JOB LESSON 14
We will begin this lesson in Job 14:1 "Man [that is] born of a
woman [is] of few days, and full of trouble."
It appears, to me, that Job was speaking of the flesh of man in
this Scripture. The natural man is born of a woman. Most, all of the
natural men of our day, can look to about seventy years of life. Some,
by great strength, might even live to be a hundred. Even if a man
lived to be a hundred, his days would be few, The flesh of man is not
made to live forever. The body wears out from much age, and finally
gives away. Life on this earth is filled with trials and tribulation.
This was the thing that Job was relating here.
Job 14:2 "He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he
fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not."
A flower blooms in the springtime, and is cut down in the fall.
Eastern flowers usually last but one day, and they are gone. Oh! what
a brief life. Shadows do not last very long either. They change
constantly, and then are gone when the sun goes down.
Job 14:3 "And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and
bringest me into judgment with thee?"
Why would God bother with such short- lived, mortal man. It
seemed amazing to Job that God would choose one man out of all
humanity to judge. Job was aware that something was different about
his circumstance compared to other men, but he had not decided why
this was so.
Job 14:4 "Who can bring a clean [thing] out of an unclean? not
one."
Men are born in sin. Perhaps, Job was speaking of the uselessness
of trying to become righteous, after beginning in sin.
Job 14:5 "Seeing his days [are] determined, the number of his
months [are] with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot
pass;"
The number of days and years of man's life is only known of God.
He has our days numbered. Not everyone lives to adulthood, and
certainly, not all live to be seventy years old. Only God knows the
length of your life upon this earth. God lives in one eternal day. Our
lives do not end when our flesh dies. Our spiritual bodies will rise
out of the flesh bodies when the flesh dies.
Job 14:6 "Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall
accomplish, as an hireling, his day."
Job was asking God to give rest to the weary body that was
enduring until it died. This turning from him was speaking of a pause
in constantly searching man out. Job was speaking of himself.
Job 14:7 "For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it
will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease."
A tree can spring up from its roots, even after it is cut down.
Sometimes, the tree that comes up from the root, will be even stronger
than the tree that was cut down.
Job 14:8 "Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the
stock thereof die in the ground;" Job 14:9 "[Yet] through the scent
of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant."
This is speaking of the roots appearing to be dead, and coming
back to life, when water gets to the roots.
Job 14:10 "But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up
the ghost, and where [is] he?"
Job was speaking of the flesh of man, as if it was what man
really was. The flesh of man does die, and does not live again. The
flesh which was made of dust returns to the dust of the earth. The
ghost that man gives up, is the spirit that rises from that body to
live either in heaven, or hell.
Job 14:11 "[As] the waters fail from the sea, and the flood
decayeth and drieth up:"
The flood always goes away and leaves the clay of the earth. The
river that dries up does the same. This was Job saying that he had
dried up, and was returning to the clay of the earth.
Job 14:12 "So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens
[be] no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep."
Notice, "till the heavens be no more". The body of man lies in
the grave decaying away to return to the dust it came from. Job was
not denying that there would be a resurrection, but was speaking of
the immediate death awaiting him.
Job 14:13 "O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou
wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest
appoint me a set time, and remember me!"
Job would rather die and have his body lie in the grave, so that
he would be hidden, until the anger of God was passed. He knew that
God would not forget him, and let him stay there forever.
Job 14:14 "If a man die, shall he live [again]? all the days of
my appointed time will I wait, till my change come."
The answer to this is, of course, yes. It was as if Job was
wanting the answer to that to be no. He wanted to depart to get out of
his pain and suffering. He was looking to that time when he would be
changed. His body of flesh would give way to his spiritual body.
Job 14:15 "Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt
have a desire to the work of thine hands."
Job was the "work of thine hands" here. Job knew that he was
God's creation. He knew that God would call him, and he would answer.
Job 14:16 "For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch
over my sin?"
God knew each step that Job had made. He, also, knew if Job had
sinned. Mankind has no secrets from God. God knows even the things
that are done in secret.
Job 14:17 "My transgression [is] sealed up in a bag, and thou
sewest up mine iniquity."
This was as if God had a bag that he put each sin into and sealed
them up, so they could not escape.
Job 14:18 "And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and
the rock is removed out of his place."
Job was comparing his loss of everything he had, including his
children, with the sudden collapse of a mountain. When a volcano
erupts, sometimes half of the mountain comes off at the top. Rocks are
thrown sometimes for miles away from where they had been. Just as this
calamity of the mountain had been sudden, Job's loss was sudden.
Job 14:19 "The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the
things which grow [out] of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest
the hope of man."
The never-ending washing of water over rocks can finally cut a
hole into them. The never-ending pain of Job's had cut a whole into
his heart. He was full of despair and hopelessness.
Job 14:20 "Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth:
thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away."
Job would feel like fighting back, if he had known this was an
attack from Satan. He knew it was useless to fight God. Job thought
God was sending this endless oppression, and he was aware he would not
be able to endure for long.
Job 14:21 "His sons come to honour, and he knoweth [it] not; and
they are brought low, but he perceiveth [it] not of them."
After a man is dead, his family can come to honor him, but he
would not even know they were there.
Job 14:22 "But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul
within him shall mourn."
A man in such great pain as Job is here, was sorrowful of soul.
Job 14 Questions
1. Man that is born of woman is of _______ ______ , and full of
trouble.
2. What was Job speaking of in this verse?
3. What is the normal life expectancy today?
4. The flesh of man is not made to live ___________.
5. What is man compared to in verse 2?
6. How long do Eastern flowers generally last?
7. How is a shadow like the flower?
8. What was amazing to Job about God's relationship with man?
9. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
10. The number of days and years of a man's life are known only of
_________.
11. What happens when our flesh dies?
12. In verse 6, what was Job asking for?
13. How can a tree live again, after it is cut down?
14. What is the ghost that man gives up at the death of his flesh?
15. What is left when the flood goes away?
16. What does the author want you to notice in verse 12?
17. Even though Job died and was in the grave, what did he know God
would do?
18. If a man die, shall he live again?
19. His body of flesh will give way to his _________ body.
20. Who was the "work of thine hands" in verse 15?
21. What was meant by transgressions sealed up in a bag?
22. How is one way a mountain falls suddenly?
23. What was Job comparing to the mountain falling suddenly?
24. The never-ending washing of water over rock will do what to it?
25. This never-ending pain of Job was doing what to him?
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