Losing Hope

INTRO

Yesterday, we looked at Job’s response to Zophar that turned into a prayer (Job 13). In chapter 14, Job’s conversation with God continued. Constable explains that Job’s words in chapter 14 were “really his answer to the major argument and several specific statements all three of his companions had made so far.”¹

TEACHING

Job 14:1–6: Job continued discussing the brevity of life in Job 14:1 and said it was “short of days and full of trouble.” Then Job described life as a wilting flower and a fleeting shadow (v. 2). Job asked for grace (v. 3) and wondered if anyone could create something pure out of something already impure (v. 4). We are all born in a state of impurity, and we are all sinners (1 Kings 8:46; Psalm 14:1, 3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 64:5; Romans 3:10, 23). The blood of Christ, our mediator, is the only one who can take this on. Job next described man as a hired man whose days had already been numbered (vv. 5–6).

Job 14:7–17: Job moved from the brevity of life to the finality of death (vv. 7–17). A chopped down tree has the ability to sprout again and will not die (vv. 7–9) (Isaiah 6:13). The tree had more hope for life than Job. The “holy seed” was still within the tree stump.²This is a prophetic picture that leads to Jesus. But man had no such hope and was more like the water that evaporated completely in the soil (vv. 10–11). Job stated that when man lay down in death, there was no assurance he would live again (v. 12). However, Job asked God to hide him in death until His anger was over (v. 13). MacArthur states Job was requesting that, after God’s anger was done, he “be raised to life again when God called him back.”³Job wondered if resurrection was possible (v. 14). Job thought that if God brought him back to life, He could then count Job’s days without looking at his sin, and that God would cover his sin (vv. 15–17).

Job was asking if a person could live again. The psalmist said God would not abandon him in Sheol (Psalm 16:9–11) and that he would see God’s face when he “awoke” (Psalm17:15; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2). Job had hope that if he died, he would live again. Job 19:25–26 speaks of the Promised Redeemer that gives hope in death. God has power over the finality of death, and everyone will stand before him (Acts 24:15; Hebrews 9:27). Which side will you fall on? The side of shame or of eternal life? The New Testament also speaks of a person being able to live again. Jesus promised that Lazarus would live again (John 11:23–27). We do not have to fear the finality of death because Jesus has abolished it (2 Timothy 1:10).

Job 14:18–22: Although Job had maintained his hope in God up until this point, these last verses show a distinct absence of hope. MacArthur explains, “Job returned to his complaint before God, and reverted to a hopeless mood, speaking about death as inevitable and causing separation. He was painfully sad to think of it.”⁴Job described his loss of hope as a collapsed and crumbling mountain or torrents of water that wash away soil in its wake (vv. 18–19). Job told God: “You destroy a man’s hope. You completely overpower him, and he passes on; You change his appearance and send him away” (vv. 19b–20). Hope is the only thing that gets us through difficult times and friends who do not support us. Hope is the major weapon against anything we face in life (Hebrews 6:19). Our hope must be tethered to Christ Himself. Nelson’s Commentary emphasizes, “The OT believer admits that he sees little evidence for a blessed afterlife. This is the importance of Jesus’ resurrection. He promises, ‘Because I live, you will live also.’”⁵Belief in Christ means we are rooted in Him as our Living Hope (1 Peter 1:3). Job concluded that without hope, a man would find no honor in what happens to his own life or to the lives of others (vv. 21–22).

CLOSING

Charles Allen said, “When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God.” Our hope comes from the Lord. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

No matter what you are going through right now, you have purpose in Christ, and you can find your hope in Him.