Job 14:1

The close of this address ends the first round of the debate. It is a beautiful funeral song about the frailty and uncertainty of human life. Man comes up like a flower, and is cut down and withers. We are listening to the wail of Psalm 90, but without its faith in God, and not yet followed by the triumph of Psalm 91.

In these verses Job gives a vivid description of how quickly man's life on earth passes. This is generally true of all mankind, though men do everything in their power to soften this condition. Job himself lived 140 years after his bitter experience, yet when it was finished, it was only "few of days." In view of this brevity of life, Job wondered why God troubles Himself to bring him to judgment, as he thought God was doing.

Now, if you are speaking of those who are born of God, is that all you could say? Surely not! To depart is no doubt gain, but to live is well worthwhile, above all when Christ is the object. Such people can say, in their measure and despite all their weaknesses and faults, "For to me to live is Christ." Yes, that life is full of blessing. But here it is only man born of woman, never born of God — not yet, until a later chapter. Not one of these is thought of as born of God.

In the far-off days of Job human life was perhaps three times longer than it is today. Yet it was still "few of days," and then it was "full of trouble," just as it is today. Seen in the light of the eternal God, he is only like a fading flower or a fleeting shadow. Job was conscious of this about himself, and so he knew he could not stand up under God's inspection, nor stand before Him in judgment. What is more, he knew that he was not clean in the sight of God, and he was sure no one could produce the clean out of the unclean.

"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one!" This is impossible for any human being. Yet God is able to purify men's hearts, cleansing them through the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7), by faith (Romans 3:25). But we find this only in the New Testament, so Job did not understand such a marvellous gospel.

In Job 14, he clearly does not go beyond this present world of sight, and in the bitterness of his spirit has no sense of resurrection. A tree sprouts again in this present world, where we can see it. Man does not, and in fact never will, unless by a miracle, as with Lazarus. Death has wholly passed on him as an inhabitant of this world — a child of Adam. Such life he never recovers. Job was right, only he did not see beyond, nor here know Him who is the resurrection and the life.