let him alone,
till he has put in his time like a hired man.
"At least there is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.
Its roots may grow old in the ground
and its stump die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put forth shoots like a plant.
But man dies and is laid low;
he breathes his last and is no more.
2. He longs for death (14:13-22,14)
a. That God would so hide him from His wrath until it is past
b. Man's hope is slowly eroded as he goes through life, until
he knows no more of this life
If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my hard service
I will wait for my renewal [c] to come.
I. ELIPHAZ SPEAKS AND JOB RESPONDS (15:1-17:16)
A. ELIPHAZ'S REBUTTAL (15:1-35)
1. Eliphaz attacks Job, rebuking his behavior and ridiculing his
wisdom (15:1-16)
a. Job is reasoning with unprofitable talk, his own mouth
condemns him
b. Job attempts to limit wisdom to himself, disregarding the
wisdom of others
c. Job cannot be as pure and righteous as he claims; if angels
and the heavens are not pure in God's sight, how much less
one who "drinks iniquity like water"?
is of few days and full of trouble.
He springs up like a flower and withers away;
like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
Do you fix your eye on such a one?
Will you bring him [a] before you for judgment?
Who can bring what is pure from the impure?
No one!
Man's days are determined;
you have decreed the number of his months
and have set limits he cannot exceed.
So look away from him and let him alone,
till he has put in his time like a hired man.
"At least there is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.
Its roots may grow old in the ground
and its stump die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put forth shoots like a plant.
But man dies and is laid low;
he breathes his last and is no more.
2. He longs for death (14:13-22,14)
a. That God would so hide him from His wrath until it is past
b. Man's hope is slowly eroded as he goes through life, until
he knows no more of this life
If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my hard service
I will wait for my renewal [c] to come.
I. ELIPHAZ SPEAKS AND JOB RESPONDS (15:1-17:16)
A. ELIPHAZ'S REBUTTAL (15:1-35)
1. Eliphaz attacks Job, rebuking his behavior and ridiculing his
wisdom (15:1-16)
a. Job is reasoning with unprofitable talk, his own mouth
condemns him
b. Job attempts to limit wisdom to himself, disregarding the
wisdom of others
c. Job cannot be as pure and righteous as he claims; if angels
and the heavens are not pure in God's sight, how much less
one who "drinks iniquity like water"?
Job 15:5,6
Your sin prompts your mouth;
you adopt the tongue of the crafty.
Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
your own lips testify against you.
2. Job asks for relief (17:1-5)
a. He is broken, the grave is ready for him, and mockers are
with him
b. His friends have no understanding, can't God help him?
you adopt the tongue of the crafty.
Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
your own lips testify against you.
2. Job asks for relief (17:1-5)
a. He is broken, the grave is ready for him, and mockers are
with him
b. His friends have no understanding, can't God help him?
Job 17:1-2
My spirit is broken,
my days are cut short,
the grave awaits me.
Surely mockers surround me;
my eyes must dwell on their hostility.
3. He resumes his complaint (17:6-9)
a. He is despised by others, even as he grows weaker
b. Upright men are astonished by him, the innocent are stirred
up against the hypocrite (is Job saying that is how they
view him?)
c. The righteous holds to his way, and those with clean hands
become stronger and stronger (perhaps Job is referring here
to his friends, and speaking with sarcasm)
my days are cut short,
the grave awaits me.
Surely mockers surround me;
my eyes must dwell on their hostility.
3. He resumes his complaint (17:6-9)
a. He is despised by others, even as he grows weaker
b. Upright men are astonished by him, the innocent are stirred
up against the hypocrite (is Job saying that is how they
view him?)
c. The righteous holds to his way, and those with clean hands
become stronger and stronger (perhaps Job is referring here
to his friends, and speaking with sarcasm)
JOb 17:9
Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways,
and those with clean hands will grow stronger.
4. With no wisdom from his friends, he is losing hope (17:10-16)
a. His days are past, his plans are broken, and all his
friends can do is say "the light is near" when all is dark
b. If death and the grave is all that lies ahead, where is his
hope?
Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways,
and those with clean hands will grow stronger.
4. With no wisdom from his friends, he is losing hope (17:10-16)
a. His days are past, his plans are broken, and all his
friends can do is say "the light is near" when all is dark
b. If death and the grave is all that lies ahead, where is his
hope?
JOb 17:10-16
"But come on, all of you, try again!
I will not find a wise man among you.
My days have passed, my plans are shattered,
and so are the desires of my heart.
These men turn night into day;
in the face of darkness they say, 'Light is near.'
If the only home I hope for is the grave, [f]
if I spread out my bed in darkness,
if I say to corruption, 'You are my father,'
and to the worm, 'My mother' or 'My sister,'
where then is my hope?
Who can see any hope for me?
Will it go down to the gates of death [g] ?
Will we descend together into the dust?"
"But come on, all of you, try again!
I will not find a wise man among you.
My days have passed, my plans are shattered,
and so are the desires of my heart.
These men turn night into day;
in the face of darkness they say, 'Light is near.'
If the only home I hope for is the grave, [f]
if I spread out my bed in darkness,
if I say to corruption, 'You are my father,'
and to the worm, 'My mother' or 'My sister,'
where then is my hope?
Who can see any hope for me?
Will it go down to the gates of death [g] ?
Will we descend together into the dust?"
Source:ccel.org
by SS