Job 7:1–11

Overlooking a very ordinary use of the word tzava (host) has made another passage needlessly hard... Job 7:1 seems to open up the force of the word: "Is there not an appointed time to man? His days also as the days of a hired worker?" ... I gather that its force is "an appointed time" of subjection to evil.

Has not man a warfare on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired worker? Like the slave panting for the shade, and like the hired worker longing for his wages.

"As a servant longs for the shadow" — the shade of evening, when his work is done — "and as a hired worker looks for the reward of his work; so I must live through months of emptiness, and weary nights are appointed to me." Servants had their daily break from work. The work may be hard, but they still had their night of ease and rest. "But I have nothing, day or night. It is all the same terrible, non-stop suffering."

Job's questions in verse 1 show why God's dealings distressed him so much... How many people are like Job in this. They think of their relationship with God as being like that of a hired man working for a righteous employer. If they do right, their pay should be good; if they do wrong, they expect painful pay. But Job was suffering agonising pain. Was this the pay for the good he had done?

God was seeking to teach Job something. His relationship to Him must not be that of a man working for wages. It must be that of one whom God loved and who loved God. He would then do good out of a heart of love, expecting no payment for it. Job did not understand this at the time, and neither did his friends.

Sleepless nights of tossing to and fro, month after month of pain that never lets up, make him long for that "appointed time" set for all flesh. He longs for it the way a hired worker waits for the end of his day's work... Like the swift passing of the shuttle in the weaver's loom, so pass his painful days. Soon they will see him no more, and his life will melt away as the cloud in the blue sky.

But God was putting him into the furnace in order that he might come out purer than ever.

You cannot read the first part of this chapter without being struck by the sadness of his plight... He describes his pitiful state in the most vivid way, and his friends should have been far more full of compassion.

So Job pleads for a fairer judgment of his heavy trial, and of the wild words that came with it. It was easy for others to hand out moral lessons while they sat at ease. For him, crying out was as unavoidable as it is for a starving animal. He admitted the blows came from God, and he only wanted to be crushed, since his conscience was clear. Hope for this life was gone… When a man has served out his time as a soldier or a slave, may he not retire? It was his grief that he could not, after days and nights of misery beyond words.

"Like a slave who longs for the shadow" — the shade of evening, when he has finished his work — "and like a hired hand who looks for his wages, so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me." Each day the servant and the hired man had their break from work. The work may have been hard, but they still had their night of ease and rest. "But I have nothing, day or night. It is all the same terrible, unbroken suffering."

"Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?" How many people are like Job in this. They see their relationship with God as that of a hired man working for a righteous employer. If they do right, they should be paid well. If they do wrong, they expect to be paid back with pain. But Job was suffering agonising pain. Was this his pay for the good he had done?

God was trying to teach Job that his relationship to Him must not be that of a man working for wages. It must be that of a man whom God loved and who loved God back. Such a man does good out of a heart of love, and expects no payment for it. Job did not understand this at the time, and neither did his friends.

You cannot read the first section without being struck by the sadness of his plight. He felt it deeply himself, so he put it into moving words. "Months of emptiness" and "nights of misery" had been his lot. Just as a servant or hired man longed for the evening shade and for his wages, Job was longing for the end. Like a weaver's shuttle his days raced away, and he was hopeless. He describes his pitiful state very clearly, and his friends should have been far more full of compassion.

This is beautifully poetic, and true as far as man's view goes… It is the funeral song of human life ever since sin brought in death. "But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him" (Ps. 103:15-18). Ah, Job sees only the dark side. He turns to God here, but he speaks of wrath and not of mercy.

"Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth?" (Job 7). There he has another ground; his trial was so prolonged. It was not merely a huge trial of the kind that usually passes very quickly in this world… A servant longs for the shade of evening, when he has finished his work. A hired worker looks for the reward of his work. "So I am made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me." Servants and hired workers had their break from work every day. The work may have been hard, but they still had their night of ease and rest. Job could only say: "I have nothing day or night; it is all the same terrible unbroken suffering."

Job's questions in verse 1 show why he was so upset at God's dealings… Many people are like Job here. They think of their relationship to God as that of a hired man working for a fair employer. Do right, and the pay should be good. Do wrong, and they expect a painful return. But Job was in agonising pain. Was this the pay for the good he had done? He had looked eagerly for his wages for doing good (v. 2), and found himself enduring months of futility and wearisome nights, tossing to and fro in his bed.

God was seeking to teach Job that his relationship to Him must not be that of a man working for wages. Job was one whom God loved and who loved God. So he was to do good out of a heart of love, expecting no payment for it. Job did not at this time understand this, and neither did his friends.

Having challenged his friends to test him, Job now dwells on his sufferings, with the shortness of life in view. His nights are sleepless, full of "tossings to and fro," and his months of pain never let up. So he longs for that "appointed time" set for all flesh, like a hired worker waiting eagerly for the close of his day's work.

No one can read the first section without being struck by the sadness of his plight. He felt it deeply himself, and he expressed it in a moving way. "Months of vanity" and "wearisome nights" had been his portion. A servant or hired worker longs for the shade of evening and for his wages; in the same way Job was longing for the end… He paints his pitiful state in the clearest colours, and his friends should have been more filled with compassion.

But God was putting him into the furnace in order that he might come out purer than ever.

He would put the precious ore into the crucible. He knew how much unsuspected evil lay hidden under all that outward excellence, mixed even with the inner piety of this good man. He would show that even piety cannot feed upon itself, nor righteousness lean upon its own arm.

Your time is measured. Infinite wisdom considered your days and hours of suffering from eternity.

Here he has another reason to complain: his trial lasted so long. It was not just a huge trial, which is usually very brief in this world. If people have great agony, say in the foot or the head, very often they become unconscious if it is the head. If it is the foot, no doubt it is very trying, but it passes. The attack passes. "But how is it that I from head to foot am nothing but a mass of sores, and inwardly suffering the deepest agony?"… Hired workers had their daily break from work. The work may be hard, but still they had their night of ease and rest. "But I have nothing day or night, it is all the same terrible suffering that never lets up."

We can see that it was divine wisdom that chose these three things to represent the whole range of human suffering. First there was the sudden loss of all his possessions… Then the total loss of his family, which was bereavement. Then there was terrible pain. It is very hard to imagine the painful state he describes: ulcers covering him from head to foot, and no relief from pain day or night… And when the day comes it is just the same thing over again (Job 7:4-6). Job's sufferings were of a kind very well known to us.

Many people consider their relationship to God to be like that of a hired man working for a righteous employer. If they do right, their pay should be good; if they do wrong, they expect painful repayment. But Job was suffering agonising pain. Was this the pay for the good he had done?… God was seeking to teach Job that his relationship to Him must not be that of a man working for wages. It must be that of one whom God loved and who loved God, doing good out of a heart of love, expecting no payment for it. Job did not at this time understand this, and neither did his friends.

God is his enemy, watching as if he were the tossing sea, ready to overleap its bounds, or some monster of the waters to be taken and destroyed. Day and night His hand was heavy upon him. The broken sleep as he tossed on his bed was unbearable, because of the terrifying dreams God sent. So strangling was better than the choking dread that filled his soul with terror. Poor sufferer! And he was attributing it to his best Friend!

At first sight the difficulty grows when we remember how precious he was to God, and God's tender mercy to His children. Think of such a trial on earth, right after hearing what God said about him in heaven. But much of the profit this book gives depends on one thing: God made known both His estimate of Job and Satan's trial of him only in heaven. The reason for the trial stayed a secret for the present — a secret on earth, not in heaven. Neither Job nor his friends knew anything of what God had said about him.

If Job had only realised that it was because of God's pure love to him that He allowed such things to try him, how different would his attitude have been! In the end he was brought to that conclusion, so the story closes bright with God's praise and Job's great blessing.

Job has challenged his friends to test him. Now he goes back to dwelling on his sufferings, thinking how short life is. Sleepless nights of tossing to and fro, through months of pain that never lets up, make him long for that appointed time set for all flesh. He longs for it as eagerly as a hired worker waiting for the end of his day's work.

Suppose people are in great agony, say in the foot or the head. If it is the head, they often lose all feeling. If it is the foot, no doubt it is very trying, but it passes; the attack passes. "But how is it that I am nothing but a mass of sores from head to foot, and suffering the deepest agony inside?"… Hired workers had their rest from work each day. The work may be hard, but they still had their night of ease and rest. "But I have nothing, day or night. It is all the same terrible, unbroken suffering."

The image is of the sea raised into wild, tumbling waves. So in Job 7:5 he compares his skin to this — it was split, broken up, and rough… and put away as bad.

Already the signs of the grave are on him — the worm and the clod. Any slight healing of his sores is only the signal for a fresh outbreak.

God gave permission to Satan to deal with Job's body, short of taking his life. At Satan's bidding, boils broke out on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Can you imagine a more terrible plight? Stripped of property and family in one short day, now he has lost his health. His illness meant terrible fever and agonising pain. Nothing is more wearing than pain.

Note carefully here that the spring and source of all these dealings is not Satan's accusations, but God Himself. God knew what His servant Job needed. He Himself brings Job's case forward and sets everything in motion… Satan is only an instrument, an ignorant though clever instrument, to bring about God's purposes of grace… But for Job's good, Satan is allowed his own way up to a certain point. The aim is to bring Job to know his own heart, and so to a deeper ground of practical relationship with God.

Job was a model man in his day. But he was never at rest until he learned what a mass of moral corruption he was in the sight of God. Satan was used to bring out the boils that covered his body from head to foot. The purpose was to make his moral condition plain, so that he might appear outwardly, in the sight of man, what he was inwardly, in the sight of God… Once he accepted God's estimate of himself, he no longer defended himself. He judged himself as one who had deceived himself in the past. Afterwards he received abundant tokens of God's favour.

But God was putting him into the furnace so that he might come out purer than ever. "My flesh is clothed with worms." Think of that — clothed with worms, not with wool or linen.

"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope." That is, something was always coming — as fast as a weaver passes his shuttle, moment by moment. "Oh, remember that my life is wind; my eye shall no more see good. The eye of him that has seen me shall see me no more; Your eyes are upon me and I am not. As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away" — that is what he compared himself to.

When a man has served his time as a soldier or a slave, may he not retire? It was Job's grief that he could not, after unspeakable days and nights of hopeless misery. Yet he was only a wind or a cloud. As he thought of it, he had to speak again in his anguish.

Job has challenged his friends to test him. Now he goes back to dwelling on his sufferings, in view of how short life is. These sleepless nights of "tossings to and fro" run on through months of unrelieved pain. They make him long for that "appointed time" set for all flesh. He longs for it with the eager desire of a hired worker waiting for the close of his day's work. Already the signs of the grave are on him, the worm and the clod. Any slight healing of his sores is only the signal for a fresh outbreak.

His days were spent without hope, expecting never to see good again (vv.6-7). So to him his future appeared bleak and hopeless. How wrong he was! — for God had designed greater blessing for him in the future than he had ever known before; and in fact eternity has infinitely greater blessing yet.

But God was putting him into the furnace so that he might come out purer than ever.

The Old Testament hope was like Job's. Outside the present scene there was little light. Death was a deep, dark "shadow," almost impossible to see through. Resurrection, and restoration to a scene of blessing on earth, was the tangible, plain thing.

We pause to ask a question. Have we ever thanked God enough that we walk in the light of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead? ... What was not made known was this: for the saint, resurrection will mean entering a new and incorruptible order of things. Our Lord showed this when He rose from the dead.

Job himself was in the dark about these things. In this chapter he even shows how ready he was to argue with God, and almost to accuse Him. That was so even though he knew God's eyes were on him (v. 8), that He was with him (v. 19), and that He had set His heart on man (v. 17). ... Day gave him no pleasure, night no rest; he prefers death to the life he "loathes" (vv. 15, 16). Yet he is unbroken. ... Not until he says, "My eye sees You," does he say, "Therefore I despise myself."

Job's reply has two general features, one for each of the two chapters given to it (Job 6, 7). In chapter 6 he speaks mainly to the friends. In the second half of the following chapter he speaks to God... (5) The brevity of life (Job 7:1-11). (6) God his enemy (verses 12-19). (7) The appeal in view of sin (verses 20, 21).

Already the signs of the grave are on him, the worm and the clod. Any slight healing of his sores is only the signal for a fresh, sickening outbreak. His painful days pass like the swift passing of the shuttle in the weaver's loom. Soon they will see him no more, and his life will melt away like a cloud in the blue sky.

He felt his suffering deeply himself, and so expressed it in a moving way. His life had been "months of emptiness" and "nights of misery." Just as a servant or hired worker longed for the shadow of evening and for his wages, he was longing for the end. His days fled away, and he was hopeless. His friends should have been more filled with compassion.

Job himself was in the dark about these things. In the chapter referred to he even shows how ready he was to argue with God, and almost accuse Him. Yet he knew that God's eyes were upon him (v. 8), that He was with him (v. 19), and that He had set His heart upon man (v. 17)... In chapter 7 he knew he had sinned (v. 20), and tasted great bitterness, despite his sense of the Lord's nearness. That sense only added to his distress.

God is his enemy, watching him as if he were the tossing sea, ready to break past its limits, or some sea monster to be caught and destroyed. Day and night His hand was heavy upon him... Poor sufferer! And he was attributing it to his best Friend!

Sometimes we have a little of that experience. But how little it is next to Job's, and how quickly it passes. But God was putting him into the furnace so that he might come out purer than ever.

Job was to be raised and live again, and to live in a glorious way, in power and incorruption. "Whom I shall see for myself." He was not in the least afraid of the Lord. He loved to think of Him, and looked for His intervention with certainty. "And my eyes shall behold, and not another."

Not until chapter 40 does Job discover that he is vile and stop speaking. It is then that he begins to understand what man is... Not until he says, "now my eye sees you," does he say, "therefore I despise myself."

Job now returns to dwell on his sufferings in view of the brevity of life. His sleepless nights of "tossings to and fro" run through months of unrelieved pain. They make him long for that "appointed time" for all flesh. He wants it as eagerly as a hired worker waiting for the end of his working day. Already the signs of the grave are on him: the worm and the clod. Any slight healing of his sores only signals a fresh, disgusting outbreak. Like the swift passing of the shuttle in the weaver's loom, so his painful days pass. Soon they will see him no more, and his life will melt away like the cloud in the blue sky.

"As the cloud fades and vanishes" — that is what he compared himself to — "so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up" — that is what he wanted, that it should end. "He returns no more to his house, nor does his place know him anymore."

As to Sheol, see how vague it is in Scripture… It meets sight at the grave, and all is dark and silent beyond. In Job 7:9 you see nothing beyond it.

Job's words are absolutely true here, without bringing in the God-dishonouring thought of annihilation in any way… God's grace may give him another and a better thing, but it does not reverse the first judgment.

To him his future appeared bleak and hopeless. How wrong he was! God had designed greater blessing for him in the future than he had ever known before. And eternity holds blessing infinitely greater still. But meanwhile Job felt defeated and miserable. He thought of his life as a cloud that appears and vanishes away… He wanted to die. Why then did he think so hopelessly about what death would bring? But our feelings often make us inconsistent.

God was putting him into the furnace so that he might come out purer than ever.

Have we ever given enough weight in our souls to what the Apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:10? He speaks of "our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." … That the soul of man survived death, and that resurrection lay ahead, was believed in Old Testament times, as Job's words here show. What was not made known was that for the believer resurrection will mean entrance on a new and incorruptible order of things. Our Lord showed this when He rose from the dead. So we have no need to discuss the matter and reason it out, as Job does here.

Job now returns to dwell on his sufferings, in view of how short life is. Sleepless nights of "tossings to and fro" run through months of unrelieved pain. They make him long for that "appointed time" set for all flesh, with the eager desire of a hired worker waiting for the end of his day's work. His painful days pass like the swift shuttle in a weaver's loom. Soon they will see him no more, and his life will melt away like a cloud in the blue sky.

But God was putting him into the furnace so that he might come out purer than ever... He compared himself to a cloud that fades and vanishes away. The one who goes down to the grave comes up no more. That is what he wanted — that it should end.

This is beautiful poetry, and true as far as man's view goes: "he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more." It is the funeral song of human existence since sin brought in death. "But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him" (Ps. 103:15-18). Job sees only the dark side, for while he does turn to God here, he speaks not of mercy but of wrath.

When we say that a man has died, we mean he has stopped existing on earth. His place here knows him no more (Job 7:10). Yet we are assured from Scripture that his spirit does not die. The body can, and does; death claims it; the grave holds it. The person, however, lives to God, as the Lord told the Sadducees in the temple at Jerusalem (Luke 20:38). Death sets the soul free from the body... We look at the person as a whole and say what is only true of a part: he is dead, because his body is dead.

The beasts do perish. They were made for a temporary purpose only. They enjoy life while it lasts, with no sorrow for the past and no fear for the future. But man is not a beast: he is the offspring of God, meant to know and enjoy communion with Him forever... He, like them, passes away and is not found; his place knows him no more forever. But he is not like them. He has "thoughts" that perish with him: unfulfilled plans and purposes, affections that cling to what they cannot hold, and a dread on his soul that hints at a life to come.

Such is death for man; and being such, it is the wages of sin. In death, man — the creature God made for Adam's paradise — perishes forever. He is set aside completely. And I do not forget resurrection when I say so. Resurrection does not restore him to this life. Job's words are true here, and we need not bring in the God-dishonouring idea that man is wiped out of existence... God's grace may give him another and a better thing, but it does not reverse the first judgment.

But in the second part Job clearly turned to God, and began to address Him with his bitter complaint. He realised his own littleness. He was not something great like a sea or a sea-monster. In verses 13-16 he cries out that even his nights are a torment. He feels that the dreams and visions of terror come to him from God. He loathes his present life and tells God that he wants to die.

However, Job bases his words on the feeling he has expressed. He says he will not restrain his mouth. He will speak in the anguish of his spirit and complain in the bitterness of his soul (v.11). If we give way to our feelings, the effect will always be the same: we shall not be able to restrain our mouths. Sober wisdom and concern for the truth will teach us to restrain our words. But our feelings will lead us to speak without thinking.

Other passages in the Old Testament show that soul and spirit were not confused. Scripture knew them and kept them apart. Hezekiah said that he spoke in the bitterness of his "soul" (nephesh). He then adds, "In all these things is the life of my spirit (rooagh)" (Isaiah 38:15-16). And Job says, "I will speak in the anguish of my spirit (rooagh), I will complain in the bitterness of my soul (nephesh)" (Job 7:11).

This is beautifully poetic, and true as far as man's view goes... It is the funeral song of human existence since sin brought in death. "But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him" (Psalm 103:15-18). Ah, Job sees only the dark side, for while he turns to God as he does here, it is not of mercy but of wrath that he speaks.

It was a great relief to the tried man to speak out. He had completely failed to win their sympathy. But Job still preferred to speak plainly, and he had no difficulty in meeting anything they had to say... "As for me, is my complaint to man?" In the middle of all this he has the deep sense of having to do with God, and that is true piety.

He begins his complaint by repeating that his soul loathes his life. So he lets himself give free course to his bitter complaint, speaking straight to God... "Show me why You contend with me" (v.2). In one respect it was true that God was contending with Job, and Job did not learn why until the last chapter of this book. He needed this painful experience. It taught him that his own nature was sinful, and it showed him the pure grace and goodness of the Lord Himself.

He wanted God, but felt God had withdrawn from him and would not answer his prayers. How little he realised that God knew perfectly what Job was feeling and what he was thinking... In fact, when God finally dealt directly with Job, Job had no arguments to present to Him at all.