Job continued his plea in this chapter. He understood that man has an appointed time on earth. An hireling is hired by his master for a set time. It may be for a day or for a week, etc. Jesus used the parable of the landowner who hired workers to work in his vineyard. He hired them by the day but some worked less hours than others. Those who worked longer hours assumed they should get more than the one who worked less hours. Jesus taught that the master can set the wages and he does not need to consult with the workers as to whether he is fair or not. If the worker agrees to a certain wage, they cannot complain.
The picture here is of our appointed time on this earth. We do not know the time, but God does. In verse 2 we see that the servant is looking forward to the end of the day. The hireling is looking forward to the pay for the day’s work. This was standard fare for that time. Most jobs are for more than a day today. In verse 3 Job assumed that his time was vanity. It seems to suggest here that Job suffered with boils for more than a month. He did not understand the purpose of this suffering. He longed to be set free from it.
In the night, he did not rest. He would lie down and wonder when he could get up. Sleep did not come easily because of the pain. There was no comfortable position for him. He lay there and tossed and turned, but could not get much sleep. However, sleep did not come easily as well because Job was wrestling with God on the matter of ‘who is in control’. Job lacked the confidence in God that is necessary to trust Him even when we cannot understand what is happening.
In verse 5 we see the misery of his body. Worms love smelly flesh. If there was puss oozing out of the sores they would love that as well. Job would put dust on his sores to try to keep the worms and other critters away. His skin was broken from the sores and it was not a pleasant sight. Job was directed by God to use some very descriptive language here to help us to understand the situation he faced.
In verse 6 Job expressed his despair further. He had no hope. The days were going by, but he could not see any end to his suffering. There was no doctor that had a cure. God was not answering his requests. He felt very much alone. His three friends were hearing all of this, but they did not pick up on the need to be a comfort and a blessing to Him.
In verse 7 he returned to the analogy of the wind again. The wind is there and then it is gone. We can see its power but we cannot stop it. We have governments that think they are going to change the climate with taxation. They are fools. There is another agenda that they are pursuing and too many people are buying into their lies. Most people have no confidence in God and they believe the lies of evolution and thus they assume it is up to us to protect “mother earth”. They do not seem to talk about what happens when they die. They see death all around them, but they never deal with it personally until it is too late.
In verse 8 Job continued by recognizing that his life was like a vapour. He was here for a short time and then he would be gone. In verse 9 he compared life to a cloud. He knew that a person that dies will not come back again in this world. We know from later on that he believed in the resurrection of the dead. After death, the dead do not return to their house. They are gone from this earth. He is soon forgotten. The chair he sat on is taken over by someone else. The bed he slept in is either taken over or destroyed. He is gone.
In verse 11, Job gave his conclusion here. He was not going to be silent. He had something to say and he would say it. He would pour out his thoughts. He would even complain in the bitterness of his soul. God would rebuke Job later and redirect his thinking. He had no reason to be bitter. He was suffering, but he was not alone. His help was there and it would become more tangible soon.
We can learn further from Job’s testimony of the importance of having good friends. He was a lonely man at this point. His life was not going the way it had been just a short time before. Job did not have a local church to attend. His family was gone. His wife encouraged him to curse God and die. He was not going to do that.
God has blessed us with local churches. Jesus Christ is building His church. He wants His children to be in attendance in a good local church where they can grow and serve Him. You will not find a perfect church. Doctrine is important, not your doctrine and not my doctrine. God’s doctrine is important. Jesus does not make empty promises. He promised to build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. It is up to each true child of God to humbly allow God to direct them to a true local church. He will do that. He desires to feed His sheep. He desires for His sheep to be instrumental in helping others to know the truth as well.
We invite those in our area to come visit us. We meet to glorify God. We also desire to help the ungodly to know God’s peace and truth. Soon there will be no good churches on this earth. Some of the lost may look for one, but there will be none to find. Today is the day of salvation. This is the day to go to a good church and hear the Word of God preached. Don’t miss out on God’s blessings.
Pastor Bartel