Pondering About Death [Job 14]
1"Man, who is born of woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
2"Like a flower he comes forth and withers
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
3"You also open Your eyes on him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
4"Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
5"Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.
6"Turn Your gaze from him that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day like a hired man.
As Job contemplated his pain and suffering he started thinking about death.He knew that at some point he was going to die and now he wondered if death was going to be the end result of his sickness.He realized that he didn’t know much about death.He feebly acknowledged that God was in charge of the outcome.“Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; and his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.”Since he didn’t really know what happened when a man died, he was sad about the prospect.He would like to stay on earth and watch his sons achieve honor.
Thinking about death can contribute to a crisis of faith.There are no facts about what happens after death so it is a mystery.Job didn’t have anything written by God to help him understand but we do.We have the words of Jesus in John 14:1-6 and lots of descriptions throughout Scripture.Jesus said that He was going ahead of us to prepare a wonderful place for us.When we die we will be where He is!
We praise You Father that You have promised us eternal life with You. When this body dies we aren’t without hope. We can know that we will see You just as You are and that we will live with You eternally if we have accepted for our own the forgiveness Christ offered on the cross.
Verna McCrillis, 1/22/2011