Yesterday Job decided that, if he could, he would willingly come before God to defend himself, even if it killed him. But he also began wrestling with the problem of sin. Even though Job has lived in devotion to God, he isn’t sinless. He knows that sin leads to God’s judgment, and the consequence is death. Today we’ll hear the final part of his speech.

1 “Man, born of woman,
lives but a few days, and they are full of trouble.
2 He grows up like a flower and then withers away;
he flees like a shadow and does not remain.
3 Do you fix your eye on such a one?
And do you bring me before you for judgment?
4 Who can make a clean thing come from an unclean?
No one!
5 Since man’s days are determined,
the number of his months is under your control;
you have set his limit, and he cannot pass it.
6 Look away from him and let him desist,
until he fulfills his time like a hired man.

7 “But there is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.
8 Although its roots may grow old in the ground
and its stump begins to die in the soil,
9 at the scent of water it will flourish
and put forth shoots like a new plant.
10 But man dies and is powerless;
he expires—and where is he?
11 As water disappears from the sea,
or a river drains away and dries up,
12 so man lies down and does not rise;
until the heavens are no more,
they will not awake
nor arise from their sleep.

13 “O that you would hide me in Sheol,
and conceal me till your anger has passed!
O that you would set me a time
and then remember me!
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my hard service I will wait
until my release comes.
15 You will call and I—I will answer you;
you will long for the creature you have made.

16 “Surely now you count my steps;
then you would not mark my sin.
17 My offenses would be sealed up in a bag;
you would cover over my sin.
18 But as a mountain falls away and crumbles,
and as a rock will be removed from its place,
19 as water wears away stones,
and torrents wash away the soil,
so you destroy man’s hope.
20 You overpower him once for all,
and he departs;
you change his appearance
and send him away.
21 If his sons are honored,
he does not know it;
if they are brought low,
he does not see it.
22 His flesh only has pain for him,
and he mourns for himself.”

REFLECTIONS

We’ll hear more about this passage in church tomorrow. But a quick preview: For most of the Old Testament, even faithful believers in God didn’t yet have a clear and direct word about real hope beyond the grave. Jesus hadn’t yet risen from the dead.

That’s why Job’s wish in verses 13-17 is so haunting. He imagines what he thinks is an alternate reality – a make-believe world in which death is not being banished to the dark place of no return. Instead, he thinks, “What if the grave was actually a refuge – a safe hiding-place from God’s judgment?” Afterwards, in Job’s imagination, God would raise him to life again, and nothing could ever again spoil Job’s enjoyment of his beautiful relationship with his Creator.

Don’t you want to be able to go back in time and say, “Hey Job, I’ve got great news – there is hope beyond death. In fact, God is going to send his Son to die for sin and then to break open the grave. Jesus is the refuge you are longing for!”

It’s so amazing to live this side of the resurrection of Jesus, and to know for certain that when he returns to renew all things, everyone who trusts in him will be raised like he was. Knowing that doesn’t take away the pain of this life; but it does give us strength to press on through the painful things. And we can’t go back in time to tell Job the good news that Jesus brings real hope. But I’m sure there’s someone close to you who you’d love to let know. Ask God to use you to bring that hope into their life.