SCRIPTURE: JOB 17
JOB DESCRIPTION OF HIMSELF:
- My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me. (v. 1)
- My eyes dwell in the hostility of the mockers that surround me. (v. 2)
- God has made me a byword to everyone, a man in whose face people spit. (v. 6)
- My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow. (v. 7)
- My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart. (v. 11)
JOB’S CONFIDENCE IN GOD:
- Give me, O God, the pledge you demand. Who else will put up security for me? (v. 3)
- You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore you will not let them triumph. (v. 4)
JOB’S QUESTIONS:
- Where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me? (v. 15)
- Will my hope go down to the gates of death? Will we descend together into the dust?” (v. 16)
THOUGHTS:
Job considered himself hopeless as he saw in his future a decaying body, death and the grave. So, he cried out for a representative before God to put up security for him and settle his case. Today, Jesus Christ is our Advocate and Mediator, who gave his own blood as security. We can put our hope and trust in Him. We must not evaluate life only in terms of this present world because God promises a never ending wonderful future to those who are faithful to Him.
Job’s three friends had a faulty view of wisdom. They assumed that earthly success and prosperity were rewards from God while troubles and afflictions were results of unfaithfulness. True wisdom comes from God, not from human success or failures. A truly wise man never forsakes God.