Job’s Struggle to Attain Faith in Life After Death

Job 14:13-17; 17:13-16; 19:23-29

GOLDEN TEXT: “As for me I know that my Redeemer liveth.”—Job 19:25

CONTINUING our consideration of Job, we note some of the prophetic wisdom recorded in Chapter 14. The first four verses graphically picture what all of experience realize—that human life under present conditions is full of trial and sorrow, from the cradle to the tomb. And Job shows that he realizes that as a son of fallen parentage he could not be perfect, free from sin, “clean,” in the full sense of that word.

In verses 5,6, he tells the Lord that he recognizes the fact that the authority and power to limit man’s days are in His hands, but urges (not seeing the ministry of trouble),Why not let me and all men live out our short time in peace—even as we would not afflict a hireling who already has a heavy, burdensome task!

Verses 7-10 are close reasonings respecting the utter hopelessness of man in death so far as any powers of his own are concerned. A tree may die and yet its root retains life, which, under favorable conditions, may spring up into another tree. But when man dies there is no root left, no spark of life remains—he giveth up the spirit of life, and where is he?

Having confessed that there is no ground for hope inherent in man, Job begins to express the only, the real hope of our race—a resurrection. See verses 12,13. Man lies down in death and loses all power to arouse himself—nor can he be resuscitated from the sleep of death by anyone, until God’s due time—the resurrection morning, the Millennial day—when the present symbolic “heavens” shall have passed away, and the “new heavens” or new spiritual ruling power—Christ’s Kingdom—shall have come into control of the world. In this Job fully agrees with the teachings of our Lord and the apostles.

The more he thinks of that blessed time when evil shall no more have dominion but when a King shall rule in righteousness and princes execute judgment, the more he wishes that he might die and be at rest, and exclaims (verse 13), “Oh, that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave [sheol]; that Thou wouldest keep me secret [hidden] until Thy wrath be past; that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time and remember me!”

Job had faith in a resurrection, else he would never have uttered this prayer for death—for hiding in the grave. But he preferred death, and desired to “sleep” (verse 12) until the “morning,” for one reason only—that he might have no further experience with sin and with God’s wrath—evil.

While a short period in the end of the Gospel age is specially called the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, because it will be “a time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation,” yet the entire period from the time when Adam fell is called a time of divine wrath, and properly so, because in all this long period “the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness,” in a variety of ways. While love is a controlling principle in the divine government, it can operate only in harmony with justice and wisdom; and it was both just and wise to let man feel the real weight of condemnation to death incurred by willful transgression, in order that when love should in due time provide a ransom and then a resurrection, the culprit might the more gladly avail himself of the provided favors of restitution and everlasting life. Thus, death and all the evils now permitted to come upon the race are manifestations of God’s wrath because of sin and disobedience of His perfect Law; to be followed by full and clear manifestations of divine love and favor through Christ and the glorified church during the Millennial age.—Rom. 1:18

Job desired to be hidden in the grave until the reign of sin and death should be ended; until in due time the light of the goodness of God, shining in the face of Jesus Christ, our Lord, shall bless all nations; until as the Sun of Righteousness, Christ shall shine upon humanity with healing beams. It was for this culmination that Job longed and prayed and waited.

In verse 14 and 15, he puts the question pointedly, as though to determine and settle his faith; but he immediately answers affirmatively, “Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee [and awake out of the sleep of Adamic death. Compare John 5:28,29]: Thou shalt have a desire to the work of Thine hands”—for mankind are His workmanship, created through The Logos originally and to be resurrected by divine power exercised through the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.

In the latter part of Chapter 19 we have another positive statement of Job’s confidence in a resurrection of the dead; that though in death his human body would be destroyed, yet in a new body—a human body—he would see the manifestation of God in the work of the Redeemer who should “stand at the latter day upon the earth.” In his great distress he was granted a revelation of God’s glorious purpose and what a comfort it doubtless was to him, as it is to the people of God today. “Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For His anger endureth but a moment [compared with the blessings of eternity]: in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night [which, thank God, is just coming to an end], but joy cometh in the morning.”—Psa. 30:4,5

QUESTIONS:

From Job’s reasoning on the subject: of life and death what do we conclude to be man’s only hope?

What was Job’s desire when he prayed to go down into sheol, the grave?

Will Job be the only one to hear the Lord’s voice calling the dead to awake?

| Home Page | Table of Contents |