Life is Short

Job 14

This chapter may be a little close to death than what others would like to hear about. When we talk about death, usually it grabs our attention because we know that everyone dies. As the statistics show, one out of one persons will die. Mankind still tries to find ways to prolong life or find the way to immortality but there is still death. Death is something that is hard to swallow as well as something that is not natural. If you think about it we were never intended to die. God created us for eternity but because of sin, we see that death entered into the picture. 

In this picture Job is still responding to his friends and it also it continues from ch. 13 on life is short.

Life is Short

Job says, ” Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble (vs 1).” In verse 10 he says, “But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he?” Job also compares to the length of life as grass that withers or a flower that withers or like water failing from a lake. Even in past chapter we have read about how the days of man are like a vapor or breath. The bottom line, life is short. This life we live on earth is short and it goes by fast. Have you ever heard someone say, “When I was your age…?” Since having a child, many people just tell me how fast this time will fly. 

When we look at Job, he realizes life is short but we also see from chapter 13 that his hope is in the Lord still. In 13:15 Job says, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him.” Our life is in God’s hands. Just like God knows our first breath on this earth he also knows when our last breath will be on this earth. As we know that God knows this our hope should rest in him, we will die one day, but there is still hope that is beyond the grave.

Our Hope is In Him

Job says in 14:16-17 we see that Job talks about how God numbers his steps and keeps watch over his sin. His transgressions are sealed up in a bag and he would cover his iniquity. In Isaiah 53:4-5 says, “Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows… But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities. Our hope and forgiveness is found only in Jesus. As the Bible says when we ask for forgiveness, God is able to forgive (1st John 1:9) the reason is because Jesus paid that price for us, by being beaten, killed, and rising again from the dead. That is our hope that lies beyond the grave. We know that this life that IS short, is not it. Our hope lies in Christ. As Job wanted his sin to be forgotten and covered, I know mine has as God has forgiven and forgotten my sin.